PanCAN: FDA Approves Lutathera® For Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumors (PNETS)

Unprecedented drug approval can benefit pancreatic cancer patients

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Jan 26, 2018, 02:09 ET

MANHATTAN BEACH, Calif., Jan. 26, 2018 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (PanCAN) is excited to share that the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) just approved Lutathera®, a medication effective for somatostatin receptor-positive gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (GEP-NETs), including pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (PNETs).

From the loss of the founder’s mother to the disease to the president’s father as well, the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (PanCAN) was launched in 1999 to support the people fighting the world’s toughest cancer. See the women and men who are leading the charge for all those impacted by pancreatic cancer and the nationwide movement of patients, caregivers, volunteers and advocates who Wage Hope. Learn more at www.pancan.org.

"This is an important day for the pancreatic neuroendocrine – and the entire pancreatic cancer – community," said Lynn Matrisian, PhD, MBA, chief science officer at PanCAN. "Adding a new, and better, drug to the arsenal for the treatment of PNET patients can push us closer to our goal to double pancreatic cancer survival by 2020."

While the FDA has already approved similar drugs for neuroendocrine tumor patients in the United States, Lutathera takes treatment a step further by selectively delivering radiotherapy to the PNETs using a somatostatin analog.

This is the first time the FDA has made Lutathera widely available for patients located in the U.S. The drug is already approved in Europe and some Americans have traveled to the continent for treatment.

Patients who were treated with Lutathera in the phase III clinical trial had a 79 percent reduction in risk of disease progression or death, as compared to patients treated with the standard of care.

"Here at PanCAN, we strongly recommend clinical trials at diagnosis and during every treatment decision," said Victoria Manax Rutson, MD, chief medical officer at PanCAN. "We are grateful to the patients who participated in this trial, allowing a new treatment to be approved to extend survival and improve lives of people with pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors."

PNETs make up about 6 percent of all pancreatic cancer diagnoses, and the majority of cases express somatostatin receptors. It's important to note that Lutathera has not been approved for, nor shown to be effective in, patients with the more common form of pancreatic cancer, adenocarcinoma.

Every treatment available today was approved through a clinical trial. PanCAN strongly recommends clinical trials at diagnosis and during every treatment decision.

Learn more about how clinical trials for drugs like Lutathera improve patient outcomes by contacting Patient Central or by visiting pancan.org. Follow the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

About the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network
The Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (PanCAN) is dedicated to fighting the world's toughest cancer. In our urgent mission to save lives, we attack pancreatic cancer on all fronts: research, clinical initiatives, patient services and advocacy. Our effort is amplified by a nationwide network of grassroots support. We are determined to improve patient outcomes today and to double survival by 2020.

Media Contact:
Terra Hall
Media Relations Manager
Pancreatic Cancer Action Network
Direct: 310-706-3311
Cell: 212-380-3919
Email: [email protected]

SOURCE Pancreatic Cancer Action Network