FDA approves Cometriq to treat rare type of thyroid cancer

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently approved Cometriq (cabozantinib) to treat medullary thyroid cancer that has metastasized.

Medullary thyroid cancer develops in cells in the thyroid gland that make a hormone called calcitonin, which helps maintain a healthy level of calcium in the blood. This type of cancer may occur spontaneously or in families with certain genetic mutations that result in one or more cancers of the endocrine system, including the thyroid gland. About 4 percent of thyroid cancers are medullary thyroid cancer, making it one of the rarer types of thyroid cancers.

Cabozantinib is a kinase inhibitor that blocks abnormal kinase proteins involved in the development and growth of medullary cancer cells.