FDA Approves Cerdelga (eliglustat) for Type 1 Gaucher Disease

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Cerdelga (eliglustat) for the long-term treatment of adult patients with the Type 1 form of Gaucher disease, a rare genetic disorder.

Gaucher disease occurs in people who do not produce enough of an enzyme called glucocerebrosidase. The enzyme deficiency causes fatty materials to collect in the spleen, liver and bone marrow. The major signs of Gaucher disease include liver and spleen enlargement, low red blood cell counts (anemia), low blood platelet counts and bone problems.

Cerdelga is a hard gelatin capsule containing eliglustat that is taken orally. In patients with Gaucher disease Type 1, the drug slows down the production of the fatty materials by inhibiting the metabolic process that forms them. Type 1 Gaucher disease is estimated to affect about 6,000 people in the United States.

FDA Approves Cerdelga (eliglustat) for Type 1 Gaucher Disease