US OKs 1st drug aimed at women with inherited breast cancer

U.S. regulators have approved the first drug aimed at women with advanced breast cancer caused by?an inherited flawed gene.

The Food and Drug Administration on Friday approved AstraZeneca PLC's Lynparza for patients with inherited BRCA gene mutations who have undergone chemotherapy.

The drug has been on the market since 2014 for ovarian cancer, and is the first in a new class of medicines called PARP inhibitors to be approved for breast cancer. PARP inhibitors prevent cancer cells from fixing problems in their DNA.

Lynparza will cost $13,886 per month without insurance, according to AstraZeneca. The company is offering patients financial assistance.

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Written by LINDA A. JOHNSON for ABC News

(Photo credit: AstraZeneca via AP)