 |
|
(File
photo) | BEIJING, June 16
(Xinhuanet)-- A new drug combination to treat women with late-stage cervical
cancer won the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval on Thursday.
The two established chemotherapy drugs, Hycamtin and
Cisplatin, are combined together as new treatment to be given when a doctor
determines surgery or radiation therapy is unlikely to be effective, the FDA
said.
The drug Hycamtin, made by GlaxoSmithKline Plc, was
originally approved by the FDA in 1996 for treating ovarian cancer and in 1998
for small-cell lung cancer.
A clinical trial involving 293 patients showed those
taking Hycamtin and Cisplatin lived an average of 9.4 months while those taking
Cisplatin alone lived 6.5 months, namely, Hycamtin helps patients live about
three months longer when used with the chemotherapy agent Cisplatin than with
Cisplatin alone, said Glaxo.
However, Hycamtin can cause some side effects.
Patients on the drug face a significant risk of a drop in their white blood
counts, which can leave them vulnerable to infection. Other side effects include
a decrease in blood platelets, which can lead to excessive bleeding and anemia.
About 10,000 American women are diagnosed with the
disease each year and another 3,700 die, according to the FDA. Enditem
(Agencies)
|
