Health

New prostate cancer drug approved

by LotusFlower | December 29, 2008 at 05:33 pm

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Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer in men in the US.

The FDA has approved a new drug that lowers the levels of testosterone produced by men to levels equal to that of men who have had the testes removed.

This is the first drug approved to treat prostate cancer in four years and offers hope to the many thousands of men afflicted by this killer disease.

Federal regulators on Monday said they have approved the first new drug to treat prostate cancer in four years.

The injectable treatment from privately held Ferring Pharmaceuticals fights the cancer by lowering levels of testosterone, which promotes the growth of tumors in the prostate.

Food and Drug Administration officials said older drugs in the same class can actually increase testosterone production before they begin lowering them. In studies on prostate cancer patients, Ferring showed that its drug, degarelix, does not raise testosterone levels.

According to the FDA, patients treated with degarelix had testosterone levels comparable to those seen after the testes are removed.