FDA Advisers Recommend Drug for Preoperative Treatment of Early Breast Cancer

An advisory panel to the FDA has recommended approval of the first drug to treat early stage breast cancer prior to surgery, the Associated Press reports. Pertuzumab (marketed as Perjeta), a monoclonal antibody, is currently approved for HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer. An industry trial indicated that women with preoperative breast cancer whose regimens contained pertuzumab were up to 18% more likely to be free of cancer at 12 weeks than women who were given other drugs. ref