The Food and Drug Administration has granted breakthrough therapy designation to eltrombopag (Promacta) for use in combination with standard immunosuppressive therapy as a first-line treatment for patients with severe aplastic anemia (SAA).
Eltrombopag already is approved as a second-line therapy in patients with refractory SAA and is approved for adults and children with refractory chronic immune thrombocytopenia (ITP).
“Promacta is a promising medicine that, if approved for first-line use in severe aplastic anemia, may redefine the standard of care for patients with this rare and serious bone marrow condition,” Samit Hirawat, MD, head of Novartis Oncology Global Drug Development, said in a statement.