NATIONAL BRIEFING

FDA grants ‘accelerated approval’ for drug to treat rare lymphoma

NEW YORK – U.S. regulators have approved a new treatment for people with mantle cell lymphoma, a rare form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

The Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday granted accelerated approval to AstraZeneca PLC for its Calquence for treating patients after chemotherapy or other treatments fail. The British drugmaker will have to do further testing to confirm the drug’s benefits and risks.

Mantle cell lymphoma is a blood cancer that usually strikes middle-aged people and the elderly. About 4,200 Americans are diagnosed with it each year.

Police arrest man sought in killings in Utah, Colorado

SALT LAKE CITY – Police arrested a man Tuesday who was sought in a fatal carjacking near the University of Utah and in a Colorado homicide.

Austin Boutain, 24, was arrested after surrendering to workers at a Salt Lake City library. Boutain is suspected in the death of Chinese student ChenWei Guo, 23, who was killed Monday during an attempted carjacking near campus.

In addition, police in Golden, Colorado, have said they want to question Boutain about the killing of a 63-year-old man whose truck had been driven by Boutain in Utah.

New Jersey sues OxyContin maker, claims it misled public

TRENTON, N.J. – New Jersey filed a lawsuit Tuesday against the company that manufactures OxyContin, claiming a “direct link” between the state’s opioid crisis and the firm’s deceptive marketing practices.

State Attorney General Christopher Porrino said the five-count lawsuit against Connecticut-based Purdue Pharma and two of its entities seeks undisclosed monetary damages for fraud and false claims.

Purdue Pharma issued a statement saying it “vigorously denies” the allegations.