FDA Approvals

The following section is oncology drug approval and new indication information directly from the FDA.

2020

• Food and Drug Administration approved crizotinib (Xalkori, Pfizer Inc.) for pediatric patients 1 year of age and older and young adults with relapsed or refractory, systemic anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL) that is ALK-positive. The safety and efficacy of crizotinib have not been established in older adults with relapsed or refractory, systemic ALK-positive ALCL. More information. January 14, 2021.
• Food and Drug Administration approved osimertinib (TAGRISSO, AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP) for adjuvant therapy after tumor resection in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) whose tumors have epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) exon 19 deletions or exon 21 L858R mutations, as detected by an FDA-approved test. More information. December 18, 2020.
• Food and Drug Administration approved the first oral gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) receptor antagonist, relugolix, (ORGOVYX, Myovant Sciences, Inc.) for adult patients with advanced prostate cancer. More information. December 18, 2020.
• Food and Drug Administration approved selinexor (XPOVIO, Karyopharm Therapeutics Inc.) in combination with bortezomib and dexamethasone for the treatment of adult patients with multiple myeloma who have received at least one prior therapy. More information. December 18, 2020.
• Food and Drug Administration approved margetuximab-cmkb (MARGENZA, MacroGenics) in combination with chemotherapy, for the treatment of adult patients with metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer who have received two or more prior anti-HER2 regimens, at least one of which was for metastatic disease. More information. December 16, 2020.
• Food and Drug Administration approved pralsetinib (GAVRETO, Blueprint Medicines Corporation) for adult and pediatric patients 12 years of age and older with advanced or metastatic RET-mutant medullary thyroid cancer (MTC) who require systemic therapy or RET fusion-positive thyroid cancer who require systemic therapy and who are radioactive iodine-refractory (if radioactive iodine is appropriate). More information. December 1, 2020.
• Food and Drug Administration approved the Sonalleve MR-HIFU system (Profound Medical Inc.) for the treatment of osteoid osteoma in the extremities. More information. November 27, 2020.
• Food and Drug Administration granted accelerated approval to naxitamab (DANYELZA, Y-mAbs Therapeutics, Inc.) in combination with granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) for pediatric patients one year of age and older and adult patients with relapsed or refractory high-risk neuroblastoma in the bone or bone marrow demonstrating a partial response, minor response, or stable disease to prior therapy. More information. November 25, 2020.
• Food and Drug Administration granted accelerated approval to naxitamab (DANYELZA, Y-mAbs Therapeutics, Inc.) in combination with granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) for pediatric patients one year of age and older and adult patients with relapsed or refractory high-risk neuroblastoma in the bone or bone marrow demonstrating a partial response, minor response, or stable disease to prior therapy. More information. November 24, 2020.
• Food and Drug Administration granted accelerated approval to pembrolizumab (KEYTRUDA, Merck & Co.) in combination with chemotherapy for the treatment of patients with locally recurrent unresectable or metastatic triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) whose tumors express PD-L1 (CPS ≥10) as determined by an FDA approved test.  More information.  November 13, 2020.
• Food and Drug Administration approved the liquid biopsy next-generation sequencing-based FoundationOne Liquid CDx test (Foundation Medicine, Inc.) as a companion diagnostic device for multiple additional biomarkers detected in cell free-DNA isolated from plasma specimens. More information. October 26 and November 6, 2020.
• Food and Drug Administration approved the next-generation sequencing (NGS)-based FoundationOne CDx test (Foundation Medicine, Inc.) as a companion diagnostic to identify fusions in neurotrophic receptor tyrosine kinase (NTRK) genes, NTRK1, NTRK2, and NTRK3, in DNA isolated from tumor tissue specimens from patients with solid tumors eligible for treatment with larotrectinib (VITRAKVI, Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals, Inc.). More information. October 23, 2020.
• Food and Drug Administration granted regular approval to venetoclax (VENCLEXTA ®, AbbVie Inc. and Genentech Inc.) in combination with azacitidine, decitabine, or low-dose cytarabine (LDAC) for newly-diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in adults 75 years or older, or who have comorbidities precluding intensive induction chemotherapy. More information. October 16, 2020.
• Food and Drug Administration extended the approval of pembrolizumab (KEYTRUDA®, Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp.) for the following indications: adult patients with relapsed or refractory classical Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL); and pediatric patients with refractory cHL, or cHL that has relapsed after 2 or more lines of therapy. More information. October 14, 2020
• Food and Drug Administration approved the combination of nivolumab (OPDIVO, Bristol-Myers Squibb Co.) plus ipilimumab (YERVOY, Bristol-Myers Squibb Co.) as first-line treatment for adult patients with unresectable malignant pleural mesothelioma. More information. October 2, 2020.
• Food and Drug Administration alerted health care professionals, oncology clinical investigators, and patients that a clinical trial studying the use of atezolizumab (Tecentriq) and paclitaxel in patients with previously untreated inoperable locally advanced or metastatic triple negative breast cancer (mTNBC) showed the drug combination did not work to treat the disease. More information.  September 8, 2020.
• Food and Drug Administration granted accelerated approval to pralsetinib (GAVRETOTM, Blueprint Medicines Corporation) for adult patients with metastatic RET fusion-positive non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) as detected by an FDA approved test. More information. September 4, 2020.
• Food and Drug Administration approved azacitidine tablets (ONUREG®, Celgene Corporation) for continued treatment of patients with acute myeloid leukemia who achieved first complete remission (CR) or complete remission with incomplete blood count recovery (CRi) following intensive induction chemotherapy and are not able to complete intensive curative therapy. More information. September 1, 2020.
• Food and Drug Administration approved  carfilzomib (KYPROLIS, Onyx Pharmaceuticals, Inc.) and daratumumab (DARZALEX, Janssen Biotech, Inc.) in combination with dexamethasone for adult patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma who have received one to three lines of therapy. More information. August 20, 2020.
• Food and Drug Administration approved the first liquid biopsy companion diagnostic that also uses next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology to identify patients with specific types of mutations of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) gene in a deadly form of metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). This is the first approval to combine two technologies — NGS and liquid biopsy — in one diagnostic test in order to guide treatment decisions. More information. August 7, 2020.
• Food and Drug Administration approved belantamab mafodotin-blmf (Blenrep, GlaxoSmithKline) for adult patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma who have received at least 4 prior therapies, including an anti-CD38 monoclonal antibody, a proteasome inhibitor, and an immunomodulatory agent. More Information.  August 5, 2020
• Food and Drug Administration granted accelerated approval to tafasitamab-cxix (MONJUVI, MorphoSys US Inc.), a CD19-directed cytolytic antibody, indicated in combination with lenalidomide for adult patients with relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) not otherwise specified, including DLBCL arising from low grade lymphoma, and who are not eligible for autologous stem cell transplant. More information.  July 31, 2020.
• Food and Drug Administration approved atezolizumab (Tecentriq, Genentech, Inc.) in combination with cobimetinib and vemurafenib for patients with BRAF V600 mutation-positive unresectable or metastatic melanoma. More Information. July 30, 2020.
• Food and Drug Administration granted accelerated approval to brexucabtagene autoleucel (TECARTUS, Kite, a Gilead Company), a CD19-directed genetically modified autologous T cell immunotherapy, for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed or refractory mantle cell lymphoma (MCL). More Information. July 24, 2020
• Food and Drug Administration approved an oral combination of decitabine and cedazuridine (INQOVI, Astex Pharmaceuticals, Inc.) for adult patients with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) including the following: More Information. July 7, 2020
• Food and Drug Administration approved avelumab (BAVENCIO, EMD Serono, Inc.) for maintenance treatment of patients with locally advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma (UC) that has not progressed with first-line platinum-containing chemotherapy. More Information. June 30, 2020
• Food and Drug Administration approved pembrolizumab (KEYTRUDA, Merck & Co.) for the first-line treatment of patients with unresectable or metastatic microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H) or mismatch repair deficient (dMMR) colorectal cancer. More Information. June 29, 2020
• Food and Drug Administration approved a new fixed-dose combination of pertuzumab, trastuzumab, and hyaluronidase–zzxf (PHESGO, Genentech, Inc.) More Information. June 29, 2020.
