The FDA approves a combination of drugs for breast cancer

Source: U.S. Food & Drug Administration

Breast cancer is the second leading cause of death among women. An estimated 192,000 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year.

Not all breast cancers are the same, however.  Some breast cancers are hormone positive meaning that the presence of certain hormones (estrogen for example) contributes to cancer and its rate of growth.  Breast cancer may also be protein based with HER2 being a common protein positive breast cancer.

Two chemotherapy drugs which have been effective in treating cancer, Tykerb (lapantinib) and Femara (letrozole) have now been approved for use in combination with one another. When a drug receives FDA approval it is typically for a “labeled use” only, meaning that it was developed to treat one specific disease or condition in a specific manner.  While medications are used “off label” at times at the discretion of physicians, the explicit approval of the FDA results in wider adoption and use.

Accordingly when the FDA permits the extension of approvals for the use of breast cancer drugs it is a big deal.  It is hoped that the combination of the two medications will be twice as effective in slowing the progression of  this killer of women.

~Posted by D.M. Schwadron, Esquire