Lilly Canada announced that Health Canada has authorized Verzenio® (abemaciclib) (tablets), in combination with endocrine therapy, for the adjuvant treatment of adult patients with hormone receptor (HR)-positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-negative, node-positive, early breast cancer at high risk of disease recurrence based on clinicopathological features and a Ki-67 score ≥20%. Ki-67 is a marker of cellular proliferation. Verzenio is the first and only CDK4/6 inhibitor approved for this patient population. Verzenio was previously approved by Health Canada in August 2019 for metastatic breast cancer.
"This is an important approval for Canadian patients who are diagnosed with high-risk early-stage breast cancer," says Dr. Christine Brezden-Masley, Medical Director, Cancer Program at Sinai Health in Toronto. "We know that effectively treating cancer early provides the best opportunity for a long-term prognosis, and with compelling data showing a reduction in cancer recurrence after two years, this is a great new option for these patients."