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FDA approves Purdue-developed drug for lung cancer

An imaging agent just approved by the FDA will allow surgeons to identify additional cancerous lesions, which otherwise would have been left behind, in up to 24% more patients during non-small cell lung cancer surgery. Philip Low, Purdue University’s Presidential Scholar for Drug Discovery and Ralph C. Corley Distinguished Professor of Chemistry, is an inventor of the foundational intellectual property upon which the drug is based.
by: WRTV Staff
Posted: / Updated:

WEST LAFAYETTE — A cancer imaging drug invented by a Purdue University professor has now received FDA approval for a second type of cancer.

Cytalux helps make tumors more easily identifiable by illuminating them and making them glow against healthy, noncancerous tissue. Cytalux was given FDA approval Friday for doctors to use during lung cancer surgery.

“So far, in the clinical trials to date, surgeons have been able to find additional cancer in almost 2/3 of all patients that are being treated with Cytalux,” Dr. Philip Low said.

According to the CDC, more people in the United States die from lung cancer than any other type of cancer. It’s the third most common cancer in the U.S.

In the future, Low hopes Cytalux will help surgeons move closer to the goal of removing all cancer tissue during surgery.

The drug was approved last year for use in ovarian cancer patients.

More information is available here.

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