Posted by Michael Wonder on 23 Mar 2017
FDA approves first treatment for rare form of skin cancer
23 March 2017 - The U.S. FDA today granted accelerated approval to Bavencio (avelumab) for the treatment of adults and pediatric patients 12 years and older with metastatic Merkel cell carcinoma, including those who have not received prior chemotherapy.
This is the first FDA-approved treatment for metastatic Merkel cell carcinoma, a rare, aggressive form of skin cancer.
Bavencio received an accelerated approval, which enables the FDA to approve drugs for serious conditions to fill an unmet medical need using clinical trial data that is thought to predict a clinical benefit to patients. Further clinical trials are required to confirm Bavencio’s clinical benefit and the sponsor is currently conducting these studies.
