FRIDAY, March 3, 2006 (HealthDay News) -- The drug Erbitux (cetuximab) has been approved to treat cancers of the head and neck, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced this week.
The drug, which received FDA approval in 2004 to treat colorectal cancer, may now be used in combination with radiation to treat squamous cell cancer of the head and neck that can't be surgically removed, the Associated Press reported.
The FDA also approved Erbitux for treatment of patients with head and neck cancer whose cancer has spread despite treatment with chemotherapy.
The approval was based on a study that found that a combination of the drug and radiation therapy extended the lives of head and neck cancer patients by 20 months, compared to treatment with radiation alone, the AP reported.
This is the first new drug to treat head and neck cancer since the 1950s. Head and neck cancer includes cancers of the mouth, tongue, larynx and pharynx. About 29,000 Americans are diagnosed with head and neck cancer each year.
The drug is produced by ImClone Systems Inc. and Bristol-Myers Squibb Co.
More information
This FDA page has more about Erbitux.
