The Health Sciences Authority (HSA) has issued a Dear Healthcare Professional Letter highlighting a newly identified risk associated with the lung cancer drug Alecensa (alectinib).

• Safety Risk: Severe hypertriglyceridaemia has been identified, which may lead to acute pancreatitis if not properly managed.
• Clinical Protocol: Healthcare professionals should obtain baseline triglyceride levels before initiating treatment and monitor levels periodically during therapy.
• Intervention Guidance: If severe or life-threatening triglyceride elevations occur, treatment should be temporarily withheld until triglyceride levels recover.

This summary is based on a Dear Healthcare Professional Letter published on the HSA website.