Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. and Eagle Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced the commercial availability of Bendeka, (bendamustine hydrochloride) injection, a liquid, low-volume (50 ml) and short-time 10-minute infusion formulation of bendamustine. Bendeka is approved for the treatment of patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and for the treatment of patients with indolent B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) that has progressed during or within six months of treatment with rituximab or a rituximab-containing regimen. Efficacy in CLL relative to first-line therapies other than chlorambucil has not been established.

“With the launch of Bendeka, Teva furthers our commitment to providing treatment options for patients with these rare forms of cancer,” said Paul Rittman, senior vice president and general manager, Teva Oncology. “We believe Bendeka represents an important benefit to both patients and healthcare providers, and are pleased it is now available. Based on the product profile, we expect Bendeka to replace Treanda liquid.”

“We are pleased to announce that Teva has shipped Bendeka injection per our exclusive license agreement with them, and that the product will be in the hands of health care professionals and patients alike, as scheduled,” stated Scott Tarriff, president and chief executive officer of Eagle Pharmaceuticals.

Under a February 2015 exclusive license agreement for Bendeka, Teva is responsible for all US commercial activities for the product including promotion and distribution.