Loqtorzi (toripalimab-tpzi) is a prescription drug that’s used to treat certain types of nasopharyngeal cancer. Loqtorzi comes as a liquid solution that a healthcare professional gives by infusion into your vein.

Loqtorzi is used in adults to treat certain types of nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC). (NPC develops where the back of your nose meets your throat.) Specifically:

  • It may be prescribed as a first treatment when NPC has spread or come back. This means it must have spread or come back in other parts of your body near the throat. For this use, Loqtorzi is prescribed together with cisplatin and gemcitabine (chemotherapy drugs).
  • It may be prescribed if you’ve already had certain chemotherapy that contained platinum. That treatment either must not have worked or stopped working. And the NPC must have spread to other areas of your body or come back but cannot be removed surgically. For this use, Loqtorzi is prescribed alone and not combined with other drugs.

To learn more about Loqtorzi’s uses, see the “What is Loqtorzi used for?” section below.

Loqtorzi basics

Loqtorzi contains the active ingredient toripalimab-tpzi. (An active ingredient is what makes a drug work.)

Loqtorzi is a biologic medication. A biologic is made from parts of living organisms. It’s available only as a brand-name drug. It isn’t available in a biosimilar form.

Biosimilars are like generic drugs. But unlike generics, which are made for non-biologic drugs, biosimilars are made for biologic drugs.

Biosimilars will have the same active ingredient core name as the brand-name drug. But they’ll have unique four-letter suffixes at the end of the name of their active ingredient. This helps distinguish them from biosimilars that may be created in the future.

Loqtorzi is used to treat certain types of nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC) in adults.

  • It may be prescribed as a first treatment when NPC has spread or come back. This means it must have spread or come back in other parts of your body near the throat. For this use, Loqtorzi is prescribed together with cisplatin and gemcitabine (chemotherapy drugs).
  • It may be prescribed if you’ve already had certain chemotherapy that contained platinum. That treatment either must not have worked or stopped working. And the NPC must have spread to other areas of your body or come back but cannot be removed surgically. For this use, Loqtorzi is prescribed alone and not combined with other drugs.

NPC is a rare cancer that develops where the back of your nose meets your throat (nasopharynx). It may cause symptoms such as frequent nosebleeds, ringing in the ears, or a sore throat that doesn’t seem to get better.

Loqtorzi is a type of immunotherapy. Cancer cells have places where a protein called programmed death receptor-1 (PD-1) can attach. When PD-1 attaches, your immune system cannot fight cancer cells as well. Immunotherapy blocks PD-1 from attaching, which allows your immune system to attack cancer cells.

Like most drugs, Loqtorzi may cause mild to serious side effects. The lists below describe some of the more common side effects that Loqtorzi may cause. These lists don’t include all possible side effects.

Keep in mind that side effects of a drug can depend on:

  • your age
  • other health conditions you have
  • other medications you take

Your doctor or pharmacist can tell you more about the potential side effects of Loqtorzi. They can also suggest ways to help reduce side effects.

Mild side effects

Here’s a list of some of the mild side effects that Loqtorzi can cause. To learn about other mild side effects, talk with your doctor or pharmacist or read Loqtorzi’s prescribing information.

Mild side effects of Loqtorzi have been reported. They include the following:

* To learn more about this side effect, see the “Allergic reaction” section below.

Mild side effects of many drugs may go away within a few days to a couple of weeks. But if they become bothersome, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.

Serious side effects

Serious side effects from Loqtorzi can occur and could be life threatening. If you have serious side effects from Loqtorzi, call your doctor right away. But if you think you’re having a medical emergency, you should call 911 or your local emergency number.

Serious side effects of Loqtorzi that have been reported include:

* To learn more about this side effect, see the “Allergic reaction” section below.

Allergic reaction

Some people may have an allergic reaction to Loqtorzi.

