Home / Health / New FDA Breast Cancer Drug Offers Hope
New FDA Breast Cancer Drug Offers Hope
19 Sep
Summary
- FDA approved a new treatment for advanced/metastatic breast cancer.
- The drug combo helps stop cancer spread for a median of 11.1 months.
- Both treatments are oral medications, with specific dosage instructions.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted approval for a new treatment for adults diagnosed with advanced or metastatic breast cancer. This approval specifically targets patients with estrogen receptor (ER)-positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-negative, and estrogen receptor 1 (ESR1)-mutated forms of the disease.
The newly approved treatment combines two oral medications: Inluriyo and Verzenio. Clinical trials indicated that this combination therapy can prevent cancer from spreading or worsening for a median duration of 11.1 months. This is a substantial improvement compared to using Inluriyo as a standalone treatment, which showed a median of 5.5 months.
Medical professionals highlight the urgent need for effective treatments for patients experiencing disease progression after initial therapies. Combining drugs that target two distinct drivers of tumor growth is considered a vital strategy to overcome treatment resistance.
While the new treatment offers significant benefits, it also comes with specific warnings. Inluriyo carries a warning for embryo-fetal toxicity, and Verzenio has warnings for severe diarrhea, neutropenia, interstitial lung disease/pneumonitis, hepatotoxicity, venous thromboembolism, embryo-fetal toxicity, and increased serum creatinine. Patients in trials reported mild to moderate side effects including diarrhea, nausea, and fatigue.
The recommended dosage for Inluriyo is 400 mg taken orally once daily on an empty stomach. For the combination therapy, the recommended dose of Verzenio is 150 mg taken orally twice daily, continuing until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity occurs.
