FDA OKs Janssen’s Cancer Drug Yondelis

Janssen Biotech, Inc., part of Johnson & Johnson, reports that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Yondelis (trabectedin) for the treatment of patients with unresectable (unable to be removed with surgery) or metastatic liposarcoma (LPS) or leiomyosarcoma (LMS) who received a prior anthracycline-containing regimen.

Yondelis is a synthetically produced anti-tumor agent, originally derived from the sea squirt Ecteinascidia turbinata. It works by binding to the DNA of cancer cells and disrupting their normal cell activity, which causes cell death. It is approved in nearly 80 countries in North America, Europe, South America, and Asia.

Under a licensing agreement with PharmaMar, Janssen Products, LP has the rights to develop and sell Yondelis globally except in Europe, where PharmaMar SA holds the rights, and in Japan, where PharmaMar has granted a license to Taiho Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.

Source: Johson & Johnson

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