FDA approves Arvinas' PROTAC drug Veppanu for specific metastatic breast cancer

U.S. regulators have granted approval for Veppanu, a protein-degrading therapy developed by biotech firm Arvinas, to treat a defined group of patients with metastatic, estrogen-receptor-positive, HER2-negative breast cancer that has progressed after endocrine therapy and carries ESR1 gene mutations.

The drug belongs to a new class called PROTACs, which work by tagging disease-related proteins for destruction by the cell's own waste-disposal system, rather than simply blocking or stimulating them as most medicines do.

Arvinas CEO Randy Teel said the clearance shows that targeted protein degradation can have real clinical benefit. The company and its partner Pfizer are still seeking a commercial partner to bring the product to market.