FDA approves Orencia in combination with a calcineurin inhibitor and methotrexate for the prevention of acute graft versus host disease.

“Orencia is the first FDA-approved therapy to prevent acute graft versus host disease following hematopoietic stem cell transplant, a potentially life-threatening complication that can pose a comparatively higher risk to racial and ethnic minority populations in the U.S. due to difficulty finding appropriately matched donors,” said Tina Deignan, senior vice president, U.S. Immunology, Bristol Myers Squibb. “With this fourth indication for Orencia, Bristol Myers Squibb draws on its legacy and expertise in both immunology and hematology to deliver an important treatment option for patients in a disease with high unmet need.”

Allogeneic HSCT is a treatment for hematologic diseases that involves the infusion of hematopoietic stem cells, which include donor T-cells, a type of white blood cell that recognizes and destroys foreign invaders and damaged or cancerous cells in the recipient’s body. Acute graft versus host disease occurs when the donor T-cells recognize the patient’s healthy cells as foreign and start attacking healthy tissues and organs.