First Ever Drug For Early Breast Cancer Treatment Receives Approval In India

AstraZeneca India has received approval from the Drugs Controller General of India (DGCI) to market its drug for breast cancer treatment. Lynparza is the first and only approved medication in the market that targets breast cancer gene mutations in early-stage.

As per data published in the World Journal of Clinical Oncology, breast cancer is the most common malignancy among women globally, and in India, it has moved from the fourth most commonly occurring cancer to the first since the 1990s. In the year 2020, it has also surpassed the common lung cancer in terms of global incidences and is expected to cross over 2 million cases by 2030. The same data revealed that India in the year 2020 accounted for about 13.5% (178361) of all cancer cases and 10.6% (90408) of all deaths, with a risk ratio of 2.81.

Approval of the drug would mean an early detection that could possibly treat the malignancy and play a pivotal role in bringing down the number of breast cancer-related deaths.

Lynparza Will Be Made Available Soon

The pharmaceuticals AstraZeneca said that they received the approval to sell the drug in Indian markets from the DGCI on August 18. Lynparza (Olaparib) happens to be the first and only drug that has been approved to treat early-stage BRCA (Breast Cancer gene) mutations. It is used as a monotherapy for treating adult patients with early breast cancer who have a previous history of being treated with neoadjuvant or adjuvant chemotherapy.

AstraZeneca India publicly released a statement saying that the approval was made on the basis of results from the Olympia Phase III trial. The Telegraph reported that the results of the trial suggested that Olaparib had "demonstrated a statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvement, with an overall survival benefit,".

India Among The Countries To Have Given The Nod

Worldwide, breast cancer is one of the most diagnosed cancers accounting for about 62 per cent of all deaths and 48 per cent of preventable premature deaths. Regulatory approval of Lynparza in India reinforces the scope of innovation in clinical research for the treatment of cancer in India.

With the DCGI's nod, Lynparza will now be sold in India, along with the United States, European Union, Japan, and several other countries where the drug has received its approval.

Also Read: What Is Breast Cancer And How Does It Occur: Breast Cancer Awareness Month