Diplomat Pharmacy, Inc. announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved an expanded indication of IMBRUVICA® (ibrutinib) for the treatment of Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia (WM). The drug was granted expanded approval under the breakthrough therapy designation. WM is a type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma that begins in the body's immune system.

For patients living with WM, abnormal blood cells grow within bone marrow, lymph nodes, liver and spleen which then overproduce a protein known as immunoglobulin M. IMBRUVICA® treats the disease by blocking the enzyme that supports the growth and division of the abnormal blood cells. Diplomat is currently distributing IMBRUVICA® for the treatment of mantle cell lymphoma and chronic lymphocytic leukemia. IMBRUVICA® was approved by the FDA in November 2013 under the breakthrough therapy designation for the treatment of MCL in patients who have received prior therapy for the disease.