FDA Approvals, News & Updates

On October 12, 2021, the FDA approved a new indication for the cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) 4/6 inhibitor abemaciclib (Verzenio; Eli Lilly), in combination with tamoxifen or an aromatase inhibitor as initial endocrine-based therapy, for the treatment of adult patients with hormone receptor (HR)-positive, HER2-negative, node-positive, early breast cancer at high risk for recurrence, and a Ki-67 score ≥20%, as determined by an FDA-approved test. Read Article ›

On September 22, 2021, the FDA approved a new indication for ruxolitinib (Jakafi; Incyte) for the treatment of patients aged ≥12 years with chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) after 1 or 2 lines of systemic therapy. Ruxolitinib received an orphan drug designation for this indication. Read Article ›

On September 15, 2021, the FDA accelerated the approval of mobocertinib (Exkivity; Takeda), an oral kinase inhibitor, for adults with locally advanced or metastatic non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and EGFR exon 20 insertion mutations, as detected by an FDA-approved test, whose disease progressed during or after platinum-based chemotherapy. Mobocertinib received breakthrough therapy and orphan drug designations for this indication. Read Article ›

On August 13, 2021, the FDA approved belzutifan (Welireg; Merck), an oral hypoxia-inducible factor inhibitor, for the treatment of adults with von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) disease that is associated with 1 of 3 tumor types that are not requiring immediate surgery, including renal-­cell carcinoma (RCC), central nervous system (CNS) hemangioblastomas, or pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (pNET). Read Article ›

On September 17, 2021, the FDA accelerated the approval of a new indication for cabozantinib (Cabometyx; Exelixis) for the treatment of patients aged ≥12 years with locally advanced or metastatic differentiated thyroid cancer that has progressed after VEGFR-targeted therapy and who are ineligible for, or whose disease is refractory to, radioactive iodine. The FDA granted cabozantinib breakthrough therapy and orphan drug designations for this indication. Read Article ›

On September 14, 2021, the FDA accelerated the approval of zanubrutinib (Brukinsa; BeiGene) for adults with relapsed or refractory marginal-zone lymphoma (MZL) who have received ≥1 anti-CD20–based regimens. Two weeks earlier, on August 31, 2021, the FDA accelerated the approval of zanubrutinib for adults with Waldenström’s macroglobulinemia (WM). Zanubrutinib received an orphan designation for these indications. Read Article ›

On August 19, 2021, the FDA accelerated the approval of nivolumab (Opdivo; Bristol Myers Squibb) for the adjuvant treatment of patients with urothelial carcinoma who are at high risk for recurrence after undergoing radical resection. This is the first FDA approval of any immunotherapy for adjuvant treatment of patients with high-risk urothelial carcinoma. Read Article ›

On August 17, 2021, the FDA accelerated the approval of dostarlimab-gxly (Jemperli; GlaxoSmithKline) for adults with mismatch repair-deficient (dMMR), as determined by an FDA-approved test, recurrent or advanced solid tumor that progressed during or after treatment for whom there are no satisfactory alternative options. Read Article ›

On August 10, 2021, the FDA accelerated the approval of the combination of lenvatinib (Lenvima; Eisai) and pembrolizumab (Keytruda; Merck) for the first-line treatment of adults with advanced RCC. This combination received a breakthrough therapy designation for this indication. Read Article ›

On July 9, 2021, the FDA granted full approval to enfortumab vedotin-ejfv (Padcev; Astellas Pharma) Read Article ›