Eisai receives European approval for Halaven

Eisai has been given clearance to launch its new breast cancer treatment Halaven in Europe following a regulatory ruling.

The European Commission has approved the drug as a therapy for locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer patients who have failed to respond to chemotherapy, based on positive data from the phase III Embrace study.

During this trial, the drug was shown to deliver a statistically significant increase in overall survival compared to physician-selected therapies, offering an average lifespan extension of more than two months.

The drug represents the first of a new class of agent and has already been approved in the US and Singapore, with reviews currently taking place in Japan, Switzerland and Canada.

Its European market debut will come in the UK, followed by other nations such as Germany and the Nordic countries.

Earlier this month, Eisai announced that it will be allying with Epizyme on the development of a range of new cancer drugs, which will target a specific epigenetic enzyme.