NEW YORK, March 13 (UPI) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration Tuesday approved GlaxoSmithKline's Tykerb, a once-daily pill to treat advanced breast cancer.
According to a report on CNBC, the agency has cleared for market the therapy, which is designed for breast cancer patients who have failed on treatments including Herceptin, the top-selling breast cancer treatment marketed by Genentech and Roche Holdings AG.
Market analysts have predicted Glaxo's breakthrough therapy has blockbuster potential long-term, although the initial target market for the drug is relatively small.
Glaxo was seeking approval for Tykerb for use in combination with a chemotherapy drug, Roche's Xeloda.
Tykerb belongs to a new class of more targeted cancer therapies that are designed to kill cancerous cells, while avoiding healthy cells.
