‘Unapproved medicines’, ‘compassionate use’, ‘early access drugs’..

When a new medicine gets approved for use and for sale in a specific region, it’s usually given a brand name by the pharmaceutical company who discovered or developed it.

A personalised vaccine which boosts a patient’s own immune system has nearly doubled the number of women surviving ovarian cancer by two years.

Following an earlier negative decision, NICE is now recommending NHS use of Roche’s immunotherapy Tecentriq for lung cancer.

Rubraca (rucaparib), already approved as a treatment for BRCA positive ovarian cancer, has been approved as a maintenance therapy for ovarian cancer regardless of BRCA mutation. 

The FDA approves Blincyto (blinatumomab) for patients with B-cell ALL, who are in remission but still have minimal residual disease.

FDA approves Tasigna (nilotinib) for certain pediatric patients with Ph+ CML in chronic phase.

FDA approves Genentech’s Lucentis (ranibizumab injection) syringe for diabetic macular edema and diabetic retinopathy.

CLL expert explains latest treatment developments in the field.

FDA expands approval of Adcetris (brentuximab vedotin) for first-line treatment of Stage III or IV classical Hodgkin lymphoma in combination with chemotherapy.

Expert emphasises healthy lifestyle in prostate cancer care.

The FDA has approved a new HIV treatment for patients with limited treatment options.

Kymriah, the first FDA-approved CAR-T cell therapy, is showing promising results in treating children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have extended the approval of Verzenio (abemaciclib) to now be a first line treatment for some types of advanced or metastatic breast cancer.

The UK institute NICE gives 3 nods in thyroid cancer: Cometriq (cabozantinib), Nexavar (sorafenib) and Lenvima (lenvatinib).

FDA Approves Osmolex ER (amantadine) for the treatment of Parkinson’s Disease and Drug-Induced Extrapyramidal Reactions. 

Imfinzi (durvalumab), already approved for some bladder cancers, is now FDA approved for some patients with lung cancer.

Price decreases for 38 medicines

In a recent trial, 80% of patients with (MRD)-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) who were treated with a drug called Blincyto (blinatumomab) achieved a complete response.

The FDA has approved Erleada (apalutamide) for the treatment of patients with prostate cancer that has not spread, but that continues to grow despite treatment with hormone therapy.

The Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) has approved Mavenclad (cladribine) as a treatment for highly active relapsing multiple sclerosis.

In 2015, an estimated 221,200 people in the U.S. will be diagnosed with lung cancer, which is 13 percent of all cancer diagnoses.

Scientists experimenting with an innovative treatment for cancer have now devised a targeted injection that has already successfully eliminated tumours in mice.

The first ever patient to be treated with a new type of CAR-T cell therapy in a novel clinical trial is now in remission.

Remember the hypospray from Star Trek? Maybe it's close to reality.

A new combination of medicines is showing positive results in ER/HER2-Positive breast cancer.

The experimental drug from Roche (balovaptan) has now been given Breakthrough Therapy Designation, potentially placing the drug on a faster path to market as the first pharmacological treatment for autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Pharmatimes, 30/01/2018.

Following the EMA’s approval in late 2017, the FDA has now also approved Lutathera (lutetium Lu 177 dotatate) for certain digestive tract cancers.

The potential of neuroprotective agents for a whole new form of treatment.

A list of medicines TheSocialMedwork will soon be making available.