FDA expands the use of melanoma drug Yervoy
FDA expands the use of melanoma drug Yervoy
28 Oct 2015The U.S. Food and Drug Administration expanded the use of Bristol-Myers Squibb’s skin cancer drug, Yervoy, as an additional therapy for patients with late-stage melanoma. This approval extends Yervoy's use to patients with stage III melanoma, who have a high risk of recurrence after surgery.
Yervoy blocks a molecule known as CTLA-4, which may play a role in slowing down or turning off the immune system, and affects its ability to fight off cancerous cells.
Boxed warning for the adverse events
Due to the potential for fatal adverse reactions and unusual severe side effects with Yervoy, the drug's label carries a boxed warning, which is reserved for the most serious of risks.
Yervoy is administered intravenously. It was originally approved in 2011 to treat late-stage melanoma that cannot be removed by surgery.
Source: Reuters