• Food and Drug Administration approved pembrolizumab (KEYTRUDA, Merck & Co., Inc.) for patients with recurrent or metastatic cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) that is not curable by surgery or radiation. More Information. June 24, 2020
• Food and Drug Administration granted accelerated approval to selinexor (XPOVIO, Karyopharm Therapeutics) for adult patients with relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), not otherwise specified, including DLBCL arising from follicular lymphoma, after at least 2 lines of systemic therapy. More information. June 22, 2020.
• Food and Drug Administration granted accelerated approval to pembrolizumab (KEYTRUDA, Merck & Co., Inc.) for the treatment of adult and pediatric patients with unresectable or metastatic tumor mutational burden-high (TMB H) [≥10 mutations/megabase (mut/Mb)] solid tumors, as determined by an FDA-approved test, that have progressed following prior treatment and who have no satisfactory alternative treatment options. More Information. June 16, 2020
• Food and Drug Administration granted accelerated approval to lurbinectedin (ZEPZELCA, Pharma Mar S.A.) for adult patients with metastatic small cell lung cancer (SCLC) with disease progression on or after platinum-based chemotherapy. More Information. June 15, 2020
• Food and Drug Administration approved nivolumab (OPDIVO, Bristol-Myers Squibb Co.) for patients with unresectable advanced, recurrent or metastatic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) after prior fluoropyrimidine- and platinum-based chemotherapy. More Information. June 10, 2020
• Food and Drug Administration approved ramucirumab (CYRAMZA, Eli Lilly and Company) in combination with erlotinib for first-line treatment of metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) exon 19 deletions or exon 21 (L858R) mutations. More Information. May 29, 2020
• Food and Drug Administration approved atezolizumab in combination with bevacizumab (TECENTRIQ and AVASTIN, Genentech Inc.) for patients with unresectable or metastatic hepatocellular carcinoma who have not received prior systemic therapy. More Information. May 29, 2020
• Food and Drug Administration approved the combination of nivolumab (OPDIVO, Bristol-Myers Squibb Co.) plus ipilimumab (YERVOY, Bristol-Myers Squibb Co.) and 2 cycles of platinum-doublet chemotherapy as first-line treatment for patients with metastatic or recurrent non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), with no epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) or anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) genomic tumor aberrations. More Information. May 26, 2020
• Food and Drug Administration approved brigatinib (ALUNBRIG, ARIAD Pharmaceuticals Inc.) for adult patients with anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK)-positive metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) as detected by an FDA-approved test. More information. May 22, 2020
• Food and Drug Administration approved olaparib (LYNPARZA, AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals, LP) for adult patients with deleterious or suspected deleterious germline or somatic homologous recombination repair (HRR) gene-mutated metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC), who have progressed following prior treatment with enzalutamide or abiraterone. More Information. May 19, 2020
• Food and Drug Administration approved atezolizumab (TECENTRIQ®, Genentech Inc.) for the first-line treatment of adult patients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) whose tumors have high PD-L1 expression (PD-L1 stained ≥ 50% of tumor cells [TC ≥ 50%] or PD-L1 stained tumor-infiltrating immune cells [IC] covering ≥ 10% of the tumor area [IC ≥ 10%]), with no EGFR or ALK genomic tumor aberrations. More information. May 18, 2020
• Food and Drug Administration approved ripretinib (QINLOCK, Deciphera Pharmaceuticals, LLC.), for adult patients with advanced gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) who have received prior treatment with 3 or more kinase inhibitors, including imatinib. More Information. May 15, 2020
• Food and Drug Administration granted accelerated approval to rucaparib (RUBRACA, Clovis Oncology, Inc.) for patients with deleterious BRCA mutation (germline and/or somatic)-associated metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) who have been treated with androgen receptor-directed therapy and a taxane-based chemotherapy. More Information. May 15, 2020
• Food and Drug Administration approved the combination of nivolumab (OPDIVO, Bristol-Myers Squibb Co.) plus ipilimumab (YERVOY, Bristol-Myers Squibb Co.) as first-line treatment for patients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer whose tumors express PD-L1(≥1%), as determined by an FDA-approved test, with no epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) or anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) genomic tumor aberrations. More Information. May 15, 2020
• Food and Drug Administration expanded the indication of pomalidomide (POMALYST, Bristol-Myers Squibb Co.) to include treating adult patients with AIDS-related Kaposi sarcoma after failure of highly active antiretroviral therapy and Kaposi sarcoma in adult patients who are HIV-negative. More Information. May 14, 2020
