British pharma giant GSK said Tuesday that it will withdraw its blood cancer drug Blenrep from the U.S. market, following a request from the Food and Drug Administration.
Blenrep’s removal is another sign that U.S. regulators are taking a more aggressive stance toward cancer drugs approved based on preliminary evidence of efficacy.
GSK secured a so-called accelerated approval for Blenrep in 2020 to treat patients with advanced multiple myeloma, based on its ability to shrink tumors. But earlier this month, in a study meant to confirm Blenrep’s benefit, the drug failed to delay disease progression compared to a standard treatment.
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