Eli Lilly announced that the FDA has granted Priority Review designation for its New Drug Application (NDA) for Verzenio (abemaciclib), a cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK)4 & 6 inhibitor. The NDA was based upon the positive interim results from MONARCH 3, a study of abemaciclib in combination with an aromatase inhibitor as initial endocrine-based therapy for the treatment of women with hormone receptor (HR)-positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-negative advanced or metastatic breast cancer.

"On the heels of our recent FDA approval of Verzenio, we are pleased with this important step forward in the agency's consideration to expand the use of Verzenio in metastatic breast cancer," said Levi Garraway, M.D., Ph.D., senior vice president, global development and medical affairs, Lilly Oncology. "We look forward to ongoing collaboration with the FDA to advance this important treatment across the spectrum of care for patients living with advanced or metastatic breast cancer." 

Priority Review aims to expedite the review of applications for drugs that, if approved, would represent a significant advance in treatment. With Priority Review of a new drug, the FDA's goal is to take action within eight months of receiving an application, compared with the standard review timeframe of 12 months.

In the third quarter of 2017, Lilly completed EU and Japan regulatory submissions for abemaciclib.