FDA Approvals, News & Updates
Conventional cytotoxic chemotherapy works primarily by interfering with the division and growth of cells, including cancer cells and normal tissue. However, because it is nonselective, cytotoxic chemotherapy can damage healthy cells and can cause severe side effects. Recognizing this challenge, drug developers have been looking for new ways to deliver chemotherapy to address clinical and pharmacologic challenges in the administration of intravenous (IV) cytotoxic drugs, and selectively target cancer cells to improve clinical outcomes and reduce severe adverse events. Read More ›
In 1944, Jan G. Waldenström, MD, published his observations about a series of patients who presented with anemia, hepatosplenomegaly, hyperviscosity, bleeding, lymphoplasmacytic infiltrate in the bone marrow, and a large serum protein or “macroglobulin.” Today, Waldenström’s macroglobulinemia, also known as lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma, a type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, is classified as a rare, indolent, and heterogeneous type of lymphoma of the lymphatic system. Read More ›
By Loretta Fala
Prostate cancer, the second most common type of cancer in men, is expected to affect 11.6% of all men during their lifetime. In fact, more than 3 million men in the United States are living with prostate cancer. It is estimated that in 2017, 161,360 men were newly diagnosed with prostate cancer, and 26,730 men died from the disease. Read More ›
By Loretta Fala
Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a cancer of the blood and bone marrow that is characterized by the production of abnormal myeloblasts, red blood cells, or platelets. AML originates in the bone marrow, but it often spreads into the blood and to other parts of the body, including the lymph nodes, liver, spleen, and central nervous system. Read More ›
Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is a cancer of B-cell lymphocytes and is the most common type of leukemia in adults. More than 20,000 Americans were diagnosed with CLL in 2018. Read More ›
Melanoma is the most dangerous form of skin cancer. The 5-year relative survival rate for Americans with distant melanoma is only 23%. The National Cancer Institute estimated that there were 91,270 new cases of skin melanoma and more than 9300 deaths from this disease in 2018. This deadly disease is also costly; in the United States, expenditures for the treatment of melanoma exceeded $3 billion in 2018. Read More ›
- New Molecular Entities and New Biologic License Applications
- New Oncology Biosimilars Approved in 2018
- Introduction
- Oncology Overview
- Breast Cancer New Indications
- Genitourinary Cancers New Indications
- Gynecologic Cancers New Indications
- Hematologic Malignancies New Indications
- Lung Cancer New Indications
- Other Tumor Types New Indications
On June 10, 2019, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted accelerated approval to the novel antibody-drug conjugate polatuzumab vedotin-piiq (Polivy; Genentech) in combination with bendamustine plus rituximab for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) that has progressed or returned after at least 2 previous therapies. This is the first chemoimmunotherapy regimen approved for use in patients with DLBCL who are ineligible for hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation. Read More ›
On May 2, 2019, the FDA expanded the indication for ivosidenib (Tibsovo; Agios Pharmaceuticals), an oral isocitrate dehydrogenase-1 (IDH1) inhibitor, to include the treatment of patients with newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and a susceptible IDH1 mutation, as detected by an FDA-approved companion diagnostic test, who are aged ≥75 years or who have comorbidities that preclude the use of intensive induction chemotherapy. Tibsovo was previously approved for the treatment of patients with relapsed or refractory AML with a susceptible IDH1 mutation. Read More ›