Erlonat 150 mg is a prescription treatment for patients with non-small cell lung cancer at an advanced stage. It is considered as the first-line treatment for patients with locally advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer with EGFR activating mutations. It is used to treat patients with locally advanced or metastatic NSCLC whose disease has not progressed even after four cycles of first-line chemotherapy. The active ingredient of the medicine Erlotinib prevents the activity of a protein called epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), which is responsible for the growth and spread of cancer cells. The medicine is indicated for adults. Your doctor may prescribe it as initial therapy as therapy if your disease remains largely unchanged after initial chemotherapy, provided your cancer cells have specific EGFR mutations. It may be given to you if previous chemotherapy has failed to stop your disease. For this medicine to be effective, it is best to take it under medical supervision.

Do not take Erlonat 150 mg with food. Take it an hour before or two hours after having a meal. The usual dose is one tablet of 150 mg each day if you have non-small cell lung cancer. Discuss with your doctor if you take more tablets than you should, as taking more medicine than the prescribed amount may make you more likely to get side effects, and your doctor may ask you to discontinue treatment for some time.

Do not take Erlonat 150 mg if you are allergic to Erlotinib or any of its excipients. Let your doctor know if you are taking other medicines that may increase or decrease the amount of Erlotinib in your bloodstream or influence its effect. Such medicines are rifampicin, carbamazepine, clarithromycin, phenytoin, erythromycin, protease inhibitors, ketoconazole, omeprazole, ciprofloxacin, St.John’s Wort, ranitidine.  In some cases, these medicines reduce the effectiveness or increase the side effects of your Erlotinib formulation, and your doctor may need to adjust your dose.  An anticoagulant can interact with your cancer drug and increase your tendency to bleed. If you are taking statins, Erlonatmay makes you more likely to experience statin-related muscle problems, which may lead to muscle breakdown, ultimately causing kidney damage. If you wear contact lenses or have a history of eye problems, tell your doctor.

Common side effects of Erlonat 150 mg include mouth irritation, tiredness, nausea, itching, dry skin, difficult breathing, stomach pain, decreased weight, loss of appetite, fever, depression, infection, cough, loss of hair, indigestion, abnormal blood tests for the liver function, and a rash which may occur or worsen in sun-exposed areas. Contact your doctor as soon as possible if you suffer from any of these side effects. In some cases, your doctor may need to reduce the dose of Erlonat or discontinue treatment for some time.

Note- Diarrhea and vomiting, persistent or severe diarrhoea may lead to low blood potassium and impairment of your kidney function, especially if you receive other anticancer treatment at the same time.