The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Alimta as a maintenance therapy for advanced lung cancer. Earlier today, the FDA stated that Alimta can be used as a preventive measure for metastatic, or spreading, lung cancer.
Alimta was first approved in 2004 to treat asbestos-linked lung cancer, according to the US News. It is produced by Eli Lilly & Co., based in Indianapolis.
Alimta works by inhibiting absorption of B-vitamin folate. Without that absorption, the tumors found in the approved types of lung cancer for this drug are unable to thrive.
The new approval for Alimta has increased its usage to maintaining the condition of patients whose lung cancer has either stabilized, or whose tumors have shrunk as a result of chemotherapy. Alimta's side effects may include blood cell damage, fatigue, nausea, loss of appetite, extremity numbness, and rash.
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