FDA Approves Lilly Breast Cancer Drug
The US Food and Drug Administration has approved a new drug developed by Eli Lilly to treat a common type of breast cancer. Verzenio is recommended both for women and men with HR-positive, HER2-negative breast cancer that has worsened after hormone therapy. According to the regulator, some 72% of patients with breast cancer have this type.
A daily regime with the new Lilly pill, which will cost $10,948 per month, has been show to block certain enzymes that promote growth of cancer cells. It can be used either alone after hormone therapy and chemotherapy have stopped working or in combination with the fulvestrant hormone therapy called.
Lilly is offering patients financial assistance, including 12 months with a minimal copayment for those with commercial health insurance. The drug will compete with two medcations in the same class, Pfizer's blockbuster Ibrance and Novartis Kisqali, which was recently approved by the FDA. Verzenio, the FDA found, has an edge on the two similarly priced drugs as it can be given as a standalone treatment.
Clinical trials are said to have shown that in patients taking Verzenio plus fulvestrant for an average of 16 months, the cancer stopped worsening, compared with only nine months for patients taking a placebo with fulvestrant. When taking Verzenio alone, some 20% of patients saw their tumors shrink at least partially for 8½ months on average.
Despite all the positive traits, the drug authority warns that Verzenio can cause serious side effects, including diarrhea, low white blood cell count and dangerous blood clots, along with the more common sight effects anemia, infections, fatigue and vomiting. It is also not recommended for pregnant women.
