Bayer applies for Regorafenib authorization to treat liver cancer

FRANKFURT (Reuters) - German drugmaker Bayer on Monday said it submitted an application to have its cancer drug Regorafenib approved for the second-line treatment of liver cancer patients following successful clinical trials. The company, known for its aspirin and Yasmin birth control pills, said it asked authorities in the U.S., Japan and Europe to extend the marketing authorization of the drug, which is already approved for the treatment of colorectal cancer and gastrointestinal stromal tumors. Bayer added that Regorafenib was accepted for an expedited approval process in the United States, known as a Fast Track designation. The drugmaker in May said that a Phase III clinical trial of Regorafenib showed it helped extend the lives of liver cancer sufferers -- a disease around 780,000 people worldwide are diagnosed with each year. (Reporting by Tina Bellon, editing by Louise Heavens)