Sarcoma Foundation of America Applauds FDA Approval of Yondelis
-Drug Approved for Use in Treatment of Advanced Liposarcoma and Leiomyosarcoma-
DAMASCUS, Md. – October 23, 2015 – The Sarcoma Foundation of America (SFA) applauds the announcement by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that the drug Yondelis (trabectedin, marketed by Janssen) has been approved by the agency for the treatment of advanced liposarcoma and leiomyosarcoma, two subtypes of soft tissue sarcoma.
Yondelis has received approval for the use in the treatment of patients with unresectable or metastatic liposarcoma and leiomyosarcoma who have previously received an anthracycline chemotherapy.
“The Sarcoma Foundation of America is thrilled with the FDA’s decision to approve Yondelis, giving new hope to patients with advanced liposarcoma and leiomyosarcoma,” said SFA Chief Executive Officer Bert Thomas IV, PhD. “This approval is an important step in the effort to bring new therapies to sarcoma patients.”
The SFA, an organization dedicated to increased awareness and research for sarcoma, has long advocated for the need for new and better therapies for sarcoma. “Sadly, there have been too few drugs approved specifically for the use in the treatment of sarcoma,” said Thomas. “However, the SFA is optimistic this approval serves as a signal that researchers and drug manufacturers are placing a higher priority on developing much needed new therapies for this rare cancer.”
Sarcoma is a rare cancer in adults (1 percent of all adult cancers) but rather prevalent in children (about 15 percent of all childhood cancers). At any one time, 50,000 patients and their families are struggling with sarcoma. Every year, about 15,000 new cases are diagnosed and about 6,000 people die from the disease.
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About the Sarcoma Foundation of America
The Sarcoma Foundation of America (SFA), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charitable organization, is an advocate for increased research to find new and better therapies with which to treat patients with sarcoma. Sarcoma is a rare cancer in adults (1 percent of all adult cancers) but rather prevalent in children (about 15 percent of all childhood cancers). For more information, please visit www.curesarcoma.org.
Contact Information
Lori Hoffman
(301) 253-8687