Summary
Glaxo Smith Kline has withdrawn their supplemental New Drug Application for Avodart (dutasteride) in order to update their application. This drug has great promise for this disease
Analysis
Glaxo Smith Kline has withdrawn their previously filed supplemental New Drug Application with the FDA for their drug Avodart (dutasteride) so they can update it. This drug has been in use already for the treatment of symptoms associated with Benign Prostatic Hypertrophy (BPH). There has been a lot of clinical interest by physicians in prescribing this medication to prevent or treat Prostate Cancer. The Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) blood test is lowered by this medication as it reduces the size of the prostate gland. Treating cancer of the prostate with a pill rather than a scalpel or radiation would be much less invasive than the current standard therapies which are often associated with life style altering adverse effects such as urinary incontinence and impotence.
