This page is intended as reference information for the general public.
What is IBRANCE and what is it used for?
IBRANCE is indicated for the treatment of patients with HR+ (hormone receptor positive) /HER2- (human epidermal growth factor negative) locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer:1,2
In combination with an aromatase Inhibitor
In combination with fulvestrant, in women who have received prior endocrine therapy
In pre- or peri-menopausal women, endocrine therapy should be combined with an LHRH (luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone) agonist.
Ibrance is a cancer medicine used to treat locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer (cancer that has begun to spread to other parts of the body). Ibrance can only be used when the cancer cells have receptors for certain hormones on their surface (HR [hormone receptor] positive) and do not produce abnormally large quantities of a receptor called HER2 (HER [human epidermal growth factor] 2 negative).3
The active substance in Ibrance, palbociclib, blocks the activity of enzymes known as cyclin-dependent kinases (CDK) 4 and 6, which play a key role in regulating the way cells grow and divide. In some cancers, including HR-positive breast cancer, the activity of CDK 4 and 6 is increased, which helps the cancer cells to multiply uncontrollably. By blocking CDK4 and CDK6, Ibrance slows the growth of HR-positive breast cancer cells.3
The medicine can only be obtained with a prescription.
Reference Information
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) provides national guidance and advice to improve health and social care. One of the ways they do this is by producing evidence-based guidance. See NICE guidance on palbociclib with an aromatase inhibitor and NICE guidance on palbociclib with fulvestrant.
The European Medicines Agency (EMA) is an agency of the European Union (EU). The Agency is responsible for the scientific evaluation, supervision and safety monitoring of medicines developed by pharmaceutical companies for use in the EU. See EMA guidance on IBRANCE.
Medicines in Northern Ireland fall under the remit of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) whilst medicines in Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales) fall under the remit of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) following the UK leaving the European Union. These agencies are responsible for the scientific evaluation, supervision and safety monitoring of medicines developed by pharmaceutical companies.
If you would like to see the Summary of Product Characteristics (SPC) or Patient Information Leaflet (PIL) for IBRANCE please follow these links:
Great Britain
Northern Ireland
Pfizer is unable to provide advice on personal medical matters. Please consult your doctor or other relevant health professional for specific, health-related advice and support.
If you get any side effects when taking this or any other medicine, talk to your doctor or other relevant health professional e.g. pharmacist, nurse. This includes any possible side effects not listed in the packaging leaflet. You can also report side effects directly via the Yellow Card Scheme at https://yellowcard.mhra.gov.uk or search the Google Play or Apple App Store for MHRA Yellow Card. By reporting side effects, you can help provide more information on the safety of this medicine.
References
Pfizer. IBRANCE Summary of Product Characteristics, Great Britain. Accessed Feb 2023.
Pfizer. IBRANCE Summary of Product Characteristics, Northern Ireland. Accessed Feb 2023.
European Medicines Agency. Ibrance. Accessed Feb 2023.