FDA approves Azedra for pheochromocytoma.- Progenics Pharmaceuticals.

The FDA has approved Azedra (iobenguane I 131) injection for intravenous use, from Progenics Pharmaceuticals, for the treatment of adults and adolescents age 12 and older with rare tumors of the adrenal gland (pheochromocytoma or paraganglioma) that cannot be surgically removed (unresectable), have spread beyond the original tumor site and require systemic anticancer therapy. This is the first FDA-approved drug for this use.

The efficacy of Azedra was shown in a single-arm, open-label, clinical trial in 68 patients that measured the number of patients who experienced a 50 percent or greater reduction of all antihypertensive medications lasting for at least six months. This endpoint was supported by the secondary endpoint, overall tumor response measured by traditional imaging criteria. The study met the primary endpoint, with 17 (25 percent) of the 68 evaluable patients experiencing a 50 percent or greater reduction of all antihypertensive medication for at least six months. Overall tumor response was achieved in 15 (22 percent) of the patients studied.

The most common severe side effects reported by patients receiving Azedra in clinical trials included low levels of white blood cells (lymphopenia), abnormally low count of a type of white blood cells (neutropenia), low blood platelet count (thrombocytopenia), fatigue, anemia, increased international normalized ratio (a laboratory test which measures blood clotting), nausea, dizziness, hypertension and vomiting.