Teva granted EU approval for neutropenia therapy

Teva has been granted a marketing authorisation from the European Commission for Lonquex, its therapy for neutropenia among cancer patients.

The drug is indicated for the reduction of the duration of neutropenia and the incidence of febrile neutropenia in adult patients treated with cytotoxic chemotherapy for malignancy, with the exception of chronic myeloid leukaemia and myelodysplastic syndromes.

Chemotherapy-induced neutropenia is a common and potentially life-threatening side-effect of chemotherapy that causes a decreased level of white blood cells, thus leaving the patient susceptible to bacterial infections.

The approval of Lonquex has arrived earlier than expected and will allow Teva to move ahead with plans to launch the drug across Europe.

Dr Rob Koremans, president and chief executive officer of Teva Specialty Medicines, said: "This is an important milestone for Teva Specialty Medicines in Europe and demonstrates our commitment to making a difference to the lives of those with cancer."

During the second quarter of 2013, the company generated a revenue total of $4.9 billion (3.12 billion pounds), roughly in line with its results from Q2 2012.