FDA Approves 1st T-Cell Therapy for Melanoma

Melanoma cancer patients with solid tumors can turn to a new treatment thanks to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) approval of a new class of immunotherapy. The new treatment may offer hope to those facing an otherwise deadly stage of disease. Amtagvi (lifileucel) is the first tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) therapy to hit the market. The FDA granted accelerated approval to manufacturer Iovance Biotherapeutics on Friday for the drug’s use to treat patients with advanced melanoma that is unable to be removed with surgery, or that has spread to other parts of the body. “The approval of AMTAGVI offers hope to those with advanced melanoma who have progressed following initial standard of care therapies, as the current treatment options are not effective for many patients,” said Samantha R. Guild, president of the AIM at Melanoma Foundation, in a press release. “This one-time cell therapy represents a promising innovation for the melanoma community, and we are excited by its potential to transform care for patients who are in dire need of additional therapeutic options.”...