FDA Updates
Prostate cancer is the third most common type of cancer in the United States, after breast cancer and lung cancer. In 2018 alone, 164,690 individuals were diagnosed with prostate cancer, accounting for nearly 10% of all new cancer cases, and 29,430 deaths were attributed to the disease. Prostate cancer is most frequently diagnosed in men aged 65 to 74 years (median age, 66 years). More than 98% of patients with prostate cancer survive ≥5 years; however, the 5-year survival rate drops to 30% for patients with metastatic disease.
On May 3, 2019, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved ado-trastuzumab emtansine (Kadcyla; Genentech) for the adjuvant treatment of patients with HER2-positive early breast cancer who have residual invasive disease after neoadjuvant taxane and trastuzumab-based treatment. Patients should be selected for treatment with this agent based on an FDA-approved companion diagnostic test (Ventana Medical System’s PATHWAY anti-HER-2/neu [4B5] Rabbit Monoclonal Primary Antibody assay or INFORM HER2 Dual ISH DNA Probe Cocktail assay).
This section provides a brief overview of new cancer drugs or new indications approved by the FDA between February 22 and May 2, 2019.
On May 2, 2019, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved ivosidenib (Tibsovo; Agios Pharmaceuticals, Inc) for the treatment of newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia (AML) with a susceptible IDH1 mutation, as detected by an FDA-approved companion diagnostic test, in patients who are aged ≥75 years or who have comorbidities that preclude the use of intensive induction chemotherapy.
Another Approval for Keytruda
On April 4, 2019, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) expanded the indication of palbociclib (Ibrance; Pfizer), a kinase inhibitor, in combination with specific endocrine therapies for men with hormone receptor (HR)-positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-negative advanced or metastatic breast cancer. This is the first hormonal-based therapy to be approved for men.
On March 27, 2019, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued an alert from its Office of Women’s Health announcing that, after more than 20 years of regulatory oversight, the agency is proposing amendments to the existing policy governing mammography services.
For the second time this month, the FDA has given an approval to Genentech’s PD-L1 inhibitor, Tecentriq.
On March 8, 2019, the FDA granted accelerated approval to Genentech’s Tecentriq (atezolizumab), in combination with nab-paclitaxel (Abraxane), for the treatment of PD-L1–positive unresectable locally advanced or metastatic triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). This marks the first time an immunotherapy drug has been granted approval for the treatment of any form of breast cancer.
