Eli Lilly & Co. said Monday the Food and Drug Administration has approved the use of Lilly's drug Alimta as a first-line treatment for advanced and metastasized non-small cell lung cancer.
The drug maker said Alimta was approved as an initial treatment for the most common form of lung cancer in combination with a standard chemotherapy drug, cisplatin. Alimta was previously approved as a secondary treatment for non-small cell lung cancer, following chemotherapy, and as a treatment for malignant mesothelioma.
Mesothelioma is a disease of the cells lining the lungs, and is linked to asbestos exposure.
Late Friday, Lilly said the FDA has not completed its review of the company's blood thinning drug prasugrel.
In morning trading, shares of Eli Lilly fell $1.17, or 2.5 percent, to $45.65.
