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Breast cancer drug Tykerb wins FDA approval

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Tykerb has been approved by the FDA for use in conjunction with the chemotherapy drug Xeloda. Tykerb is a cancer medication that more precisely targets tumors without killing lots of healthy cells in the process.

Herceptin and Tykerb target a protein called HER-2/neu but work in different ways. Herceptin targets the outside of the HER2 protein and Tykerb works from the inside of the cell. This difference can give advanced breast cancer patients another drug to switch to if Herceptin stops working for them.

Glaxo said that Tykerb will be available in two weeks. The results of a study showed that Tykerb worked so well that the international study was stopped early and all the participants were offered the drug.

The FDA said it was too early to know if women taking Tykerb and Xeloda would live longer than those taking the latter drug alone.

Dr. Steven Galson, FDA drugs chief, said “Today’s approval is a step forward in making new treatments available for patients who have progression of their breast cancer after treatment with some of the most effective breast cancer therapies available.”

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Original post by Kristina Collins

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    Breast cancer drug Tykerb wins FDA approval

    Filed under: , ,

    Tykerb has been approved by the FDA for use in conjunction with the chemotherapy drug Xeloda. Tykerb is a cancer medication that more precisely targets tumors without killing lots of healthy cells in the process.

    Herceptin and Tykerb target a protein called HER-2/neu but work in different ways. Herceptin targets the outside of the HER2 protein and Tykerb works from the inside of the cell. This difference can give advanced breast cancer patients another drug to switch to if Herceptin stops working for them.

    Glaxo said that Tykerb will be available in two weeks. The results of a study showed that Tykerb worked so well that the international study was stopped early and all the participants were offered the drug.

    The FDA said it was too early to know if women taking Tykerb and Xeloda would live longer than those taking the latter drug alone.

    Dr. Steven Galson, FDA drugs chief, said “Today’s approval is a step forward in making new treatments available for patients who have progression of their breast cancer after treatment with some of the most effective breast cancer therapies available.”

    Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

    Original post by Kristina Collins

    Share and Enjoy: These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages.
    • Digg
    • del.icio.us
    • Netvouz
    • DZone
    • ThisNext
    • MisterWong
    • Wists



    Related Articles
  • Tykerb for breast cancer brain metastasis
  • FDA to consider Evista breast cancer drug approval?
  • FDA about updating requirements for drug approval
  • Food-cancer Drug Interactions
  • Drug for metastatic prostate cancer ready for approval
  • No comments yet. Be the first.

    Leave a reply