Product Approvals and Launches

Mrinal M. Gounder, MD, a sarcoma oncologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and lead investigator of the phase 3 DeFi trial of nirogacestat in desmoid tumors, discusses the drug's recent FDA approval and potential impacts on desmoid tumor treatment going forward.

Iptacopan, the first oral monotherapy for patients with paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH), is now an FDA-approved option for improving hemoglobin levels.

The therapy is already approved for certain patients with relapsed/refractory mantle cell lymphoma.

Desmoid tumors are noncancerous growths that appear in connective tissue, most often on the arms, legs, and abdomen. Aggressive tumors must be treated with surgery, radiation, or chemotherapy to keep them from growing into nearby organs, which can make them life threatening. They can cause pain and disfigurement, and they can reduce functioning and quality of life.

The FDA has approved capivasertib plus fulvestrant for the treatment of patients with HR-positive, HER2-negative, locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer harboring 1 or more PIK3CA, AKT1, or PTEN alteration, following progression on at least 1 endocrine-based regimen in the metastatic setting or recurrence on or within 12 months of completing adjuvant therapy.

The FDA has approved pembrolizumab (Keytruda) in combination with fluoropyrimidine- and platinum-containing chemotherapy for the first-line treatment of adult patients with locally advanced unresectable or metastatic, HER2-negative gastric or gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma.

Adzynma is the first product to be approved for the treatment of the rare blood disorder that has 90% mortality when left untreated.

Recor Medical announced the FDA approval of its Paradise Ultrasound Renal Denervation system for the treatment of hypertension on November 7, 2023.

Tirzepatide is already approved to treat type 2 diabetes, and is now approved for chronic weight management in adults with obesity or overweight with at least 1 weight-related condition.

Phathom Pharmaceuticals' vonoprazan (Voquenza) sets a new standard in erosive gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) therapy.

The drug’s mode of action is different than other types of corticosteroids because it’s based on the differential effects on glucocorticoid and mineralocorticoid receptors.

Wezlana is the first biosimilar to reference Stelara approved in the United States. The product will launch in 2025.

The approval, which is based on results from the phase 3 KEYNOTE-966 trial, marks the sixth indication for pembrolizumab in gastrointestinal cancer.

The approval of secukinumab is the second approved biologic to treat hidradenitis suppurativa.

Bosutinib has a new indication in leukemia as a well as a newly-approved formulation.

Ivosidenib monotherapy is now approved by the FDA for patients with relapsed/refractory myelodysplastic syndrome with an IDH1 mutation.

With the approval, zilucoplan becomes the first once-daily subcutaneous complement C5 inhibitor available for adults with generalized myasthenia gravis.

Eric Donnenfeld, MD, from Ophthalmic Consultants of Long Island, discusses the importance of the Xdemvy FDA approval in treating patients with Demodex blepharitis.

The anti–PD-1 agent pembrolizumab was granted a new indication to treat patients with resectable non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) as a neoadjuvant treatment with chemotherapy and continued as adjuvant treatment after surgery.

School nurses play an overworked and understaffed role; Merck's immunotherapy Keytruda (pembroilzumab) has been granted approval for pre- and postsurgical treatment in lung cancer; the FDA is helping to curb tobacco-related health disparities.

The FDA has approved Tofidence, the first tocilizumab biosimilar in the United States, which will be used to treat rheumatoid arthritis, polyarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis, and systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis.

Nedosiran (Rivfloza) was approved for children and adults with primary hyperoxaluria type 1 (PH1), according to drugmaker Novo Nordisk.

Based on findings from the phase 1/2 BCHILD trial, the FDA approved bosutinib for pediatric chronic myelogenous leukemia.

After FDA approval, XDEMVY is available for prescription nationwide to target Demodex mites, the primary cause of the external eye disease Demodex blepharitis.

This approval marks the fourth endorsement by the FDA for empagliflozin, all of which have been linked to the EMPOWER program.

Javed Butler, MD, MPH, MBA, professor of medicine at University of Mississippi, president of the Baylor Scott & White Research Institute, explains how findings from the HEART-FID trial add to the value of ferric carboxymaltose injection.

Trials such as HEART-FID and AFFIRM-AHF have demonstrated positive treatment results for injectable ferric carboxymaltose in patients with heart failure and iron deficiency.

The agency's approval of momelotinib marks the first for both newly diagnosed and previously treated myelofibrosis with anemia.

The combination therapy is the first FDA approved for the mobilization of hematopoietic stem cells prior to autologous transplantation in patients with multiple myeloma.

The FDA approved a higher dosage of aflibercept (Eylea) for the treatment of age-related macular degeneration, macular edema, and diabetic retinopathy.