FDA approves immunotherapy regimen for breast cancer
The FDA has granted accelerated approval to the combination of atezolizumab, an antibody marketed by Genentech under the name Tecentriq, and chemotherapy for certain patients with metastatic triple-negative breast cancer. For patients to be eligible, it must be determined by an FDA-approved test that the cancer is PD-L1 positive.
“The Tecentriq regimen is an exciting new treatment option for certain people living with metastatic triple-negative breast cancer, a difficult-to-treat form of the disease,” Hayley Dinerman, executive director of the Triple Negative Breast Cancer Foundation, said in a prepared statement. “Chemotherapy alone has been the mainstay of treatment for many years, so it’s encouraging to now have an immunotherapy combination available for people with PD-L1-positive disease.”
This is the first immunotherapy regimen approved by the FDA for treating breast cancer, according to Genentech.
“The FDA approval of this Tecentriq combination is an important treatment advance for people with PD-L1-positive, metastatic triple-negative breast cancer, a disease with high unmet medical need,” Sandra Horning, MD, chief medical officer and head of global product development for Genentech, said in the same statement.
Michael has more than 18 years of experience as a professional writer and editor. He has written at length about cardiology, radiology, artificial intelligence and other key healthcare topics.