+ Regulatory
LocalLabs News Service | Apr 16, 2017

Novartis medications for lung cancer approved by European Commission

The European Commission has approved two drugs to treat a type of non-small cell lung cancer.

The new strategy pairs two Novartis drugs, Tafinlar and Mekinist, to treat people diagnosed with BRAF V600-positive (a genetic mutation) advanced non-small cell lung cancer, according to a press release. The condition affects up to 3 percent of new cases annually.

"Today's approval represents an important milestone for the lung cancer community, especially those patients living with the BRAF V600 mutation who previously had few options," Bruno Strigini, CEO of Novartis Oncology, said in the release.

The approval was granted based on a Phase II clinical trial in which almost 70 percent of patients who used the drug combination remain in remission after nine months of treatment. The drugs had already been approved for skin cancer in the U.S., Europe, Australia, Canada and other locations.

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