The Food and Drug Administration on Thursday approved Pfizer's leukemia drug Besponsa, reports Reuters.
Here are three things to know.
- Besponsa is used to treat adults with relapsed or refractory B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia. ALL is a rare, rapidly progressing form of cancer. The National Cancer Institute estimates ALL will affect 5,970 Americans this year and kill about 1,440.
- The drug's list price will be $168,300 before discounts. Patients' out of pocket costs for Besponsa will depend on their health plan and the treatment duration.
- The drug will include a boxed warning, which is the FDA's most severe safety notice. The warning says patients taking the drug may be at greater risk of severe liver damage. Individuals who take Besponsa after undergoing a certain type of stem cell transplant may have a greater death risk, as well.
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