Cyramza Approved for Combo Tx in Advanced GI Cancer

New Gastric Cancer Drug Gets FDA Approval
New Gastric Cancer Drug Gets FDA Approval
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved ramucirumab (Cyramza; Eli Lilly) for use in combination with paclitaxel for the treatment of patients with advanced gastric or gastroesophageal junction (GEJ) adenocarcinoma.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved ramucirumab (Cyramza; Eli Lilly) for use in combination with paclitaxel for the treatment of patients with advanced gastric or gastroesophageal junction (GEJ) adenocarcinoma.

Cyramza was initially approved in April 2014 as a single drug for the treatment of advanced gastric or GEJ adenocarcinoma with disease progression on or after prior fluoropyrimidine- or platinum-containing chemotherapy.

The new approval was based on the results from I4T-IE-JVBE, a multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, that evaluated patients with previously-treated advanced or metastatic gastric or GEJ adenocarcinoma. Patients were randomized to either ramucirumab 8mg/kg every two weeks with paclitaxel (n=330) or placebo with paclitaxel (n=335).

RELATED: Cyramza + Paclitaxel Demonstrates Efficacy in Cancer Trial

The study showed significant prolongation of overall survival (HR 0.81; 95% CI 0.68, 0.96; P=0.017) in the ramucirumab plus paclitaxel arm (9.6 months) vs. the placebo plus paclitaxel arm (7.4 months). Also, progression-free survival was higher in the ramucirumab plus paclitaxel group (HR 0.64, 95% CI 0.54, 0.75; P<0.001).

The full prescribing information for Cyramza has been updated accordingly.

For more information call (800) 545-5979 or visit Cyramza.com.