FDA Approves Genta's New Cancer Drug

Updated from 1:35 p.m. EDT

The Food and Drug Administration has approved the first commercial product from Genta(GNTA Quote), a biotechnology company specializing in cancer treatments.

The drug is Ganite, which will be used for cancer patients who develop a potentially lethal elevation of calcium in their blood. Genta, based in Berkeley Heights, N.J., said this disease -- called cancer-related hypercalcemia -- can occur in half the patients who have advanced cancer usually in the lung, breast, head, neck and kidney. The increase in calcium in the blood is provoked by tumor cells causing the loss of calcium from bones. ...