PARP Inhibitor Veliparib Gets Orphan Drug Status from FDA

AbbVie announced that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Orphan Drug Designation to veliparib, an investigational combination with chemotherapies or radiation for the treatment of advanced squamous non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Veliparib is an oral poly (adenosine diphosphate [ADP]-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitor. It is being studied in combination with chemotherapy or radiation to help determine whether it can prevent DNA repair in cancer cells to possibly increase the effectiveness of common DNA-damaging therapies, such as chemotherapy or radiation.  

AbbVie is currently conducting efficacy and safety tests of veliparib in over a dozen tumor types, in combination with chemotherapy (such as carboplatin and paclitaxel) or radiation. This includes Phase 3 trials in advanced squamous and non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), ovarian cancer and breast cancer.

NSCLC is the most common type of lung cancer in the U.S., with squamous cell carcinoma accounting for approximately 25 to 30% of NSCLC cases.

For more information call 800-633-9110 or visit AbbVie.com.