Your Health

Health Day - ONLINE EDITION

Pomalyst Approved for Advanced Multiple Myeloma

After other therapies have failed

By: Staff Writer

Posted: 02/8/2013 4:36 PM | Comments: 0

FRIDAY, Feb. 8 (HealthDay News) -- Pomalyst (pomalidomide) has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat cases of multiple myeloma that have not responded to other therapies.

The disease, a form of blood cancer, affects some 21,700 Americans annually and nearly 10,700 die from it each year, the agency said Friday in a news release.

Pomalyst is designed to spur the immune system to destroy and inhibit cancer cells, the FDA said. The drug's safety and effectiveness were evaluated in a clinical study of 221 people with advanced multiple myeloma.

The drug's label will contain a boxed warning that it shouldn't be used by pregnant women since it can cause life-threatening birth defects and blood clots, the FDA said.

More common side effects could include a drop in infection-fighting white blood cells, fatigue, weakness, other blood disorders, back pain and fever.

The drug is marketed by Celgene, based in Summit, N.J.

More information

The U.S. National Library of Medicine has more about multiple myeloma.

Fact Check

Have you found an error, or know of something we’ve missed in one of our stories? Please use the form below and let us know.

* Required

In which story did you find the error? *
Please post the headline of the story or the title of the video with the error.
What was the error? *
Please post exactly what was wrong with the story.
What should we have written?
Please indicate your source for the correct information.
Who else should we interview to improve this story?
Please include any contact information you may have.
Can we contact you in the future for advice on stories about this topic?
Yes

No
First Name: *
Last Name: *
E–mail Address: *
This will only be used to contact you if we have a question about your submission, it will not be used to identify you or be published.
Phone: *
This will only be used to contact you if we have a question about your submission, it will not be used to identify you or be published.
Colour:
Are you blue? If you can see this, leave it blank and get some CSS support.
Enter the words that you see: * This is to prevent our forms from being filled out automatically.
You have failed to correctly identify the words in the box above. Please try again.

More Your Health

Undock

You can comment on most stories on winnipegfreepress.com. You can also agree or disagree with other comments. All you need to do is register and/or login and you can join the conversation and give your feedback.

Have Your Say

New to commenting? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions.

The Winnipeg Free Press does not necessarily endorse any of the views posted. By submitting your comment, you agree to our Terms and Conditions. These terms were revised effective April 16, 2010.