Cephalon Inc´s chemotherapy treatment Treanda, approved in March for chronic lymphocytic leukemia, has now won the Food and Drug Administration´s approval to be marketed as a treatment for indolent B-cell non-Hodgkin´s lymphoma (NHL) for patients who have not responded to Rituxan (or MabThera in Europe), generically rituximab (marketed by Genentech in the U.S. and partner Roche in the EU) – in the U.S., Rituxan had sales of $ 1.9 billion dollars in the first nine months of the year.

Cephalon said a pivotal trial of Treanda showed that the drug delays progression of the disease for more than nine months. Since March, Treanda has generated sales for $ 39 million dollars.