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Drug receives fast track designation for follicular lymphoma


 

follicular lymphoma

Micrograph showing

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted fast track designation to the EZH2 inhibitor tazemetostat as a treatment for relapsed or refractory follicular lymphoma, with or without EZH2-activating mutations.

The FDA’s fast track program is designed to facilitate the development and expedite the review of products intended to treat or prevent serious or life-threatening conditions and address unmet medical need.

Through the fast track program, a product may be eligible for priority review.

In addition, the company developing the product may be allowed to submit sections of the new drug application or biologic license application on a rolling basis as data become available.

Fast track designation also provides the company with opportunities for more frequent meetings and written communications with the FDA.

Tazemetostat also has fast track designation from the FDA as a treatment for patients with relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) with EZH2-activating mutations.

Tazemetostat is under investigation as monotherapy and in combination with other agents as a treatment for multiple cancers.

Results from a phase 1 study suggested tazemetostat can produce durable responses in patients with advanced non-Hodgkin lymphomas, including follicular lymphoma and DLBCL. The study was presented at the 2015 ASH Annual Meeting.

Tazemetostat is currently under investigation in a phase 2 trial of adults with relapsed or refractory DLBCL or follicular lymphoma.

Interim efficacy and safety data from this study are scheduled to be presented at the International Conference on Malignant Lymphoma (ICML) in Lugano, Switzerland, on June 14, 2017, at 2:00 pm CET.

Tazemetostat is being developed by Epizyme, Inc.

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