The FDA approved Novartis' cell therapy Kymriah to treat an additional type of blood cancer, the drugmaker announced May 1.
The agency first approved Kymriah in August 2017 to treat patients age 25 or younger with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Clinicians may now also use the therapy to treat patients with large B-cell lymphoma whose cancer has progressed after at least two previous therapies.
The new approval allows Kymriah to directly compete with Gilead Sciences' cell therapy Yescarta, which is also indicated to treat patients with large B-cell lymphoma, reports Reuters.
Kymriah, administered as a one-time treatment, will cost $373,000 — the same price as Yescarta.