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Power of Prevention
Women hoping to lower their risk of invasive breast cancer now have a new weapon in the arsenal: Evista. This osteoporosis drug, manufactured by Eli Lilly, also prevents estrogen from attaching to breast cells and driving the growth of cancer. Only the second drug approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to reduce the risk of breast cancer (the first was tamoxifen), Evista is recommended for postmenopausal women who may be at risk for the disease.
The approval comes in the wake of four large-scale clinical trials that show the safety and efficacy of the drug. Steven Galson, M.D., director of the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, calls the drug “an important new option for women at heightened risk of breast cancer.” He cautions that the benefits and risks must be weighed for each patient.
