If someone you know has advanced prostate cancer, they may be taking Firmagon. The prescription drug works by stopping testosterone production, which, in turn, lowers your prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels to stop the growth of the cancer cells.
How it’s given
Firmagon comes in a powder form. It’s mixed into a solution and then injected under the skin by a physician. The first dose is 240 mg (two 120 mg injections) and then every 28 days, an 80 mg injection is given.
Effectiveness
In one clinical trial that followed 620 men with advanced prostate cancer for a year, men were given either Firmagon or Lupron Depot (another prostate cancer drug). The goal was to lower testosterone levels to get them below 50 ng/dL. This process is called “chemical castration,” and it means that there is virtually no testosterone in the blood. For most men between 50 and 79, normal testosterone is between 219 and 939 ng/dL.
Both drugs worked very well. More than 96% of men who took Lupron Depot (leuprolide) were able to get their testosterone below 50 ng/dL. For the men who took Firmagon, between 97.2% and 98.3% of the men were able to achieve that level.
Side effects
For the most part, the side effects of Firmagon are relatively harmless, which isn’t to say they aren’t debilitating to some extent. From fatigue, hot flashes, weight gain and an increase in some liver enzymes, to erectile dysfunction, pain at the injection site and a lowered sex drive, the most common side effects of Firmagon are annoying, but not life-threatening. Best of all, some of these side effects may go away relatively quickly—in a matter of days or weeks.
More serious side effects include allergic reactions, impotence and a disorder of the heart’s electrical activity. Your physician can check your heart during your Firmagon treatment to ensure it’s worth the risk.
