CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (CBS19 NEWS) -- A new lung cancer treatment that UVA doctors helped develop has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration.

The treatment targets a type of tumor mutation that affects about 15 percent of non-small cell lung cancer patients.

It typically affects patients who don’t have a history of smoking, are in their 60s, and are often of Asian descent, with a higher prevalence in women.

Currently, patients often have to switch between two pills or start chemotherapy because their bodies develop resistance.

This new therapy is the third drug added to the treatment regimen.

“This new treatment is an antibody that is added on to chemotherapy, increasing the likelihood of tumor shrinkage and extending the duration in which the cancer can be controlled compared to chemotherapy alone,” said Dr. Ryan Gentzler.

Because clinical trials were already underway, this treatment is currently available at the UVA Cancer Center and is also covered by insurance.