(Friday, 27 April HealthDay News) - Votrient (pazopanib) has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration to treat people with sarcoma of soft tissue that have received previous chemotherapy.
This type of tumour originates in the soft tissues, such as muscle, fat or fibrous tissue, the Agency said in a release. About 10,000 cases of soft tissue sarcoma are reported each year in the United States.
Votrient works by inhibiting angiogenisis, production of new blood vessels that stimulate tumor growth. The safety and efficacy of the drug were evaluated in clinical studies involving 369 people with sarcoma of soft tissue that had undergone chemotherapy. Among those who took Votrient, the disease did not progress for an average of 4.6 months, compared to 1.6 months among those taking inactive placebo.
The most common side effects of Votrient included fatigue, diarrhea, nausea, weight loss, high blood pressure and decreased appetite. The drug label must carry a "black box" warning of the risk of serious liver damage, which can be fatal. People who receive the drug should have their liver function under house arrest, said the Agency.
First of all, Votrient was approved in October 2009 to treat advanced kidney cancer. The drug is marketed by GlaxoSmithKline, based in Research Triangle Park, NC
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Medline Plus has more on this drug.
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