FDA Approves First Wearable Cancer Drug: Sanofi's Sarclisa
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- Sanofi's Sarclisa won FDA approval as the first cancer drug deliverable through a wearable on-body injector, offering multiple myeloma patients a subcutaneous alternative to intravenous infusions.
- Subcutaneous Sarclisa cuts administration from infusions of up to three hours to a median injection time of 13 minutes per dose, easing the burden on oncology clinics and nurses for patients on repeated treatment courses.
- HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is pressing forward with efforts to help Americans stop taking psychiatric drugs through a medical practice known as deprescribing.
- Earlier this month, dozens of mental health professionals met with federal health officials to map out forthcoming clinical guidance on helping providers instruct patients on coming off of antidepressant medications.
- A senior HHS official said the discussions addressed gaps in the research around deprescribing SSRIs, including side effects that vary depending on the drug and how long the patient was on it.
Why it matters: For multiple myeloma patients on repeated Sarclisa courses, wearable delivery replaces multi-hour IV infusions with a 13-minute injection—freeing chair time in oncology centers. Separately, HHS is drafting clinical guidance on tapering patients off SSRIs, an area officials acknowledge has research gaps.
