The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Wednesday granted breakthrough therapy designation to drug maker, AstraZeneca’s biggest new drug hope Durvalumab for the treatment in bladder cancer.

The experimental medicine is a “PD-L1’’ therapy that fights cancer by boosting the immune system.

The breakthrough therapy designation expedites the development and review of medicines intended to treat serious or life-threatening diseases.

The drug, Durvalumab, is also being developed as a treatment for lung, head and neck, gastric, pancreatic, liver and blood cancers.

The drug is competing with rival products made by Bristol-Myers Squibb, Merck and Roche.

(Reuters/NAN)