First pre-surgery breast cancer drug approved by FDAOctober 3, 2013
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the first drug to be used in early stage breast cancer treatment. Perjeta (pertuzumab) will be used as part of a complete treatment regimen for patients before surgery (neoadjuvant setting).
Perjeta was approved by the European Union in 2012 for the treatment of patients with advanced or late-stage (metastatic) HER2-positive breast cancer.
HER2-positive breast cancers have increased amounts of the HER2 protein that contributes to cancer cell growth and survival.
Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related death among women in the US.
An estimated 232,340 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer, and 39,620 will die from the disease in 2013, according to the National Cancer Institute.
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Posted by Ken at 4:50 AM