Atezolizumab gets FDA priority review status

The US Food and Drink Administration has granted Swiss pharma giant Roche’s (ROG: SIX) cancer immunotherapy atezolizumab (anti-PDL1; MPDL3280A) priority review for advanced bladder cancer.

The treatment is for patients with locally advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma (mUC) who had disease progression during or following platinum-based chemotherapy in the metastatic setting, or whose disease worsened within 12 months of receiving platinum-based chemotherapy before surgery or after surgery.

Urothelial carcinoma accounts for 90% of all bladder cancers and can also be found in the renal pelvis, ureter and urethra.