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Eli Lilly and Co. announced FDA approval of a new cancer treatment on Monday.
The drug Cyramza (ramucirumab) will treat patients with advanced stomach cancer or gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma, a form of cancer located in the region where the esophagus joins the stomach.
The drug is intended for patients whose cancer cannot be surgically removed or has spread after being treated with a platinum-containing therapy, experts said.
“Gastric (stomach) cancer is a major health problem. It is the fifth most common cancer in the world and is the third-leading cause of cancer death. There were nearly one million new cases worldwide in 2012 with approximately 723,000 deaths. In the United States, approximately 22,000 people will be diagnosed with gastric cancer and 10,990 will die from it in 2014. Gastric cancer develops slowly in the stomach, usually over years, and is often not diagnosed until advanced stages,” Eli Lilly officials said in a statement.
The drug is just one result from Eli Lilly’s cancer research and it is expected to generate close to a billion dollars in sales.
Agencies/Canadajournal
