US health regulators approved a drug called Voraxaze from British specialty drugmaker, BTG Plc that helps cancer patients get rid of toxic levels of methotrexate. Prolonged exposure to methotrexate chemotherapy treatment can cause kidney and liver damage, skin rash and severe mouth sores, damage to the lining of the intestines, and death because of low blood counts. In a clinical trial of 22 methotrexate patients, Voraxaze eliminated 95% of methotrexate from their blood. For ten of the patients, the methotrexate fell to a low level within 15 minutes and stayed that way for eight days, the FDA said. Common side effects included low blood pressure, headaches, nausea, and vomiting.
