US FDA approves second new treatment for advanced prostate cancer, Sanofi-Aventis' Jevtana

In another important breakthrough for prostate cancer patients, the US Food and Drug Administration yesterday gave its approval to French drug major Sanofi-Aventis' Jevtana (cabazitaxel), a chemotherapy drug used in combination with the steroid prednisone to treat men with prostate cancer.

Jevtana is the first treatment for advanced, hormone-refractory, prostate cancer that has worsened during or after treatment with docetaxel, a commonly used drug for advanced prostate cancer. Less than two months ago, the FDA cleared US firm Dendreon's groundbreaking intravenous prostate cancer treatment Provenge (sipuleucel-T), which has been forecast to achieve annual sales of well over $2 billion within five years (The Pharma Letter April 30). At present, these patients are typically treated with standard Sanofi-Aventis' Taxotere (docetaxel), which is set to lose patent protection in November. The drug generated first-quarter 2010 sales of 531 million euros ($642.2 million) for the French group.

Approval comes sooner than anticipated