Zytiga (abiraterone acetate), a drug manufactured by a major healthcare company Johnson & Johnson for treatment of metastatic prostate cancer among men, has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration.

UK's Institute of Cancer Research Professor Mike Jarman and his colleagues hold the credit for inventing the drug. The research was done in collaboration with Royal Marsden Hospital and was licensed by Cougar Biotechnology which was later acquired by Johnson and Johnson.

Zytiga is an oral medication which is to be taken once a day along with prednisone by the patients of metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer who have earlier undergone chemotherapy containing docetaxel. The drug has passed through phase I, II and III trials and had shown effective results in phase III of clinical trial.

UK specialist health care company BTG Chief Executive Officer expressed the delight on approval of use of abiraterone acetate by the FDA. The BTG is set to receive an undisclosed payment along with the royalty from sales of drug after the approval from FDA.

The US Food and Drug Administration have also approved use of Fusilev (levoleucovorin) in palliative treatment of patients with advanced metastatic colorectal cancer. The drug to be used in combination with
5-fluorouracil is manufactured by USA based biotech firm Spectrum Pharmaceuticals.