Content about Oncology

PARSIPPANY, N.J. — Drug maker Watson Pharmaceuticals has started a late-stage trial of a drug made to treat benign tumors of the uterus, the company said Monday.

Watson announced the initiation of a phase-3 trial of Esmya (ulitristal acetate) in women who have anemia due to uterine leimyomas, also known as uterine fibroids, which causes benign solid tumors that can lead to excessive menstrual bleeding, anemia and pain and may require surgery. Watson is developing the drug under a licensing agreement with Gedeon Richter.

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. — A drug made by Amgen delayed the spread of prostate cancer to the bones in men with the disease and prolonged the survival of men with the condition, according to results of a late-stage clinical trial.

SILVER SPRING, Md. — The Food and Drug Administration has approved a drug made by Bristol-Myers Squibb and Eli Lilly & Co. for treating head and neck cancer, the agency said Monday.

The FDA announced the approval of Erbitux (cetuximab) for use with chemotherapy in treating head and neck cancer that had spread to other parts of the body. The drug originally was approved in 2004 for treating certain cases of late-stage colon cancer in patients who had stopped responding to chemotherapy.

CINCINNATI — Kroger has committed $3 million in donations for local breast cancer initiatives across the country to support National Breast Cancer Awareness month in October, the grocer announced Monday.

"We are honored that so many of our courageous associates are willing to share their experiences as breast cancer survivors," stated David Dillon, Kroger's chairman and CEO. "Their inspirational stories educate and encourage others to better care for each other and their own health."

SILVER SPRING, Md. — The Food and Drug Administration is reorganizing its division for regulating cancer drugs, the agency said Monday.

The FDA said it would rename the Office of Oncology Products the Office of Hematology and Oncology Products. The office, which is responsible for reviewing regulatory applications for pharmaceutical and biotech drugs for cancer, is overseen by the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. Office of Oncology Products director Richard Pazdur will continue as director of the OHOP.

LOS ANGELES — Kroger banners Ralphs and Food 4 Less have both announced fundraising campaigns to benefit Susan G. Komen for the Cure affiliates in California.

Customers and associates at both stores can support their local Susan G. Komen for the Cure affiliate by donating their spare change in collection canisters located at the checkstands in their neighborhood Ralphs or Food 4 Less. The Komen fundraising campaign will run through Nov. 5.

PLANEGG-MARTINSRIED, Germany — The Food and Drug Administration has granted orphan drug designation to a cancer treatment in mid-stage development made by German drug maker 4SC, the company said Tuesday.

4SC announced that it received the designation for resminostat, currently in phase-2 clinical trials as a treatment for hepatocellular cancer, or HCC. The FDA grants orphan drug designation to drugs for diseases that affect fewer than 200,000 people in the United States.

NEW YORK — The Food and Drug Administration has approved a Pfizer drug for treating pancreatic tumors.

Pfizer announced Friday the approval of Sutent (sunitinib malate) for the treatment of progressive, well-differentiated pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors in patients with locally advanced disease that can’t be removed through surgery. Pancreatic NET is a rare cancer reported in 2 million to 4 million people worldwide every year.

SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. — Genentech is seeking approval for a new drug to treat skin cancer, the company said Wednesday.

NEW YORK — A Food and Drug Administration expert panel has given a favorable vote to a drug made by Pfizer for tumors, Pfizer said Tuesday.

The FDA’s Oncologic Drugs Advisory Committee voted 8-2 that Sutent’s (sunitinib malate) benefits outweigh its risks in the treatment of unresectable pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors.

While the FDA is not bound by advisory committee votes, it takes them into consideration when deciding whether or not to approve a drug.

SILVER SPRING, Md. — The Food and Drug Administration has approved a new treatment for late-stage skin cancer, the agency said Friday.

The FDA approved Bristol-Myers Squibb’s Yervoy (ipilimumab) for patients with melanoma that has spread to other parts of the body, also known as metastasis. More than 68,000 new cases of melanoma were diagnosed in the United States in 2010, and about 8,700 died from it, according to the National Cancer Institute, part of the National Institutes of Health.