NVS Novartis AG

   By Donato Paolo Mancini 
 

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Friday the combined use of Novartis's (NOVN.EB) Tafinlar and Mekinist for the treatment of a type of thyroid cancer.

The new use is for the treatment of a genetic variant of anaplastic thyroid cancer that cannot be removed by surgery or has become metastatic, the regulator said.

Both drugs are approved for use, both in combination and individually, for the treatment of a type of melanoma. In combination, they're also used to treat a type of metastatic lung cancer. All indications, including last week's, are for cancers that are mutation-positive to BRAF V600E, an abnormal gene.

Novartis said last month that first-quarter sales of Tafinlar and Mekinist grew 33% to $267 million.

The company's oncology division, long affected by generic price erosion of its former blockbuster Gleevec/Glivec, was helped to swing to a profit by the two drugs.

Write to Donato Paolo Mancini at donatopaolo.mancini@dowjones.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

May 07, 2018 08:34 ET (12:34 GMT)

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