Articles related to DEVICE/DRUG APPROVALS

The approval of the new cetuximab (Erbitux) dosage – 500 mg/m2 as a two-hour IV infusion every two weeks – was based on population pharmacokinetic (PK) modeling analyses and provides an alternative option to the previously approved weekly dose. Cetuximab can be dosed alone or in combination with chemotherapy.

From the pages of Oncology Times comes the latest approvals, designations, and new indications from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for oncology drugs. Stories include new approvals in multiple myeloma, esophageal or gastroesophageal junction (GEJ) carcinoma, non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), anaplastic lymphoma, and more.

The approval of the drug (Fotivda, Aveo Pharmaceuticals) was based on the results of the open-label, multi-center TIVO-3 trial, which looked at progression-free survival (PFS) as the main efficacy endpoint, assessed by a blinded independent radiology review committee. Secondary end points included overall survival (OS) and objective response rate (ORR).

More good news for zanubrutinib, which received accelerated approval in November 2019 in the US for the treatment of mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) in adult patients who have undergone at least one prior therapy. The supplemental new drug application (sNDA) was submitted by the drug’s manufacturer, BeiGene, based on data from the global phase III ASPEN trial.

This “Clinical Trials & Observations” report from Blood Advances (ASH)  explores the implications of the recently approved anemia treatment luspatercept, which can now be prescribed in the second-line setting after erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs) have failed or for patients who are not eligible because of high serum erythropoietin (sEPO) levels. A downloadable visual abstract helps paint the picture as well.

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic seemingly putting a hold on everything, approvals of new drugs have not waned. In fact, despite their high price tags – median prices ranged from $766 million to $2.8 billion – new drugs continue to roll out in 2021. Here are five new drugs approved this year that you may find useful in your clinical practice of medicine.