Breakthrough Cancer Therapy for Dire Cases Gets FDA Approval

U.S. regulators approved a revolutionary new cancer treatment from Novartis AG Aug. 30, the first in a group of coming therapies that offer breakthrough cures for dire cases as well as stratospheric costs.

Known as CAR-T therapy, the treatment involves extracting a patient’s immune system cells and modifying them to attack aggressive blood cancers. Novartis will charge $475,000 for the one-time drug, called Kymriah, and said it’s developing programs where it will only get paid if patients respond to it.

The Food and Drug Administration’s approval came weeks earlier than scheduled. It’s a benchmark moment for patients, who in recent ...