Astex leukemia drug nets European recommendation

An advisory committee to Europe’s drug regulator recommended Friday that the agency approve a drug licensed out of Dublin-based Astex Pharmaceuticals Inc. for patients with acute myeloid leukemia.

The European Medicines Agency’s Committee for Medical Products for Human Use recommended that Dacogen injections be approved for people 65 or older with newly diagnosed or secondary AML who are not eligible for standard chemotherapy.