The Food and Drug Administration expanded the approval of Kisqali, a drug for metastatic breast cancer, to also treat patients with earlier stages of the disease, drugmaker Novartis said Tuesday.

The potential market for the Novartis drug Kisqali could grow markedly, now that certain early-stage breast cancer patients will be able to receive it.

An FDA approval has officially lifted the curtain on a blockbuster market showdown between Novartis and Eli Lilly in early breast cancer. | An FDA approval has officially lifted the curtain on a blockbuster market showdown between Novartis' Kisqali and Eli Lilly's Verzenio in early breast cancer.

American depositary receipts (ADRs) of Novartis (NVS) gained Monday as new research showed the company's breast cancer treatment, Kisqali, produced longer success than originally thought.The company reported an updated analysis of a Phase 3 clinical trial of Kisqali combined with endocrine therapy (ET) found "a deepening benefit beyond the three-year treatment period,

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has just approved the drug Kisqali (ribociclib) in combination with an aromatase inhibitor (AI) as treatment for people with HR+/HER2- stage II and III early breast cancer (EBC) at high risk of recurrence.