Needham Company Gets FDA Approval For Cancer Drug

NEEDHAM, MA — The Food and Drug Administration gave their approval to a drug from the Needham-based Verastem Oncology that treats three types of blood cancer.

Copiktra can be used to treat chronic lymphocytic leukemia, small lymphocytic lymphoma, and follicular lymphoma, according to a press release. The drug will be used for forms of lymphoma that are common indolent non-Hodgkin lymphomas.

Copiktra will come with a boxed warning for side effects that include infections, diarrhea or colitis, cutaneous reactions, and pneumonitis.

Lymphoma is the most common blood cancer, and CLL/SLL and FL are common types of indolent non-Hodgkin lymphomas. There are an estimated 681,000 people living with non-Hodgkin lymphoma in the US alone, including nearly 350,000 cases of CLL/SLL or FL.1. Many of these patients will eventually relapse or develop refractory disease, according to a release.