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Biomarker Is King In Latest US FDA Cancer Drug Approval

 
• By Mary Jo Laffler

Accelerated approval for patients with microsatellite instability-high or mismatch repair deficient solid tumors is the first time the US regulatory agency has granted an indication that does not specify the location of the tumor – a change that precision-medicine researchers have been eager to make.

FDA's approval of Merck's Keytruda (pembrolizumab) for use in any patient with a solid tumor with a particular genetic mutation is the first of its kind and could be the herald of a new approach to treating cancer.

The agency announced the accelerated approval of the PD-1 inhibitor May 23, noting "this is the first time the agency has approved a cancer treatment based on a common biomarker

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More from Approvals

First At-Home Cervical Cancer Screening Tool Gets FDA Clearance

 
• By Elizabeth Orr

The US FDA has approved the Teal Wand, the first at-home cervical cancer screening device. Capable of detecting preclinical cancer with 96% accuracy, it will launch in California in June and expand nationwide soon after.

New Treatment For Chronic Facial Pain Could Launch By Fall 2025

 
• By Elizabeth Orr

NeuroOne is preparing to submit its OneRF Trigeminal Nerve Ablation System to the US FDA for treating trigeminal neuralgia, a chronic facial pain condition. CEO Dave Rosa told Medtech Insight that he expects a possible product launch by fall 2025.

Precision Neuroscience’s FDA Clearance For Core Component Of Brain Implant Expected to Accelerate R&D

 
• By Marion Webb

Precision’s recent FDA clearance for a core part of its next-generation wireless brain-computer interface system opens the pathway to a safer, more humane BCI for researchers to use compared to higher-risk intracortical arrays, according to BCI expert Naveen Rao.

Edwards Mitral Valve Replacement System SAPIEN M3 Receives CE Mark

 
• By Natasha Barrow

“We believe [the SAPIEN M3] launch alongside PASCAL and EVOQUE will help support the company’s target of $2bn in transcatheter mitral and tricuspid therapies sales by 2030,” noted analysts from Leerink Partners.

More from Policy & Regulation

Debate On FDA User Fee Reauthorization Begins To Take Shape

 
• By Elizabeth Orr

A battle may be forming over the 2027 FDA user fee reauthorizations. At a conference Friday, Democratic Rep. Jake Auchincloss supports them for their effectiveness, while Deputy FDA Commissioner Grace Graham echoed criticisms from HHS Sec. Kennedy, among others, in calling for reform to ensure public trust.

Health Secretary Defends Spending Cuts During Senate Hearing On HHS Budget

 
• By Elizabeth Orr

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. emphasized administrative cost reductions and defended budget decisions during a Senate hearing on HHS funding. Some senators, however, expressed concerns over the impacts spending cuts had on essential health programs.

Tariffs Threaten Medtech Innovation And US Position As World Leader, Whitaker Tells Lawmakers

 
• By Brian Bossetta

During his testimony before US senators on the impact of tariffs on critical supply chains, AdvaMed’s Scott Whitaker said the Trump tariffs could jeopardize America’s preeminence in medtech. Other industry experts echoed similar concerns.