Lilly receives regulatory approval for Erbitux

Lilly and Bristol-Myers Squibb's drug Erbitux (cetuximab) has been approved as a first-line treatment for patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) by US regulators.

The treatment was approved in combination with the chemotherapy regimen Folfiri for patients who are KRAS mutation-negative and who express the epidermal growth factor receptor.

According to the companies, Erbitux is now the now the first and only therapy for a specific subset of mCRC patients approved by the US Food and Drug Administration.

"We have learned that not all patients with mCRC should be viewed as the same," said Brian Daniels, senior vice-president of global development and medical affairs at Bristol-Myers Squib.

He described the approval as evidence of the companies' "ability to bring diverse cancer therapies to market that address the needs of patients with KRAS mutation-negative (wild-type) mCRC".

Colorectal cancer is said to be the third most common cancer in the UK after breast and lung cancer. mCRC occurs when the disease spreads to at least one distant organ and tissues, such as the liver, lungs or ovaries.