- The European Commission approves Novartis' (NYSE:NVS) Odomzo (sonidegib) for the treatment of adult patients with locally advanced basal cell carcinoma (BCC) who are not amenable to curative surgery or radiation therapy.
- BCC, accounting for more than 80% of non-melanoma skin cancers, consists of abnormal, uncontrolled lesions that arise from the basal cells of the skin. Advanced BCC accounts for as many as 10% of all BCC cases.
- Odomzo is a once-daily pill that inhibits the molecular pathway called Hedgehog. It will compete with Roche's (OTCQX:RHHBY) Erivedge (vismodigib), an antagonist of part of the hedgehog signaling pathway called smoothened receptor, approved in January 2012. It will generate ~$175M in sales this year. The FDA cleared Odomzo about a month ago.
- Previously: FDA clears Novartis' Odomzo for skin cancer (July 24)