AstraZeneca Nabs Early FDA Approval for Blood Cancer Med

The company is required to pay $1.5 billion to shareholders of Acerta Pharma, the biotech company that discovered the treatment

Oct. 31, 2017

AstraZeneca has won approval from the U.S. Food and Drug and Administration (FDA) for Calquence (acalabrutinib), a new blood cancer drug. The approval comes several months earlier than expected.

AstraZeneca is required to pay $1.5 billion to shareholders of Acerta Pharma, the biotech company that discovered the treatment and that AstraZeneca bought a majority stake in 2015.

The FDA has approved Calquenceas a treatment for adults with a rare type of blood cancer called mantle cell lymphoma who have received at least one prior therapy.

According to AstraZeneca, it expected a U.S. approval decision by quarter one of 2018. Also, CEO Pascal Soriot characterized the approval as a landmark moment for AstraZeneca.

Read the Reuters report