FDA Approvals, News & Updates

On December 9, 2022, the FDA approved atezolizumab (Tecentriq; Genentech), a PD-L1 inhibitor, for patients aged ≥2 years with unresectable or metastatic alveolar soft-part sarcoma (ASPS), a type of soft-tissue sarcoma.

On January 19, 2023, the FDA approved zanubrutinib (Brukinsa; BeiGene USA), a Bruton tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitor, for the treatment of patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) or small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL). The FDA granted zanubrutinib an orphan drug designation for this indication.

On January 19, 2023, the FDA accelerated the approval of tucatinib (Tukysa; Seagen), a Bruton tyrosine kinase inhibitor, in combination with trastuzumab (Herceptin), a HER2/neu receptor agonist, for the treatment of RAS wild-type, HER2-positive, unresectable or metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC) that progressed after fluoropyrimidine-, oxaliplatin-, and irinotecan-based chemotherapies.

On January 26, 2023, the FDA approved pembrolizumab (Keytruda; Merck), a PD-1 inhibitor, as monotherapy for adjuvant treatment of patients with stage IB (T2a ≥4 cm), II, or IIIA non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), after resection and platinum-based chemotherapy.

On December 12, 2022, the FDA accelerated the approval of adagrasib (Krazati; Mirati Therapeutics), a RAS GTPase inhibitor, for adults with locally advanced or metastatic non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and KRAS^G12C mutation (as determined by an FDA-approved test) who have received at least 1 systemic therapy.

On December 22, 2022, the FDA accelerated the approval of mosunetuzumab-axgb (Lunsumio; Genentech), a bispecific CD20-directed CD3 T-cell engager, for adults with relapsed or refractory follicular lymphoma after ≥2 lines of systemic therapy. The FDA granted this indication breakthrough therapy and orphan drug designations.

On January 27, 2023, the FDA approved elacestrant (Orserdu; Stemline Therapeutics), an estrogen receptor (ER) antagonist, for the treatment of postmenopausal women or adult men with ER-positive, HER2-negative advanced or metastatic breast cancer and an ESR1 mutation whose disease progressed after ≥1 line of endocrine therapy.

On January 27, 2023, the FDA accelerated the approval of pirtobrutinib (Jaypirca; Eli Lilly) for the treatment of patients with relapsed or refractory mantle-cell lymphoma (MCL) after at least 2 lines of systemic therapy, including a Bruton tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitor.

On December 22, 2022, the FDA accelerated the approval of mosunetuzumab-axgb (Lunsumio; Genentech), a bispecific CD20-directed CD3 T-cell engager, for adults with relapsed or refractory follicular lymphoma after ≥2 lines of systemic therapy. The FDA granted this indication breakthrough therapy and orphan drug designations.

On November 10, 2022, the FDA approved brentuximab vedotin (Adcetris; Seagen) in combination with a chemotherapy regimen of doxorubicin, vincristine, etoposide, prednisone, and cyclophosphamide (AVEPC) for treatment-naïve pediatric patients aged ≥2 years with high-risk classical Hodgkin lymphoma. This is the first indication for brentuximab vedotin for pediatric patients. Brentuximab vedotin has an orphan drug designation for Hodgkin lymphoma.