TUESDAY, Jan. 3, 2006 (HealthDay News) -- The Novartis drug Femara (letrozole) has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to prevent recurrence of hormone-sensitive early breast cancer among postmenopausal women.
The Dec. 29 New England Journal of Medicine includes study findings that Femara was more effective at preventing breast cancer relapse when used as an initial therapy after surgery than tamoxifen, a standard breast cancer preventive. The study was funded by Novartis.
Femara showed its greatest benefit among women whose breast cancer had already spread to the lymph nodes, and among women who had undergone chemotherapy, Novartis said in a statement.
Femara is an aromatase inhibitor, a class of drugs that blocks production of the female hormone estrogen, which is thought to spur most postmenopausal breast cancers. The drug should only be taken by postmenopausal women, Novartis warned, since aromatase inhibitors aren't thought to be effective before then. The drug could also cause fetal harm, the company said.
Common side effects of taking Femara include hot flashes, joint pain, night sweats, and weight gain, Novartis said.
Femara is already approved by the FDA to treat advanced breast cancer.
More information
To learn more about Femara, visit the Novartis Web site.
