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Merck’s Welireg becomes first drug for rare VHL tumours in US

August 16, 2021

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The drug is part of Merck’s efforts to expand its oncology portfolio and reduce its reliance on big-selling cancer immunotherapy Keytruda (pembrolizumab), which is patent protected in the US and Europe until 2028.

Welireg (belzutifan), an oral HIF-2 alpha inhibitor, has been approved by the FDA for adults with von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) disease, an inherited condition caused by a mutation in the VHL gene that can cause tumours to develop in various organs of the body.

The FDA has approved Welireg for VHL-associated tumours in the kidney, central nervous system, and pancreas that don’t require immediate surgery – making it the first and only approved systemic therapy for this type of tumour.

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