The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the first drug to be used in early stage breast cancer treatment. Perjeta (pertuzumab) will be used as part of a complete treatment regimen for patients before surgery (neoadjuvant setting).
Perjeta was approved by the European Union in 2012 for the treatment of patients with advanced or late-stage (metastatic) HER2-positive breast cancer.
HER2-positive breast cancers have increased amounts of the HER2 protein that contributes to cancer cell growth and survival.
Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related death among women in the US.
An estimated 232,340 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer, and 39,620 will die from the disease in 2013, according to the National Cancer Institute.
Almost 20% of breast cancers have increased amounts of the HER2 protein.
Results of a new study by the Institute of Cancer Research in London and the University of Dundee highlighted "critical gaps" in breast cancer research, further emphasizing the need for immediate action.
Dr. Hal Barron, chief medical officer and head of Global Product Development at Roche, the company behind Perjeta, said:
"A new approval pathway has made Perjeta available to people with HER2-positive early breast cancer several years earlier than previously possible. Together with the FDA, we've charted new territory. We look forward to working with health authorities around the world to explore additional ways to bring promising medicines to patients more quickly."
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