• Food and Drug Administration expanded the indication of olaparib (LYNPARZA®, AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals, LP) to include its combination with bevacizumab for first-line maintenance treatment of adult patients with advanced epithelial ovarian, fallopian tube, or primary peritoneal cancer who are in complete or partial response to first-line platinum-based chemotherapy and whose cancer is associated with homologous recombination deficiency positive status defined by either a deleterious or suspected deleterious BRCA mutation, and/or genomic instability. More Information. May 8, 2020
• Food and Drug Administration granted accelerated approval to selpercatinib (RETEVMO, Eli Lilly and Company) for the following indications: Adult patients with metastatic RET fusion-positive non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC); Adult and pediatric patients ≥12 years of age with advanced or metastatic RET-mutant medullary thyroid cancer (MTC) who require systemic therapy; Adult and pediatric patients ≥12 years of age with advanced or metastatic RET fusion-positive thyroid cancer who require systemic therapy and who are radioactive iodine-refractory (if radioactive iodine is appropriate). More information. May 8, 2020
• Food and Drug Administration granted accelerated approval to capmatinib (TABRECTA, Novartis) for adult patients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) whose tumors have a mutation that leads to mesenchymal-epithelial transition (MET) exon 14 skipping as detected by an FDA-approved test. More Information. May 6, 2020
• Food and Drug Administration approved daratumumab and hyaluronidase-fihj (DARZALEX FASPRO, Janssen Biotech, Inc.) for adult patients with newly diagnosed or relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma. This new product allows for subcutaneous dosing of daratumumab. More Information. May 1, 2020
• Food and Drug Administration approved niraparib (ZEJULA, GlaxoSmithKline) for the maintenance treatment of adult patients with advanced epithelial ovarian, fallopian tube, or primary peritoneal cancer who are in a complete or partial response to first-line platinum-based chemotherapy. More Information. April 29, 2020
• Food and Drug Administration granted accelerated approval to a new dosing regimen of 400 mg every six weeks for pembrolizumab (KEYTRUDA, Merck) across all currently approved adult indications, in addition to the current 200 mg every three weeks dosing regimen. More information. April 28, 2020
• Food and Drug Administration granted accelerated approval to sacituzumab govitecan-hziy (TRODELVY, Immunomedics, Inc.) for adult patients with metastatic triple-negative breast cancer who received at least two prior therapies for metastatic disease. More information. April 22, 2020
• Food and Drug Administration expanded the indication of ibrutinib (IMBRUVICA, Pharmacyclics LLC) to include its combination with rituximab for the initial treatment of adult patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) or small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL). More information.  April 21, 2020
• Food and Drug Administration granted accelerated approval to pemigatinib (PEMAZYRE, Incyte Corporation) for the treatment of adults with previously treated, unresectable locally advanced or metastatic cholangiocarcinoma with a fibroblast growth factor receptor 2 (FGFR2) fusion or other rearrangement as detected by an FDA-approved test. More information.  April 20, 2020
• Food and Drug Administration approved (TUKYSA, Seattle Genetics, Inc.) in combination with trastuzumab and capecitabine, for adult patients with advanced unresectable or metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer, including patients with brain metastases, who have received one or more prior anti-HER2-based regimens in the metastatic setting. More information. April 17, 2020
• Food and Drug Administration approved mitomycin (JELMYTO™, UroGen Pharma) for adult patients with low-grade upper tract urothelial cancer (LG-UTUC). More Information. April 15, 2020
• Food and Drug Administration approved selumetinib (KOSELUGO, AstraZeneca) for pediatric patients, 2 years of age and older, with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) who have symptomatic, inoperable plexiform neurofibromas (PN).More Information. April 10, 2020
• Food and Drug Administration approved encorafenib (BRAFTOVI, Array BioPharma Inc.) in combination with cetuximab for the treatment of adult patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC) with a BRAF V600E mutation, detected by an FDA-approved test, after prior therapy. More Information. April 8, 2020
• Food and Drug Administration approved luspatercept-aamt (REBLOZYL, Celgene Corporation) for the treatment of anemia failing an erythropoiesis stimulating agent and requiring 2 or more red blood cell (RBC) units over 8 weeks in adult patients with very low- to intermediate-risk myelodysplastic syndromes with ring sideroblasts (MDS-RS) or with myelodysplastic/myeloproliferative neoplasm with ring sideroblasts and thrombocytosis (MDS/MPN-RS-T). More Information. April 3, 2020
• Food and Drug Administration approved durvalumab (IMFINZI, AstraZeneca) in combination with etoposide and either carboplatin or cisplatin as first-line treatment of patients with extensive-stage small cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC). More Information. March 27, 2020
• Food and Drug Administration granted accelerated approval to the combination of nivolumab and ipilimumab (OPDIVO and YERVOY, Bristol-Myers Squibb Co.) for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) who have been previously treated with sorafenib. More Information. March 10, 2020
• Food and Drug Administration approved isatuximab-irfc (SARCLISA, sanofi-aventis U.S. LLC) in combination with pomalidomide and dexamethasone for adult patients with multiple myeloma who have received at least two prior therapies including lenalidomide and a proteasome inhibitor. More Information. March 2, 2020
• Food and Drug Administration approved neratinib (NERLYNX, Puma Biotechnology, Inc.) in combination with capecitabine for adult patients with advanced or metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer who have received two or more prior anti-HER2 based regimens in the metastatic setting. More Information. February 25, 2020
• Food and Drug Administration granted accelerated approval to tazemetostat (TAZVERIK, Epizyme, Inc.) for adults and pediatric patients aged 16 years and older with metastatic or locally advanced epithelioid sarcoma not eligible for complete resection. More Information. January 23, 2020
• Food and Drug Administration approved avapritinib (AYVAKIT^TM, Blueprint Medicines Corporation) for adults with unresectable or metastatic gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) harboring a platelet-derived growth factor receptor alpha (PDGFRA) exon 18 mutation, including D842V mutations. More Information. January 9, 2020
• Food and Drug Administration approved pembrolizumab (KEYTRUDA, Merck & Co. Inc.) for the treatment of patients with Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG)-unresponsive, high-risk, non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) with carcinoma in situ (CIS) with or without papillary tumors who are ineligible for or have elected not to undergo cystectomy.  More Information.  January 8, 2020

2019

• FDA approved olaparib (LYNPARZA®, AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP) for the maintenance treatment of adult patients with deleterious or suspected deleterious germline BRCA-mutated (gBRCAm) metastatic pancreatic adenocarcinoma, as detected by an FDA-approved test, whose disease has not progressed on at least 16 weeks of a first-line platinum-based chemotherapy regimen. More Information. December 27, 2019.
• FDA granted accelerated approval to fam-trastuzumab deruxtecan-nxki (ENHERTU®, Daiichi Sankyo) for patients with unresectable or metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer who have received two or more prior anti-HER2-based regimens in the metastatic setting. More Information. December 20, 2019
• FDA granted accelerated approval to enfortumab vedotin-ejfv (PADCEV, Astellas Pharma US, Inc.) for adult patients with locally advanced or metastatic urothelial cancer who have previously received a programmed death receptor-1 (PD-1) or programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) inhibitor, and a platinum-containing chemotherapy in the neoadjuvant/adjuvant, locally advanced or metastatic setting. More Information. December 18, 2019
• FDA approved enzalutamide (XTANDI, Astellas Pharma Inc.) for patients with metastatic castration-sensitive prostate cancer (mCSPC). More Information. December 16, 2019
• FDA approved  approved atezolizumab (TECENTRIQ, Genentech  Inc.) in combination with paclitaxel protein-bound  and carboplatin for the first-line treatment of adult patients with metastatic  non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with no EGFR or ALK genomic  tumor aberrations. More Information. December 3, 2019
• FDA approved acalabrutinib (CALQUENCE, AstraZeneca) for adults with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) or small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL). More Information.  November 21, 2019
• FDA approved givosiran (GIVLAARI, Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc.) for adults with acute hepatic porphyria (AHP). More Information. November 20, 2019
• FDA approved crizanlizumab-tmca (ADAKVEO, Novartis) to reduce the frequency of vaso-occlusive crises (VOCs) in adults and pediatric patients aged 16 years and older with sickle cell disease. More Information.  November 15, 2019
• FDA granted accelerated approval to zanubrutinib (BRUKINSA, BeiGene, Ltd.) for adult patients with mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) who have received at least one prior therapy. More Information.  November 14, 2019
• FDA approved luspatercept-aamt (REBLOZYL, Celgene Corp.) for treatment of anemia in adult patients with beta thalassemia who require regular red blood cell transfusions. More Information. November 8, 2019.
