Incyte gets FDA approval for new drug to treat rare form of skin cancer
Incyte gets FDA approval for new drug to treat rare form of skin cancer
The Food and Drug Administration granted marketing approval Wednesday to Zynyz, a drug developed by Wilmington-based Incyte to treat advanced Merkel cell carcinoma.
Merkel cell carcinoma is a rare and aggressive type of skin cancer that frequently appears as a single, painless, reddish-purple skin nodule on the head, neck and arms in areas of the skin exposed to sunlight. The cancer has a tendency to grow quickly, resulting in a high rate of metastatic disease and a poor prognosis for patients.
The condition afflicts fewer than one out of every 100,00 people. The estimated five-year overall survival rate for patients who present with distant metastatic Merkel cell carcinoma — meaning the cancer has spread to other parts of the body — is 14%.
Hervé Hoppenot, the CEO of Incyte (NASDAQ: INCY), said Merkel cell carcinoma can be a "challenging and aggressive disease" to treat. He said the company is continuing to study the potential of Zynyz in additional tumor types, alone and in combination with experimental compounds in Incyte's pipeline.
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John George
Senior Reporter
Philadelphia Business Journal
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