FDA Approves Fruzaqla (fruquintinib) for Previously Treated Metastatic Colorectal Cancer
Takeda has announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Fruzaqla™ (fruquintinib), an oral targeted therapy for adults with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) who have been previously treated with fluoropyrimidine-, oxaliplatin-, and irinotecan-based chemotherapy, an anti-VEGF therapy, and, if RAS wild-type and medically appropriate, an anti-EGFR therapy. Fruzaqla is the first and only selective inhibitor of all three VEGF receptor kinases approved in the U.S. for previously treated mCRC regardless of biomarker status. This approval was received under priority review, more than 20 days ahead of the scheduled PDUFA date of November 30, 2023.
In the United States, approximately 153,000 new cases of CRC will be diagnosed in 2023, representing 7.8% of all new cancer cases. Approximately 70% of patients with CRC will experience metastatic disease, whether at diagnosis or after treatment. Metastases are the main cause of CRC-related mortality.
