The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved a new drug targeting a subset of leukemia patients with a genetic abnormality that makes the cancer harder to treat, according to AP. It approved sales of Venclexta (VEHN'-clecks-tah) for patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia who relapsed or weren't helped by a prior treatment and are missing part of chromosome 17. The drug indirectly makes cancer cells die. Venclexta is manufactured by AbbVie Inc. of North Chicago, Illinois. AbbVie will market it overseas and will sell it in the U.S. together with Genentech, part of the Roche Group.
