FRIDAY, Jan. 27, 2012 (HealthDay News) -- Inlyta (axitinib) has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat advanced renal cell carcinoma in people who haven't responded to another drug.
Renal cell carcinoma is a form of kidney cancer that begins in tissue that lines the kidney's small tubes. Inlyta blocks proteins that help fuel tumor growth in this area, the FDA said in a news release.
Six medications had been sanctioned previously for advanced kidney cancer, the agency said.
In a study of 723 people with the advanced form of kidney cancer, the most common side effects of Inlyta included diarrhea, high blood pressure, fatigue, loss of appetite, nausea, loss of voice, weight loss, weakness and constipation.
Among some patients, Inlyta also caused significant bleeding, which in some cases proved fatal. The FDA also warned that people with high blood pressure should make sure the problem is well controlled before taking the twice-daily drug.
People with untreated brain tumors or gastrointestinal bleeding should not take Inlyta, the FDA said.
The drug is marketed by Pfizer.
More information
Medline Plus has more about renal cell carcinoma.
