Aug. 19, 2011 -- The FDA has approved the drug Adcetris to treat two types of lymphoma, Hodgkin's lymphoma and a rare type of the disease known as systemic anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL).

It's the first new drug approved to treat Hodgkin's lymphoma in nearly 35 years and the first lymphoma drug specifically indicated for ALCL.

"Early clinical data suggest that patients who received Adcetris for Hodgkin lymphoma and systemic anaplastic lymphoma experienced a significant response" to the drug, says Richard Pazdur, MD, director of the Office of Oncology Drug Products in the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, in a news release.

Lymphomas are cancers of the lymphatic system, a network of lymph nodes connected by vessels that transport lymph fluid. Symptoms of lymphoma include swollen lymph nodes, fever, weight loss, and fatigue.

The two main types of lymphomas are Hodgkin's lymphoma and non-Hodgkin's lymphomas.

The National Cancer Institute estimates that nearly 9,000 new cases of Hodgkin's lymphoma will be diagnosed in 2011 and about 1,300 people will die from the disease.

Systemic ALCL is a rare type of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma that can appear in several parts of the body including the lymph nodes, skin, bones, and soft tissues.