Johnson & Johnson and AbbVie Earn a New FDA Approval for Imbruvica

Imbruvica, a blockbuster cancer drug marketed by Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) and AbbVie (NYSE: ABBV), recently secured its 11th approval. On Tuesday, the Food and Drug Administration approved the combination of Imbruvica and Rituximab as a treatment for patients with previously untreated chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) or small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL); Rituximab is a cancer drug marketed by Biogen (NASDAQ: BIIB).

This approval was based on positive results from a phase 3 clinical trial. During the trial, CLL patients under age 70 who were treated with a combination of Imbruvica and Rituximab achieved a progression-free survival (PFS) rate -- the amount of time during and after treatment the patient lives with cancer without experiencing worsening symptoms -- of 88% after 37 months. By contrast, patients on chemotherapy drugs and Rituximab achieved a PFS rate of 75%.

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