Approximately only half of cancer patients see a positive response to treatments, with the remaining experiencing inadequate outcomes. The high costs and potential adverse reactions of treatments make it crucial for clinicians to quickly determine their effectiveness, or if an alternative therapy is more suitable. Presently, it can take weeks or months to fully gauge the success of cancer treatment, typically using CT scans to measure significant size changes in tumors. While tumor biopsies offer more precise data, their infrequency limits the ability to provide ongoing updates. As a solution, many clinicians are now resorting to liquid biopsies, which involve testing for cancer indicators in a patient’s blood, like tumor-shed cancer cells. However, these tests require sufficiently high cell levels for detection. This is particularly challenging in lung cancer, where some FDA-approved methods for detecting blood-borne cancer cells are ineffective, often due to targeting a single, less common protein in ...
Opdivo plus Yervoy shows promise in treating patients with microsatellite instability-high or mismatch repair deficient metastatic colorectal cancer. Image Credit: Adobe Stock Images/Crystal light The combination of Bristol Myers Squibb’s Opdivo (nivolumab) with Yervoy (ipilimumab) showed significant improvements in progression-free survival (PFS) as a first-line treatment for patients with microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H) or mismatch repair deficient (dMMR) metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC)in the Phase III CheckMate -8HW trial. The combination produced a 79% reduction in the risk of disease progression or death compared to chemotherapy, according to the trial. “Patients with MSI-H/dMMR metastatic colorectal cancer are less likely to benefit from chemotherapy,” said Thierry Andre, MD, head of the medical oncology department, Sorbonne University, Hospital Saint-Antoine, Paris, France, in a press release. “An impressive improvement in PFS and sustained benefit beginning at three months was observed with nivolumab plus ipilimumab versus chemotherapy in this trial. These results demonstrate ...
Two cancer therapies have topped Clarivate Analytics’ Drugs to Watch in 2024, an annual report that identifies potential blockbusters and other medicines that could “transform treatment paradigms.” Clarivate predicts Johnson & Johnson’s combination treatment Akeega and Daiichi Sankyo and AstraZeneca’s datopotamab deruxtecan will generate $2.7 billion in sales each in 2029. On the list of 15 transformative medicines, these are the only ones expected to exceed $2 billion in sales by 2029. Clarivate’s report, which is in its 12th year, highlights drugs that have recently been approved or are expected to be approved in 2024. Its sales estimates cover the G7 countries—U.S., U.K., Japan, France, Italy, Germany and Canada. J&J was the only company with more than one drug on the list. Clarivate also spotlighted J&J’s Talvey, a first-in-class bispecific antibody to treat multiple myeloma. The analysts forecast Talvey’s sales will reach $850 million in 2029. The only other cancer ...
In a recent study published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives, researchers examined published studies investigating the genotoxicity of potentially carcinogenic chemicals and their roles in inducing mammary tumors and activating progesterone or estradiol signaling. The researchers aimed to identify chemicals that could present breast cancer risk to humans. Background Recent statistics indicate that breast cancer is the most prevalent form of cancer and the major cause of cancer-related mortality among women across the world. In the United States (U.S.), the lifetime risk of women developing breast cancer is double that of the risk of developing lung cancer. Furthermore, the incidence of breast cancer among younger women is increasing, with mortality rates due to breast cancer among women between the ages of 20 and 49 years being double that of other forms of cancers affecting individuals of both sexes. A nine-year assessment since 2010 also indicates that the diagnostic rate ...
Recently, the results of the prospective, multicenter, single-arm phase II clinical study of carilizumab in combination with apatinib and albumin paclitaxel in advanced lung adenocarcinoma (CAPAP-lung), led by Prof. Wu Lin of Hunan Cancer Hospital, have been published in The Lancet (IF=15.1) and eClinicalMedicine (IF=15.1), which is a subseries of The Lancet. eClinicalMedicine (IF=15.1).1 The results of the study showed that the first-line treatment of advanced lung adenocarcinoma negative for epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) or anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) mutations with karelizumab in combination with apatinib (the “double-Ai” combination) and albumin paclitaxel demonstrated a clinically meaningful antitumor effect. Demonstrated clinically meaningful antitumor activity and a manageable safety profile with low hematological toxicity. This study is the first exploration of advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treated with platinum-free chemotherapy in combination with immunologic agents and anti-vascular drugs, and is expected to provide new options for first-line treatment of EGFR/ALK ...
