FDA approves new treatment for adults with relapsed follicular lymphoma

The US Food and Drug Administration yesterday granted accelerated approval to Aliqopa (copanlisib) for the treatment of adults with relapsed follicular lymphoma who have received at least two prior treatments known as systemic therapies.

The FDA granted the approval of Aliqopa to the US subsidiary of German Pharma major Bayer (BAYN: DE), Healthcare Pharmaceuticals, a company that is relatively new to the hemo-oncology sector. The compound came from Bayer’s in-house research.

Aliqopa will compete with the likes of Gilead Sciences’ (Nasdaq: GILD) Zydelig (idelalisib), which like copanlisib is in the PI3K class that’s also approved for patients who have received two or more therapies., and Roche’s Gazyva ((obinutuzumab) a first line therapy).