FDA approves J&J’s Doxil as breast cancer drug in tandem with Sanofi-Aventis’ Taxotere

NEW YORK Johnson & Johnson has requested approval from the Food and Drug Administration to market its drug Doxil with Sanofi-Aventis’ Taxotere as a treatment for breast cancer, the company has announced.

The two drugs would be used to treat patients who have received chemotherapy. In a clinical trial, they slowed breast cancer’s progression more than Taxotere (docetaxel) alone.

The FDA has approved Doxil (doxorubicin) to treat ovarian cancer, Kaposi’s sarcoma and plasma cell cancer, when used in combination with Millennium Pharmaceuticals’ Velcade.