FDA Oks skin cancer drug

Rockville, Md. - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Zolinza (vorinostat, Merck) capsules for treatment of refractory cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL).

Researchers at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, evaluated doses and schedules of Zolinza in 33 patients with CTCL who had received a median of five prior regimens. Partial responses occurred in eight of 33 patients, with 14 of 31 evaluable patients having relief of pruritis. The median time to treatment response was 12 months, the duration of response was 15 months and time to tumor progression was 30 months.