Verzenio approval a qualified win for Lilly in breast cancer

Shares in US drugmaker Eli Lilly (NYSE: LLY) were 1% higher following Wednesday morning's trading after the US Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) approval of Verzenio (abemaciclib) in an early breast cancer indication.

The CDK4/6 inhibitor tablet has been approved alongside endocrine therapy (tamoxifen or an aromatase inhibitor), for the adjuvant treatment of adults with hormone receptor-positive (HR+), human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative (HER2-), node-positive, early breast cancer (EBC) at high risk of recurrence and a Ki-67 score of at least 20%, as determined by an FDA-approved test.

"We look forward to further opportunities to work with health authorities to expand the use of Verzenio in this setting"Ki-67 is a marker of cellular proliferation. Verzenio is the first and only CDK4/6 inhibitor approved for this patient population.