Emerging Treatments in Lung Cancer
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Tarceva
Generic drug name: |
erlotinib |
Brand/trade name: |
Tarceva |
Manufactured by: |
OSI Pharmaceuticals and Genentech Inc. |
FDA approval: |
Approved in November 2004 to treat advanced non-small cell lung cancer
that has failed to respond to other therapy. |
Type of drug: |
Targeted Therapy |
Overview:
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted accelerated approval to Tarceva for the treatment of locally
advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) after failure of at least one prior chemotherapy regimen.
The drug was shown in clinical trial involving 731 patients showed to extend life by approximately two months, from an average of 4.7 months among those who took a placebo to 6.7 months.
Tarceva is one of a new class of cancer treatments known as targeted therapies. These drugs, which include Iressa
and Erbitux are designed to block a particular protein, the epidermal growth factor receptor, that spurs the growth
of cancer cells. Such drugs tend to have fewer side effects than conventional chemotherapy. In the clinical trial, the most common side effects for patients receiving Tarceva were rash and diarrhea. Some patients taking Tarceva have developed interstitial lung disease (ILD). ILD is a serious and life-threatening lung disease.
Treatment Overview:
Tarceva is a pill taken orally. For lung cancer patients, the FDA recommended starting dose is 150 mg each day.
News Releases:
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