• FDA approved daratumumab (DARZALEX, Janssen) for adult patients with multiple myeloma in combination with bortezomib, thalidomide, and dexamethasone in newly diagnosed patients who are eligible for autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT). More Information. September 26, 2019.
• FDA granted accelerated approval to the combination of pembrolizumab (KEYTRUDA, Merck) plus lenvatinib (LENVIMA, Eisai) for the treatment of patients with advanced endometrial carcinoma that is not microsatellite instability high (MSI-H) or mismatch repair deficient (dMMR) and who have disease progression following prior systemic therapy but are not candidates for curative surgery or radiation. More Information.  September 17, 2019
• FDA approved apalutamide (ERLEADA, Janssen Biotech, Inc) for patients with metastatic castration-sensitive prostate cancer (mCSPC). Apalutamide was initially approved in 2018 for patients with non-metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer. More Information. September 17, 2019
• FDA granted accelerated approval to entrectinib (ROZLYTREK, Genentech Inc.) for adults and pediatric patients 12 years of age and older with solid tumors that have a neurotrophic tyrosine receptor kinase (NTRK) gene fusion without a known acquired resistance mutation, are metastatic or where surgical resection is likely to result in severe morbidity, and have progressed following treatment or have no satisfactory standard therapy. More Information August 15, 2019
• FDA approves pexidartinib for tenosynovial giant cell tumor. More Information. August 2, 2019
• FDA approved darolutamide (NUBEQA, Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals Inc.) for non-metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer. More Information.  July 30, 2019
• FDA approved pembrolizumab (KEYTRUDA, Merck) for patients with recurrent, locally advanced or metastatic, squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus (ESCC) whose tumors express PD-L1 (Combined Positive Score [CPS] ≥10), as determined by an FDA-approved test, with disease progression after one or more prior lines of systemic therapy. More Information.  July 30, 2019
• FDA granted accelerated approval to selinexor (XPOVIO, Karyopharm Therapeutics) in combination with dexamethasone for adult patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM) who have received at least four prior therapies and whose disease is refractory to at least two proteasome inhibitors, at least two immunomodulatory agents, and an anti-CD38 monoclonal antibody. More Information.  July 3, 2019
• FDA approved daratumumab (DARZALEX, Janssen Biotech, Inc.) in combination with lenalidomide and dexamethasone for patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma who are ineligible for autologous stem cell transplant. More Information.  June 27, 2019
• FDA granted accelerated approval to pembrolizumab (KEYTRUDA, Merck) for patients with metastatic small cell lung cancer (SCLC) with disease progression on or after platinum-based chemotherapy and at least one other prior line of therapy. More Information. June 17, 2019
• FDA approved pembrolizumab (KEYTRUDA, Merck) for the first-line treatment of patients with metastatic or unresectable recurrent head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). More Information. June 10, 2019
• FDA granted accelerated approval to polatuzumab vedotin-piiq (POLIVY, Genentech, Inc.), a CD79b-directed antibody-drug conjugate indicated in combination with bendamustine and a rituximab product for adult patients with relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), not otherwise specified, after at least two prior therapies. More Information. June 10, 2019
• Janssen provides a Q & A paper for 2020 Medicare Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) Proposed Rule. The CMS fact sheet is available here. In the FY 2020 IPPS Proposed Rule, CMS addresses how the agency proposes to pay for CAR T-cell therapy administered on an inpatient basis.   Click here for the Q & A Paper
• FDA approved the addition of overall survival data in labeling for gilteritinib (XOSPATA, Astellas Pharma US, Inc.), indicated for adult patients who have relapsed or refractory acute myeloid leukemia (AML) with a FLT3 mutation as detected by an FDA-approved test. More Information.  May 29, 2019
• FDA approved lenalidomide (REVLIMID, Celgene Corp.) in combination with a rituximab product for previously treated follicular lymphoma (FL) and previously treated marginal zone lymphoma (MZL). More Information. May 28, 2019
• FDA approved alpelisib (PIQRAY^®, Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation) in combination with fulvestrant for postmenopausal women, and men, with hormone receptor (HR)-positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-negative, PIK3CA-mutated, advanced or metastatic breast cancer as detected by an FDA-approved test following progression on or after an endocrine-based regimen. More Information.  May 24, 2019
• FDA approved ruxolitinib (JAKAFI, Incyte Corporation) for steroid-refractory acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) in adult and pediatric patients 12 years and older. More Information. May 24, 2019
• FDA approved avelumab (BAVENCIO, EMD Serono, Inc.) in combination with axitinib for first-line treatment of patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC). More Information. May 14, 2019
• FDA approved venetoclax (VENCLEXTA, AbbVie Inc. and Genentech Inc.) for adult patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) or small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL). More Information. May 15, 2019
• URGENT RECALL - Zydus Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc., is voluntarily recalling multiple lots of Anastrozole Tablets, USP, 1 mg, at RETAIL LEVEL.  Detail of lots being recalled can be found here.
