Doctors in Pennsylvania reported this week that combining immunotherapy drugs with radiotherapy could help to more efficiently treat malignant pleural mesothelioma. The analysis from the University of Pennsylvania looked at studies that combined immunotherapy drugs like Merck‘s (NYSE:MRK) Keytruda with radiation therapy. The team concluded that radiotherapy may boost the cancer-killing effects of immunotherapies. Malignant pleural […]
Oncology
FDA approves 1st cancer drug based on genetics, not tissue type
In a landmark decision, the FDA approved Merck‘s (NYSE:MRK) immunotherapy Keytruda yesterday as the 1st cancer treatment indicated for any solid tumor with a specific genetic feature, regardless of tissue type. Traditionally, the location where a cancer originates in a patient’s body determines the course of treatment. The move to treat cancers based on genetic biomarkers […]
Sirtex SIR-Spheres fail to improve survival in colorectal trial
Sirtex Medical (ASX:SRX) saw shares tumble more than 25% today after a trial of its radioactive microspheres reported no effect in improving survival in patients with colorectal cancer. Results from the Foxfire analysis study indicated that the use of SIR-Spheres Y-90 microspheres in combination with chemotherapy did not improve overall survival in patients with unresectable […]
Nano-drug hitchhikes on white blood cells directly to tumor site
Researchers from Washington State University have developed a way to target drug delivery to a tumor by attaching the therapeutic to white blood cells. The discovery, which the team describes as a 1st of its kind, could help doctors provide more targeted cancer treatment. The researchers attached a nanoscale particle to a white blood cell […]
Researchers use shock waves, nanoparticles to deliver chemo drugs
Researchers from the University of Turin demonstrated that combining shock waves with nanoparticles can help deliver chemotherapy to tumors in animal models. The team’s work was published in the journal, Endocrine-Related Cancer. Researchers designed the treatment to use extracorporeal shock waves and nanobubbles to more effectively target the cancer drugs to the tumor site. The team […]
OncoSec inks deal with Merck to study drug-device therapy for metastatic melanoma
OncoSec Medical (NSDQ:ONCS) said today that it inked a clinical trial collaboration and supply agreement with Merck (NYSE:MRK) to evaluate the combination of its ImmunoPulse IL-12 electroporation device with Merck’s Keytruda therapy in a Phase II clinical trial. The trial aims to evaluate the drug-device combination in patients with metastatic melanoma – specifically patients who experienced disease […]
Novocure touts quality of life data for Optune, chemo combo
Novocure (NSDQ:NVCR) touted health-related quality of life analyses from a pivotal Phase III trial combining its Optune device with standard temozolomide chemotherapy for patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma. The data showed that adding Optune to temozolomide did not negatively impact health-related quality of life, except for itchy skin which the company attributed to skin irritation […]
Study: Nanoparticle shrinks tumor size by 80% in mouse model
Researchers from the Mayo Clinic have developed a type of cancer-fighting nanoparticle that is designed to shrink breast cancer tumors and prevent recurrence. In a mouse model, the therapy yielded a 70-80% reduction in tumor size and mice treated with the nanoparticles demonstrated resistance to future tumor recurrence a month later. The nanoparticle is coated […]
Advanced Proteome Therapeutics moves into Johnson & Johnson’s Innovation lab
Boston-based biotech Advanced Proteome Therapeutics (CVE:APC) said today that it is moving into Johnson & Johnson‘s (NYSE:JNJ) Innovation lab, JLabs, in Toronto. The 40,000 square-foot incubator is home to a number of life science start-up companies, including Avrobio and Immune Biosolutions. Johnson & Johnson Innovation doesn’t take an equity stake in the companies occupying its lab space, […]
Aeterna shares tumble after cancer-killing agent fails in Phase III trial
Shares in Aeterna Zentaris (NSDQ:AEZS) fell more than -50% this morning after the company said that the Phase III trial of Zoptrex did not meet its primary endpoint in women with locally advanced, recurrent or metastatic endometrial cancer. The ZoptEC pivotal trial was designed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of a hybrid molecule made up […]
