REVLIMID APPROVED BY FDA FOR MULTIPLE MYELOMA

The FDA has approved Celgene's anemia drug Revlimid (lenalidomide) as a treatment for multiple myeloma. Celgene will market Revlimid for use in combination with the steroid dexamethasone in patients with multiple myeloma who have been treated with chemotherapy.

The approval was given after the results of clinical trials in which patients who took Revlimid and dexamethasone survived an average of 29.6 months. In contrast, patients on dexamethasone and placebo survived 20.2 months.