Alternative to Alimta Coming for Mesothelioma Patients

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has granted final approval of Pemfexy, a new brand of the chemotherapy drug pemetrexed, to combat malignant mesothelioma and advanced stage non-small cell lung cancer. The approval will allow oncologists to offer an alternative to Alimta, which today is considered standard pemetrexed and manufactured by Eli Lilly and Company. The chemotherapy drug is designed to block DNA replication and cell division. However, Pemfexy will not be available until February 2022. The FDA approval is limited to pleural mesothelioma patients whose disease is unresectable. Pemfexy is produced by Eagle Pharmaceuticals, a smaller company based in New Jersey. The drug is a ready-to-dilute formulation of pemetrexed that received tentative FDA approval in 2017. Connect with a Top Mesothelioma Doctor We've helped thousands of people affected by mesothelioma find the best treatments. Get Started Now Drug Companies Battled over Patent Rights Existing patent protections held by Eli Lilly have prevented Eagle Pharmaceuticals from marketing its product in the United States. Lilly filed a lawsuit against Eagle Pharmaceuticals in September 2019 for infringing upon its patent of Alimta. A settlement of that lawsuit in December cleared the path for this final approval of Pemfexy. Pemfexy is already is being used in other countries. As part of the settlement, Pemfexy will be available within the U.S. o...
Source: Asbestos and Mesothelioma News - Category: Environmental Health Authors: Source Type: news