FDA OKs First Wearable Cancer Drug; RFK Targets SSRIs
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- FDA approved a wearable subcutaneous form of Sanofi's Sarclisa for multiple myeloma patients, marking the first cancer drug approved for delivery via an on-body injector attached to the skin.
- The wearable format reduces administration to a median injection time of 13 minutes, compared to up to three hours for traditional IV infusions, reducing time spent in infusion centers for patients on repeated treatment courses.
- HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is pressing forward with a deprescribing initiative aimed at helping Americans stop taking psychiatric drugs, with dozens of mental health professionals meeting federal health officials earlier this month to draft forthcoming clinical guidance on tapering off antidepressants.
- A senior HHS official said the group identified research gaps around deprescribing SSRIs, particularly around side effects that vary depending on the specific drug and how long a patient has been on it.
- The wearable Sarclisa approval also eases strain on oncology clinics and nurses by shifting repeated dosing away from infusion centers, according to the FDA-cited rationale reported by Reuters.
Why it matters: Multiple myeloma patients on repeated Sarclisa courses reclaim hours per treatment session, and oncology clinics free up infusion-chair capacity — concrete operational gains from a first-in-category approval. On the psychiatric side, federal clinical guidance on SSRI deprescribing would standardize a practice that currently lacks consensus protocols and directly affects millions of long-term antidepressant users.
