Biotech, cancer, Cell Therapeutics

Cell Therapeutics Applies for FDA Approval of Zevalin as First-Line Therapy

Luke Timmerman 10/2/08

Cell Therapeutics (NASDAQ: CTIC) said today it has applied to the FDA for expanded usage of Zevalin. The drug is currently approved for relapsed forms of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, and the new application, if approved, would allow sale for patients getting first-line treatment. Results from a 414-patient clinical trial of Zevalin in first-line patients showed it could cause complete tumor shrinkage for 76 percent of patients with a single shot. Even so, the drug has never been a commercial success since its debut in 2002. It generated just $2.9 million in sales in the second quarter.

Luke Timmerman is the National Biotechnology Editor for Xconomy. You can e-mail him at ltimmerman@xconomy.com, call 206-624-2374, or follow him on Twitter at http://twitter.com/ldtimmerman.