• FDA approved ramucirumab (CYRAMZA, Eli Lilly and Company) as a single agent for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in patients who have an alpha fetoprotein (AFP) of ≥ 400 ng/mL and have been previously treated with sorafenib. More Information. May 10, 2019
• FDA approved ado-trastuzumab emtansine (KADCYLA, Genentech, Inc.) for the adjuvant treatment of patients with HER2-positive early breast cancer (EBC) who have residual invasive disease after neoadjuvant taxane and trastuzumab-based treatment. More Information. May 3, 2019
• FDA approved pembrolizumab (KEYTRUDA, Merck & Co. Inc.) plus axitinib for the first-line treatment of patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC).More Information, April 19, 2019
• FDA granted accelerated approval to erdafitinib (BALVERSA, Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies) for patients with locally advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma, with susceptible FGFR3 or FGFR2 genetic alterations, that has progressed during or following platinum-containing chemotherapy, including within 12 months of neoadjuvant or adjuvant platinum-containing chemotherapy. More Information. April 12, 2019
• FDA approved pembrolizumab (KEYTRUDA, Merck Inc.) for the first-line treatment of patients with stage III non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who are not candidates for surgical resection or definitive chemoradiation or metastatic NSCLC. Patients' tumors must have no EGFR or ALK genomic aberrations and express PD-L1 (Tumor Proportion Score [TPS] ≥1%) determined by an FDA-approved test. More Information. April 11, 2019
• FDA approved atezolizumab (TECENTRIQ, Genentech Inc.) in combination with carboplatin and etoposide, for the first-line treatment of adult patients with extensive-stage small cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC). More Information. March 18, 2019
• FDA approves atezolizumab for PD-L1 positive unresectable locally advanced or metastatic triple-negative breast cancer. More information. March 8, 2019
• FDA approved trastuzumab and hyaluronidase-oysk injection, for subcutaneous use (Herceptin Hylecta, Genentech Inc.). Herceptin Hylecta is a combination of trastuzumab, a HER2/neu receptor antagonist, and hyaluronidase, an endoglycosidase, for the treatment of HER2 overexpressing breast cancer. More Information. February 28, 2019
• FDA approved trifluridine/ tipiracil tablets (LONSURF, Taiho Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.)—a fixed combination of trifluridine, a nucleoside metabolic inhibitor, and tipiracil, a thymidine phosphorylase inhibitor—for adult patients with metastatic gastric or gastroesophageal junction (GEJ) adenocarcinoma previously treated with at least two prior lines of chemotherapy that included a fluoropyrimidine, a platinum, either a taxane or irinotecan, and if appropriate, HER2/neu-targeted therapy. More Information. February 22, 2019.
• FDA approved pembrolizumab (KEYTRUDA, Merck) for the adjuvant treatment of patients with melanoma with involvement of lymph node(s) following complete resection. More Information. February 15, 2019

• FDA approved cabozantinib (CABOMETYX, Exelixis, Inc.) for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) who have been previously treated with sorafenib. More Information, January 14, 2019