Osteoporosis Drug Evista: FDA-Approved for Risk Reduction of Invasive Breast Cancer

Filed in archive Bone Health , Cancer , FDA Approvals , Treatment on September 15, 2007

A product of Eli Lilly - Evista (raloxifene hydrochloride) was previously indicated for the treatment of osteoporosis in postmenopausal women.

Now, the FDA has recently approved the second indication of Evista: reducing the risk of invasive breast cancer in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis and in postmenopausal women at high risk for invasive breast cancer - making Evista the second drug approved for the reduction of breast cancer risk.

(Postmenopausal) women should of course talk to their healthcare providers to find out if Evista is right for them, because like any other drug approved by the FDA, it also has side effects.

Evista can cause serious side effects including blood clots in the legs and lungs, and death due to stroke. Women with current or prior blood clots in the legs, lungs, or eyes should not take Evista. Other potential side effects include hot flashes, leg cramps, swelling of the legs and feet, flu-like symptoms, joint pain, and sweating.

The benefits and risks of taking Evista should be carefully weighed in each individual woman. Evista does not completely prevent breast cancer. Breast examinations and mammograms should be done before starting Evista and regularly thereafter.

However, women who fit right to be treated with Evista will indeed benefit them in two ways: osteoporosis and breast cancer.

Find more details from the FDA News.