Symptoms of a mild allergic reaction can include:

  • skin rash
  • itchiness
  • flushing (temporary warmth, redness, or deepening of skin color)

A more severe allergic reaction is rare but possible. Symptoms of a severe allergic reaction can include swelling under your skin, usually in your eyelids, lips, hands, or feet. They can also include swelling of your tongue, mouth, or throat, which can cause difficulty breathing.

Call your doctor right away if you have an allergic reaction to Loqtorzi. But if you think you’re having a medical emergency, call 911 or your local emergency number.

Your doctor will recommend the dosage of Loqtorzi that’s right for you. Below are commonly used dosages, but your doctor will determine the dosage you’ll receive.

Form and strength

Loqtorzi is available as a liquid solution that you receive as an intravenous (IV) infusion. This is an injection into your vein over a period of time. Loqtorzi comes in one strength of 240 milligrams per 6 milliliters of solution (240 mg/6 mL).

Recommended dosages

You’ll receive Loqtorzi as an IV infusion at your doctor’s office or a clinic.

Your dosage of Loqtorzi for nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC) will depend on a few things. It will depend on your type of NPC and whether you’re also using cisplatin and gemcitabine (chemotherapy drugs). It also may depend on your body weight.

If you’re receiving Loqtorzi with cisplatin and gemcitabine, your doctor will likely prescribe 240 mg every 3 weeks. You may receive this dosage for up to 24 months.

If you’re receiving Loqtorzi by itself, your doctor likely will prescribe a dose based on your weight in kilograms (kg). (For reference, 1 kg is about 2.2 pounds [lb].) In this case, the dosage is 3 mg/kg of body weight every 2 weeks. For example, if someone weighs 70 kg (about 154 lb), their dose will be 210 mg.

Whether by itself or with cisplatin and gemcitabine, you’ll receive your first Loqtorzi infusion over 60 minutes. During this time, your healthcare professional will monitor you for side effects from the infusion. If you don’t experience side effects after your first dose, you may receive your subsequent infusions over 30 minutes.

How to use

Your doctor will explain how you’ll receive Loqtorzi. They’ll also explain your dose and how often you’ll receive it.

Loqtorzi is available as a liquid solution that you receive as an IV infusion. You’ll receive infusions at your doctor’s office or a clinic.

If you develop side effects, your doctor may decide to pause or stop Loqtorzi completely. They also may prescribe a corticosteroid, such as prednisone, to manage these side effects. You’ll take this corticosteroid until your symptoms lessen dramatically. Once your symptoms have improved significantly, your doctor will reduce your corticosteroid dose gradually. They’ll usually do this over 1 month or longer.

If a corticosteroid doesn’t manage your symptoms, your doctor may prescribe other medications to calm your immune system.

Questions about using Loqtorzi

Below are some common questions about using Loqtorzi.

  • Is there a best time of day to receive Loqtorzi? In general, no. But sometimes you may need to receive chemotherapy on the same day as a dose of Loqtorzi. In this case, you should receive your Loqtorzi dose first.
  • What if I miss a dose of Loqtorzi? If you miss an appointment to receive an infusion of Loqtorzi, call your doctor’s office as soon as possible to reschedule.
  • Will I need to use Loqtorzi long term? Loqtorzi is typically used as a long-term treatment. You and your doctor can discuss whether it’s safe and effective for your condition. If you agree that it is, you’ll likely use it long term.

Below is important information you should consider before using Loqtorzi.

Interactions

Taking a drug with certain medications, vaccines, foods, and other things can affect how the drug works. These effects are called interactions.

Loqtorzi is not known to interact with other medications, herbs, supplements, foods, or alcohol. The drugmaker did not list any interactions in the drug’s prescribing information.

Before starting Loqtorzi treatment, talk with your doctor and pharmacist. Tell them about all prescription, over-the-counter, and other drugs you take. Also, tell them about any herbs or vitamins and supplements you take. Sharing this information can help you avoid potential interactions.

If you have questions about drug interactions that may affect you, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.

Pregnancy and breastfeeding

Loqtorzi is not safe to use during pregnancy.

