The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved a new combination therapy for treating colorectal cancer in patients with a specific gene mutation.
The approval is based on an early- to mid-stage study involving 94 previously treated patients. The treatment combines an oral drug with cetuximab, an existing cancer medication.
Results showed that about 34% of patients demonstrated a partial or complete response to the treatment. Additionally, the combination therapy increased the time patients lived without disease progression by 6.9 months.
This newly approved drug had previously received accelerated FDA approval in 2022 for treating a type of advanced lung cancer with a mutated form of a gene known as KRAS.
Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer worldwide, accounting for about 10% of all cancer cases. According to the World Health Organization, it is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths globally.
The approval marks a potential new option for patients with this specific form of colorectal cancer, though further studies may be needed to confirm its long-term efficacy and safety.