New Lymphoma Rx Gets Green Light

(RxWiki News) The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a new treatment for a type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

The FDA approved Aliqopa (copanlisib) to treat relapsed follicular lymphoma in adults who have received two or more previous treatments called systemic therapies.

For the estimated 72,240 United States residents who the National Cancer Institute estimates will be diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma this year, this could be great news. According to FDA officials, relapsed follicular lymphoma commonly comes back after treatment. The approval of Aliqopa may provide these patients with another option.

Non-Hodgkin lymphoma is cancer of a part of the immune system called the lymph system. This system includes the spleen, tonsils, lymph nodes and bone marrow. Follicular lymphoma is a slowly developing type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

Aliqopa fights follicular lymphoma by “blocking enzymes that promote cell growth,” according to the FDA. The agency approved this medication after a study of 104 patients found that 59 percent of participants who took copanlisib saw their tumors shrink or disappear for a median of just over a year.

High blood pressure, diarrhea, raised blood sugar, reduced energy and strength, reduced white blood cell counts and lower respiratory tract infections were all common side effects of copanlisib.

Ask your doctor or pharmacist which cancer medication is best for you or your loved one.

The FDA granted approval of Aliqopa to Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals.