AstraZeneca Nabs Early FDA Approval for Blood Cancer Med

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