SERM gets FDA nod for breast cancer

Selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM) raloxifene (Evista, Lilly) has been approved by the FDA for both reducing the risk of invasive breast cancer in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis and in women at high risk for invasive breast cancer. The drug works by blocking estrogen receptors in the breast. In clinical trials, raloxifene reduced the risk of invasive breast cancer by 44% to 71%. In a trial versus tamoxifen, both drugs showed similar risk of developing invasive breast cancer. More information can be accessed on-line at