FRIDAY, June 30, 2006 (HealthDay News) -- The anemia drug Revlimid (lenalidomide) has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for a new use to treat multiple myeloma, a cancer of the blood.
The new approval allows maker Celgene Corp. to market Revlimid for use in combination with the steroid dexamethasone among multiple myeloma patients who have tried at least one prior therapy, the Associated Press reported.
In clinical trials, participants who took Revlimid and dexamethasone survived an average of 29.6 months, compared with 20.2 months for those who took a combination of dexamethasone and a placebo.
Multiple myeloma affects about 50,000 people in the United States, and more than 14,000 new cases are diagnosed annually, the AP said.
More information
To learn more about multiple myeloma, visit the National Library of Medicine.
