In a Phase 3 Paloma-III study of Pfizer’s CDK4/6 inhibitor (Ibrance – palbociclib) and an estrogen receptor antagonist (Faslodex – fulvestrant), patients receiving the combination had significantly prolonged progression-free survival than women with breast cancer who received Faslodex, alone. Continue reading
Researchers have identified a handful of mutations in patients with advanced prostate cancer for which therapeutics are already available, or in development. The genomes of 150 patients with metastatic (Stage 4) hormone-resistant disease were analyzed in order to develop a precision medicine framework for the treatment of advanced prostate cancer. Continue reading
In the Phase III ELOQUENT-2 study, patients receiving elotuzumab plus standard therapy compared with patients receiving standard therapy alone, lived a median time of 19.4 months until their disease progressed or until they died, compared with 14.9 months in those who received standard therapy alone. In addition, at a median follow-up period of two years, elotuzumab reduced the risk of disease progression or death by 30 percent. Continue reading
Colony Stimulating Factor (CSF-1) is an essential growth factor for cells of the monocyte-macrophage lineage, including osteoclasts.
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On April 29, the FDA Oncology Drug Advisory Committee voted 22-1 to recommend approval of Amgen’s talimogene laherparepvec (T-VEC) for the treatment of patients with advanced melanoma. Continue reading
Cancers are tumors that cross the basement membrane and develop invasiveness, the ability to intravasate into blood vessels, and then to colonize and grow at distant sites. Complex heterotypic cellular interactions inside the tumor are responsible for this.
Researchers examined large-scale genomic datasets and found that patients with higher levels of miR-182 had a better chance of surviving glioblastoma (GBM) longer. This prompted them to perform pre-clinical studies to elucidate the mechanism by which miR-182 acts. Continue reading
Entinostat is currently in a Phase III trial in combination with Aromasin (exemestane – aromatase inhibitor that blocks the synthesis of estrogen) in patients with metastatic breast cancer who have recurred following treatment with an aromatase inhibitor. Continue reading
This example of personalized medicine involves exploiting the highly selective proteins that are expressed by patients’ B-cells. Bullet Biotechnology isolates the specific idiotypic (Id) protein from patients with B-cell lymphomas (CLL – chronic lymphocytic leukemia, and NHL – non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma) and expresses it on the surface of a virus-like particle to provoke a highly specific anti-Id response against B-cell clones expressing the specific Id protein. Continue reading
Aduro Biotech just signed a $750MM ($200MM of which was up-front) deal with Novartis for the development of modulators of the STING pathway to enhance the immunogenicity of cancer cells. Continue reading