FDA approves Pfizer lung cancer drug

NEW YORK — The Food and Drug Administration has approved a new cancer drug made by Pfizer, the drug maker said.

The FDA approved Pfizer's Xalkori (crizotinib) capsules, a treatment for patients with non-small cell lung cancer that has advanced locally or spread to other parts of the body, also known as metastasis. The drug specifically is designed to target NSCLC containing the enzyme anaplastic lymphoma kinase, as determined by a companion test also approved by the FDA.

"Overall, lung cancer is responsible for more deaths each year worldwide than any other type of cancer," Pfizer president and CEO Ian Read said. "Xalkori is an advance in the treatment of this devastating illness, providing a new therapeutic option for a subset of patients with the disease."