Recent Research Reveals ...

FDA greenlights new drug for advanced kidney cancer.

Highlights New drug delays growth and spread of kidney tumors.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved everolimus, made by Novartis and marketed as Afinitor, for the treatment of advanced kidney cancer, or renal cell carcinoma. It is approved specifically for patients whose advanced renal cell cancer is no longer responding to the 2 drugs most commonly used to treat the disease, Sutent (sunitinib) or Nexavar (sorafenib).

The approval comes after early data from a phase III clinical trial showed Afinitor delayed the growth and spread of kidney tumors by about 5 months, compared to a 2-month delay experienced by patients who were not taking the drug.

This drug does not cure kidney cancer, and only 2% of patients experienced significant shrinkage of their tumors. But Afinitor does slow tumor growth for a time.

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