The Food and Drug Administration on Monday approved a new treatment for a type of bladder cancer. The treatment, which will be sold under the brand name Anktiva, is intended for some patients suffering from certain types of non-muscle invasive bladder cancer, according to an FDA statement announcing the approval.
In a statement released by UCLA Health, Chamie said the treatment offers 'a compelling alternative for patients who have exhausted conventional treatment options.” Anktiva is intended for bladder cancer patients who did not respond to prior treatments, the FDA said. It is delivered via a catheter and prompts the patient's own immune system 'to mount a targeted attack against cancer cells,' Chamie said.