Table 2

Known drugs that received new oncology indications by the United States FDA in 2000 to 2009

DrugYearOriginal indicationNew indication
Imatinib mesylate (Gleevec) 2002 Treatment of chronic myelogenous leukemia Treatment of patients with KIT (CD117) positive unresectable and/or metastatic malignant GISTs 
Gemcitabine hydrochloride (Gemzar) 2004 Treatment of lung cancer Combination with paclitaxel for the first-line treatment of patients with metastatic breast cancer after failure of prior anthracycline-containing adjuvant chemotherapy, unless anthracyclines were clinically contraindicated 
Docetaxel 2004 Treatment of breast cancer Combination with prednisone as a treatment for patients with androgen-independent (hormone refractory) metastatic prostate cancer 
Bortezomib (Velcade) 2006 Treatment of multiple myeloma Treatment of patients with mantle cell lymphoma who have received at least 1 prior therapy 
Imatinib mesylate (Gleevec) 2006 Treatment of chronic myelogenous leukemia Treatment of adult myelodysplastic syndrome/myeloproliferative diseases 
   Treatment of adult Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia monotherapy 
   Treatment of adult hypereosinophilic syndrome/chronic eosinophilic leukemia 
Docetaxel (Taxotere) 2006 Treatment of breast cancer Combination with cisplatin and fluorouracil for the induction treatment of patients with inoperable locally advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck 
Gemcitabine hydrochloride 2006 Treatment of lung cancer Combination with carboplatin for the treatment of patients with advanced ovarian cancer that has relapsed at least 6 months after completion of platinum-based therapy 
Lenalidomide (Revlimid) 2006 Treatment of myelodysplastic syndromes Combination with dexamethasone for the treatment of multiple myeloma patients who have received at least one prior therapy 
Dasatinib (Sprycel) 2006 Treatment of chronic myelogenous leukemia Treatment of patients with Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia with resistance or intolerance to prior therapy 
Thalidomide (Thalomid) 2006 Sedative treatment and prevention of the cutaneous manifestations of moderate to severe erythema nodosum leprosum Treatment of patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma 
Raloxifene hydrochloride 2007 Prevention of osteoporosis Reduction in risk of invasive breast cancer in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis and reduction in risk of invasive breast cancer in postmenopausal women at high risk for invasive breast cancer 
DrugYearOriginal indicationNew indication
Imatinib mesylate (Gleevec) 2002 Treatment of chronic myelogenous leukemia Treatment of patients with KIT (CD117) positive unresectable and/or metastatic malignant GISTs 
Gemcitabine hydrochloride (Gemzar) 2004 Treatment of lung cancer Combination with paclitaxel for the first-line treatment of patients with metastatic breast cancer after failure of prior anthracycline-containing adjuvant chemotherapy, unless anthracyclines were clinically contraindicated 
Docetaxel 2004 Treatment of breast cancer Combination with prednisone as a treatment for patients with androgen-independent (hormone refractory) metastatic prostate cancer 
Bortezomib (Velcade) 2006 Treatment of multiple myeloma Treatment of patients with mantle cell lymphoma who have received at least 1 prior therapy 
Imatinib mesylate (Gleevec) 2006 Treatment of chronic myelogenous leukemia Treatment of adult myelodysplastic syndrome/myeloproliferative diseases 
   Treatment of adult Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia monotherapy 
   Treatment of adult hypereosinophilic syndrome/chronic eosinophilic leukemia 
Docetaxel (Taxotere) 2006 Treatment of breast cancer Combination with cisplatin and fluorouracil for the induction treatment of patients with inoperable locally advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck 
Gemcitabine hydrochloride 2006 Treatment of lung cancer Combination with carboplatin for the treatment of patients with advanced ovarian cancer that has relapsed at least 6 months after completion of platinum-based therapy 
Lenalidomide (Revlimid) 2006 Treatment of myelodysplastic syndromes Combination with dexamethasone for the treatment of multiple myeloma patients who have received at least one prior therapy 
Dasatinib (Sprycel) 2006 Treatment of chronic myelogenous leukemia Treatment of patients with Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia with resistance or intolerance to prior therapy 
Thalidomide (Thalomid) 2006 Sedative treatment and prevention of the cutaneous manifestations of moderate to severe erythema nodosum leprosum Treatment of patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma 
Raloxifene hydrochloride 2007 Prevention of osteoporosis Reduction in risk of invasive breast cancer in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis and reduction in risk of invasive breast cancer in postmenopausal women at high risk for invasive breast cancer 

No compounds were approved in 2000, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2008, or 2009 for new oncology indications. Data are adapted from the Efficacy Supplement Approvals page of the United States FDA (www.fda.gov/Drugs/DevelopmentApprovalProcess/HowDrugsareDevelopedandApproved/DrugandBiologicApprovalReports/EfficacySupplementApprovals/default.htm) and the Drugs@FDA database.

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