New Drug Fights Cancer in Dogs

Palladia approved to treat dangerous skin tumors

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WEDNESDAY, June 3 (HealthDay News) -- Palladia (toceranib phosphate) is the first drug to be approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration specifically to treat cancer in dogs, the agency said in a news release Wednesday.

The drug has been sanctioned to treat canine cutaneous mast cell tumors, which account for about one in five cases of skin tumors in dogs.

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While these tumors may appear small, they can be life-threatening if not treated and removed, the FDA said. Palladia, among a class of drugs called tyrosine kinase inhibitors, kills tumor cells and cuts off the tumors' blood supply.

The drug's side effects may include diarrhea, loss of appetite, weight loss and bloody stools.

Palladia is produced by New York City-based Pfizer Animal Health Inc.

More information

The FDA has more about this approval.

-- Scott Roberts