Share

Approval Expanded for Breast Cancer Drug Tykerb

This article has not necessarily been edited by Health24.

MONDAY, Feb. 1 (HealthDay News) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has expanded approval for Tykerb (lapatinib) to include postmenopausal women with hormone- and HER2-positive advanced breast cancer who require hormone therapy.

The new approval is for Tykerb's use in combination with a second anti-cancer drug, Femara (letrozole), the agency said in a news release.

In women with HER2-positive breast cancer, those who received Tykerb and Femara more than doubled the time they lived without progression of their cancer, compared with those who received Femara alone (35 weeks versus 13 weeks), the FDA said.

Tykerb, first approved in 2007, is designed to block signals that tumor cells need to grow.

The drug is produced by GlaxoSmithKline.

More information

The FDA has more about this approval.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE