About Verzenio Whether you're newly diagnosed or just starting treatment, learn more about Verzenio and how it works. What is Verzenio? Verzenio is a targeted treatment known as a CDK4 & 6 inhibitor. Verzenio is a non-chemotherapy oral tablet. Verzenio is a prescription medicine used to treat a type of breast cancer in adults. It is a medicine you can take if you have a type of breast cancer called HR+, HER2– (hormone receptor positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 negative) and the cancer has spread to other parts of the body (metastasized). Verzenio is given with an aromatase inhibitor as initial endocrine based therapy. If the cancer has gotten worse after hormone therapy, then Verzenio is given with fulvestrant. If the cancer has gotten worse after both hormone therapy and chemotherapy, then Verzenio is given by itself. It is not known if Verzenio is safe and effective in children. CDK4 & 6=cyclin-dependent kinases 4 and 6. How Verzenio works Verzenio works inside the cell to block CDK4 & 6 activity and help stop the growth of cancer cells, so they may eventually die* Verzenio is a CDK4 & 6 inhibitor used to treat HR+, HER2– metastatic breast cancer. Verzenio works to block specific proteins called CDK4 & CDK6. CDK4 & 6 proteins help control how fast cells grow. These proteins, along with hormones like estrogen, play an important role in the growth and division process of normal cells. But if you have HR+, HER2– breast cancer, CDK4 & 6 proteins become overactive, causing the cancer cells to grow and divide uncontrollably, which makes the tumor grow. This can also lead to cancer cells spreading to other parts of the body, which is called metastasis. Verzenio can be taken alone, but it is usually taken with hormone therapy to slow the growth of cancer cells. Hormone therapy (an aromatase inhibitor or fulvestrant) works outside the cell to help cut off estrogen that feeds the cancer. Verzenio works inside the cell to block CDK4 & 6 activity and help stop the growth of cancer cells, so they may eventually die.* When Verzenio inhibits CDK4 & 6 in healthy cells, it can lead to side effects, some of which may be serious. *Based on pre-clinical studies.