Deciphera fills in where Blueprint falls short with early FDA nod in rare stomach cancer

In less than 24 hours, the FDA handed out one rejection and one thumbs-up to two rival drugs for a rare stomach cancer.

On the heels of turning down Blueprint Medicines’ Ayvakit as a therapy for heavily pretreated patients with gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST), the FDA has green lit Deciphera Phamaceuticals’ Qinlock (ripretinib) as the first drug specifically approved in that same setting.