GlaxoSmithKline given EU marketing authorisation for Revolade

GlaxoSmithKline has been granted European marketing authorisation for a treatment for sufferers of chronic immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP).

Its drug Revolade (eltrombopag) was ratified by the European Medicines Agency (EMEA) on the basis of clinical trial results demonstrating its efficacy in reducing the effects of ITP, which include a low platelet count and excessive bleeding.

The treatment is specifically designed for patients who have undergone splenectomy procedures and have proven unresponsive to treatments such as corticosteroids and immunoglobulins.

Dr Drew Provan, senior lecturer in haematology at Barts and The London of School of Medicine and Dentistry, praised the treatment for its effectiveness and ease of use.

He said: “Eltrombopag, as a once-a-day tablet, represents an innovative step forward in helping patients and their physicians meet the challenges of managing chronic ITP.”

Last month, the EMEA’s Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use gave GlaxoSmithKline a recommendation for the approval of two more compounds, breast cancer drug Tyverb and kidney cancer treatment Votrient.