Eight drugs approved by the FDA since Oct. 18:
- Abrilada is Pfizer's biosimilar to AbbVie's blockbuster rheumatoid arthritis drug, Humira. The FDA's greenlight brings the total number of approved biosimilars to 25.
- Adakveo, designated a breakthrough drug, is the first targeted therapy to treat sickle cell disease. It is made by Novartis.
- Fetroja is Shionogi & Co.'s antibiotic designed to treat complicated urinary tract infections. It is designed for patients age 18 or older who have limited or no alternative treatments.
- Brukinsa is BeiGeine USA's breakthrough lymphoma treatment. It is designed to treat adult patients with mantle cell lymphoma who have received at least one prior therapy.
- Reblozyl is Celegene's drug designed to treat anemia in adult patients with beta thalassemia who require regular red blood cell transfusions.
- Vumerity is Biogen and Alkermes' oral drug designed to treat relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis, a chronic disease that affects the central nervous system.
- Trikafta is Vertex Pharmaceuticals' breakthrough cystic fibrosis drug, designed to treat a mutation found in 90 percent of the U.S. cystic fibrosis population, or about 27,000 people.
- Xofluza is Genentech's flu treatment, the first approved antiviral drug designed specifically for patients with a high risk for serious flu complications.