Adaptimmune, a Philadelphia-based biotechnology company, has received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for a new kind of cancer therapy, writes Alison McCook for The Philadelphia Inquirer.

The therapy targets synovial sarcoma, a rare form of cancer that appears in soft tissue, such as muscles and ligaments.

About 1,000 U.S. residents have that particular cancer. Most patients are men, and one-third are diagnosed before the age of 30.

Due to the relatively few treatment options available for synovial sarcoma, only one-third of patient survive at least five years after diagnosis.

Tecelra, the new therapy, is the first approved for synovial sarcoma in more than a decade.

“Today, there is a renewed sense of hope for this patient community,” Brandi Felser, chief executive officer of the Sarcoma Foundation of America, said in a statement.

The FDA approved Tecelra as part of an “accelerated approval pathway,” which allows patients to receive treatment while the company continues to trest its effectiveness and safety.

Earlier this year, an Adaptimmune-funded trail of 44 people with synovial sarcoma saw roughly 40 percent respond to Tecelra. Two people showed no sign of the disease.

Tecelra is the first type of therapy of its kind and first to target solid tumors.

Read more about the FDA approval of Tecelra in The Philadelphia Inquirer.

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Editor’s Note: This post first appeared on PHILADELPHIA Today in August 2024.