EMA has recommended extending the therapeutic indication of Zynyz (retifanlimab) to include treatment of adults with squamous cell carcinoma of the anal canal (SCAC) that cannot be removed by surgery and is metastatic or locally recurrent. It is used in combination with carboplatin and paclitaxel (chemotherapy medicines).

SCAC is the most common type of anal cancer, accounting for 85% of all cases. SCAC is a rare, life-threatening cancer affecting around 10,000 people each year. However, its incidence has increased by approximately 3% per year over the past decade, mainly due to the spread of high-risk strains of human papillomavirus (HPV) that can cause several types of cancer, particularly HPV 16 and 18 [references]. In approximately 25% of people with SCAC, the cancer spreads to other parts of the body. This advanced stage of SCAC is associated with markedly poorer outcomes, with 5-year survival rates of just 36% [references].

There are currently no medicines specifically…