Newly approved cervical cancer drug Tivdak gives patients a new option

Cervical cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer morbidity and mortality in women worldwide. While widespread use of HPV vaccination is dramatically reducing the number of women developing the disease where vaccination is common, the global number of new cases is projected to climb over the next decade.

Treatment options until now have been limited to surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, and immunotherapy. Recent data showed adding Keytruda to standard first-line chemotherapy improved survival, but there’s still substantial need for new treatments. This week, one arrived: The Danish firm Genmab and its U.S. partner, Seagen, won accelerated FDA approval for the antibody-drug conjugate Tivdak (tisotumab vedotin). Join us as we talk about the approval and the future of Genmab with the company’s president and CEO, Jan van de Winkel.