Early detection, diagnosis, and treatment can significantly improve the survival and quality of life of cancer patients. Tumors continuously release fragmented genomic DNA into the bloodstream, although existing testing methods may find the signal too weak to be picked up in the early stages. Now, a revolutionary multi-cancer early detection solution leverages highly sensitive multi-omics technology to detect early cancer signals as well as predict the tissue of origin (TOO). Geneseeq Technology Inc.’s (Toronto, Canada) CanScan multi-cancer early detection solution is designed to enhance the early detection, diagnosis, and treatment of various cancers. This innovative solution harnesses the power of low-depth whole-genome sequencing (WGS) applied to circulating cell-free DNA (cfDNA) from a single tube of peripheral blood. It efficiently extracts genetic and fragmentomic features to identify early cancer signals with a high specificity of 99% and accurately predicts the TOO of cancers, thereby informing subsequent diagnostic and treatment strategies. Particularly ...
Though GSK divested much of its oncology assets to Novartis in 2015, the company has built it back through a internal R&D and business development deals. GSK Senior Vice President, Global Head of Oncology, R&D Hesham Abdullah explained the company’s evolving cancer strategy in an interview during the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference in San Francisco. By FRANK VINLUAN GSK committed $270 million up front in recent months to gain access to early-stage assets in the class of cancer therapies known as antibody drug conjugates, or ADCs. The deals are part of a broad industry to acquire assets in this therapeutic modality, GSK’s top cancer executive Hesham Abdullah acknowledges. But for GSK, the deals are just one part of an evolving oncology strategy. The strategy has been years in the making. In 2015, GSK divested its oncology business, which Novartis acquired for $16 billion. Abdullah, who is GSK’s senior vice president, ...
While some Merck & Co. investors may still get the heebie-jeebies when thinking about Keytruda’s patent cliff in 2028, but the company’s CEO Rob Davis now thinks “it’s just another year.” Make no mistake, given Keytruda’s size, an overall business decline will likely still hit. But Merck is focused on making “the hill to dip as small as possible and the return to growth as fast as possible,” Davis said Monday at the 2024 annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference. Davis and Merck Research Laboratories President Dean Li, M.D., Ph.D., pointed to the breadth of Merck’s portfolio across oncology, infectious disease, cardiometabolic, immunology and neuroscience to explain Merck’s potential for growth. “I know that the conversation continues to be about Keytruda and 2028,” Davis said. “But increasingly, we’re not focused on 2028. 2028, it’s just another year, it’s just another point. We’re focused on 2030 to 2040.” At last year’s J.P. ...
Pharmaceutical Executive Editorial Staff Rinatabart sesutecan (Rina-S; PRO1184) is under evaluation for the treatment of patients with FRα-expressing high-grade serous or endometrioid platinum-resistant ovarian cancer. The FDA has granted Fast Track designation to ProfoundBio’s rinatabart sesutecan (Rina-S; PRO1184) to treat patients with FRα-expressing high-grade serous or endometrioid platinum-resistant ovarian cancer.1 The novel folate receptor alpha (FRα)–targeted antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) is comprised of an FRα-directed antibody linked to sesutecan, which is an investigational, cleavable hydrophilic linker, and the topoisomerase 1 inhibitor payload exatecan. “Our receipt of Fast Track designation from the FDA underscores our belief in the tremendous promise of Rina-S as a potential best-in-class FRα ADC to address the significant need for improved treatment options for advanced ovarian cancer,” said Naomi Hunder, chief medical officer of ProfoundBio, in a press release.1 “FRα is a highly prevalent antigen in ovarian cancer and Rina-S has shown encouraging antitumor activity and tolerability in ...
Johnson & Johnson’s acquisition of antibody drug conjugate developer Ambrx Biopharma comes as Novartis and Merck also unveiled M&A deals on the first day of the J.P. Morgan Healthcare conference. In a report, the investment bank said big pharmas are looking for deals involving de-risked assets. By FRANK VINLUAN Big pharmaceutical companies splashed out big bucks in 2023 to acquire or license antibody drug conjugates, or ADCs. The trend is continuing into the new year with Johnson & Johnson reaching a $2 billion deal to acquire clinical-stage Ambrx Biopharma. According to deal terms announced Monday, J&J will pay $28 cash for each Ambrx share, which is a 105% premium to the biotech’s closing stock price on Friday. In other biopharma deal announcements, Merck is paying $680 million to acquire Harpoon Therapeutics, a developer of targeted cancer therapies, and Novartis is buying autoimmune disease drug developer Calypso Biotech for $250 ...
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