Odomzo（sonidegib）

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Odomzo (sonidegib) on July 24, 2015, to treat patients with locally advanced basal cell carcinoma that has recurred after surgery or radiation therapy, or who are not candidates for surgery or radiation therapy.

Skin cancer is the most common cancer and basal cell carcinoma accounts for about 80% of non-melanoma skin cancers. Basal cell carcinoma starts in the top layer of the skin (called the epidermis) and usually develops in areas that have been regularly exposed to the sun and other forms of ultraviolet radiation. According to the National Cancer Institute, the number of new cases of non-melanoma skin cancer appears to be increasing each year. Locally advanced basal cell skin cancer means that the basal cell cancer has not spread to other parts of the body but cannot be cured by topical treatments, particularly surgery and radiation.

Odomzo is a pill that is taken once a day. It works by inhibiting a molecular pathway, called the Hedgehog pathway, that is activated in basal cell carcinoma. By inhibiting this pathway, Odomzo may stop or reduce the growth of cancerous lesions.