Diplomat Pharmacy to dispense first-line therapy for lung cancer

FLINT, Mich. - Diplomat Pharmacy announced Monday that it will offer Iressa (gefitinib), recently approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as a first-line therapy for a specific type of metastatic non-small cell lung cancer.

 

Iressa is a once-daily oral medication that targets and blocks the activity of epidermal growth factor receptor-tyrosine kinase (EGFR-TK), an enzyme that regulates the intracellular signaling pathways implicated in cancer cell proliferation and survival. It is intended for the treatment of patients whose tumors express the most common types of EGFR mutations in NSCLC (exon 19 deletions or exon 21 L858R substitution mutations).

 

"We are excited to be able to offer select patients diagnosed with metastatic NSCLC another first-line treatment opportunity through Iressa," stated Gary Kadlec, president of Diplomat. "Iressa tablets can be taken with or without food, offering an important option to help meet patients' needs."