It’s not known whether it’s safe to use Loqtorzi while breastfeeding. Researchers haven’t studied whether Loqtorzi passes into breast milk or the drug’s effects on a child who’s breastfed. Due to these unknowns, the drugmaker recommends not breastfeeding while using Loqtorzi. It also recommends not breastfeeding for 4 months after your last dose.

If you’re pregnant or breastfeeding or planning either, talk with your doctor before starting Loqtorzi treatment.

Birth control

If you’re able to become pregnant, you should use birth control throughout your Loqtorzi treatment and for 4 months after your last dose.

Your doctor will also give you a pregnancy test before starting Loqtorzi treatment.

Warnings

Loqtorzi can sometimes cause harmful effects in people who have certain conditions. This is known as a drug-condition interaction. Other factors may also affect whether Loqtorzi is a good treatment option for you.

Talk with your doctor about your health history before you use Loqtorzi. Be sure to tell them if you have or ever had problems with any of these areas:

Also, be sure to tell them if any of the following factors apply to you:

Find answers to some commonly asked questions about Loqtorzi.

Does Loqtorzi cause long-term side effects?

It’s possible. Long-term side effects can start at any time you’re using a drug, even if you’ve used it for a long time. They also can include those that may not go away, even after you stop using the drug.

Examples of long-term side effects reported in Loqtorzi’s studies include:

Talk with your doctor to learn more about possible side effects of Loqtorzi and how long they may last.

Will Loqtorzi cure nasopharyngeal cancer?

It depends. Multiple factors affect if your cancer can be cured. These include:

  • the stage of your cancer (its severity)
  • how side effects affect your ability to receive Loqtorzi
  • your health history

If you have other questions about what to expect from your Loqtorzi treatment, talk with your doctor.

How does Loqtorzi compare with gemcitabine?

Both Loqtorzi (toripalimab-tpzi) and gemcitabine are used to treat certain types of nasopharyngeal cancer. In addition, gemcitabine is used to treat certain types of ovarian, breast, lung, and pancreatic cancers. (Loqtorzi isn’t used for these conditions.)

You receive Loqtorzi and gemcitabine as intravenous (IV) infusions. These are injections into your vein over a period of time. You usually receive Loqtorzi once every 2 or 3 weeks, depending on whether you’re using the drug by itself or not. But you usually receive gemcitabine on certain days of a 21-day or 28-day schedule.

Loqtorzi is a type of immunotherapy. Gemcitabine is a type of chemotherapy. They belong to different groups of drugs.

If you have other questions about how Loqtorzi and gemcitabine compare, talk with your doctor. They can help you find the best treatment for your condition.

Whether or not you have health insurance, cost may be a factor when you’re considering Loqtorzi. What you’ll pay for Loqtorzi may depend on several things, including your treatment plan.

If you have questions about how to pay for Loqtorzi, talk with your doctor. A savings program called Loqtorzi Solutions may also be available.

You can also check out this article to learn more about saving money on prescriptions.

Other drugs are available that can treat your condition. If you’d like to explore an alternative to Loqtorzi, talk with your doctor. They can tell you about other medications that might work well for you.

The following medications belong to the same group of drugs as Loqtorzi:

The following drugs may be used for head and neck cancer:

If you have questions about using Loqtorzi, talk with your doctor or pharmacist. Questions you may want to ask include:

  • How will you know if Loqtorzi is effective for me?
  • Are there other drugs besides corticosteroids that could manage side effects I may experience?
  • If I’m receiving Loqtorzi with cisplatin and gemcitabine, will I ever transition to receiving just Loqtorzi?

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Disclaimer: Healthline has made every effort to make certain that all information is factually correct, comprehensive, and up to date. However, this article should not be used as a substitute for the knowledge and expertise of a licensed healthcare professional. You should always consult your doctor or another healthcare professional before taking any medication. The drug information contained herein is subject to change and is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. The absence of warnings or other information for a given drug does not indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective, or appropriate for all patients or all specific uses.