Breast Cancer Treatment - New Drug 'Kadcyla' Approved By FDA, Slows Disease Progression

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved a new breast cancer drug, Kadcyla, that was developed by Roche.

Kadcyla was found to be effective in targeting tumors and slowing down damage to the other cells in the body.

Company studies showed that the new treatment slows down the progression of breast cancer by several months.

The new treatment uses the already widely-used breast cancer drug Herceptin combined with a strong chemotherapy drug as well as another chemical. The third chemical ensures that the treatment cocktail stays intact until it eventually binds to a cancer cell and employs its powers, according to the Associated Press.

Kadcyla was approved for about 20 percent of breast cancer patients that have a more aggressive form of the disease that is not as responsive to hormone therapy as compared to other types.

And it was found that patients treated with Kadcyla lived 9.6 months before death or the spread of the cancer, as compared to the slightly more than six months that patients treated with other drugs experienced.

The cost of the new treatment comes in at $9,800 for each month which is more than double the cost of Herceptin that costs about $4,500 per month.

A full course of Kadcyla, about nine months, is estimated to cost $94,000, according to Roche's estimates.

(SOURCE)