FDA Expands Approval for Amgen's Nexavar

Amgen's cancer drug Nexavar is going to reach a broader market. Today, the Food and Drug Administration widened its approval for the drug to include its use in the treatment of several forms of late-stage differentiated thyroid cancer. The decision follows a priority review by the regulator, a process reserved for treatments that "may offer a significant improvement in treatment over existing options," in Amgen's words.

The thyroid is a gland located in the neck. Nexavar functions by inhibiting multiple proteins in cancer cells. This limits the growth and division of such cells.

There is a patient base for the drug. According to the FDA, for 2013 around 60,220 Americans will be diagnosed with thyroid cancer. Of that number, roughly 1,850 will die from it.

The article FDA Expands Approval for Amgen's Nexavar originally appeared on Fool.com.

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