FDA Approves new treatment for a certain type of prostate cancer using novel clinical trial endpoint
U.S. Food and Drug Administration
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Erleada (apalutamide) for the treatment of patients with prostate cancer that has not spread (non-metastatic), but that continues to grow despite treatment with hormone therapy (castration-resistant). This is the first FDA-approved treatment for non-metastatic, castration-resistant prostate cancer.
Erleada works by blocking the effect of androgens, a type of hormone, on the tumor. These androgens, such as testosterone, can promote tumor growth.
The safety and efficacy of Erleada was based on a randomized clinical trial of 1,207 patients with non-metastatic, castration-resistant prostate cancer. Patients in the trial either received Erleada or a placebo. All patients were also treated with hormone therapy, either with gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) analog therapy or with surgery to lower the amount of testosterone in their body (surgical castration). The median metastasis-free survival for patients taking Erleada was 40.5 months compared to 16.2 months for patients taking a placebo.
The FDA granted the approval of Erleada to Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies.
