Oncology

Hutchmed (HKG:0013) and AstraZeneca (LON:AZN) have announced the launch of the SACHI Phase 3 study to test the combination of Orpathys (savolitinib) and Tagrissso (osimertinib) as a treatment for locally advanced or metastatic epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation-positive non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Specifically, the study will focus on patients with amplification of the MET…

The life sciences industry has just scratched the surface in terms of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy’s potential, according to a session at the Novartis Breakthrough Science media event held on November 10. CAR-T therapy, which has emerged as one of the most promising new treatments for multiple myeloma, certain lymphomas and B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia,…

GlaxoSmithKline (NYSE:GSK) will present 11 abstracts on Blenrep (belantamab mafodotin blmf) at the American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting and Exposition on December 11–14. Presentations will include new data from the DREAMM (DRiving Excellence in Approaches to Multiple Myeloma) clinical trial program and two collaborative studies focused on Blenrep. The drug won FDA approval…

Privately-held ConcertAI has formally integrated with TeraRecon, a provider of advanced visualization services, including 3D and 4D medical imaging post-processing.  Cambridge, Massachusetts–based ConcertAI says the integration will expand its offerings for life science companies, which now can integrate data from electronic medical records, genomic data and medical imaging. As a result, the company can offer…

Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen division (NYSE:JNJ) was among the first drug companies to prioritize oncology research. The company has more than three decades of experience in the domain. Recently, Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T therapy has become one of the most exciting areas of research for cancer and other diseases for the company, said Mathai Mammen, global…

AbbVie (NYSE: ABBV) has extended an agreement with the University of Chicago related to collaborative preclinical oncology research. The North Chicago, Illinois–based company and the university are working together on research involving biomarkers and therapeutic applications related to existing AbbVie programs. In the past, the organizations have also explored new drug delivery methods to improve…

The Ivy Brain Tumor Center (Phoenix) and University of California, San Francisco will partner on a Phase 0 clinical trial to test GSK’s (NYSE:GSK) Zejula in patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma and recurrent glioma (grades II–IV). Zejula (niraparib) is a daily oral poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitor. FDA introduced Phase 0 clinical trials in 2004…

Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Ltd. (TSE:4502/NYSE:TAK) is moving forward with its plan to acquire its collaborator GammaDelta Therapeutics Ltd. (London). The acquisition is subject to customary closing conditions. Takeda projects that the deal will close in the first quarter of its fiscal year, which will end on June 30, 2022. The acquisition would bolster Takeda’s immuno-oncology…

The developer of a cloud-based application for oncology care and research, SimBioSys, has raised $15 million in Series A funding. Genoa Ventures and Northpond Ventures led the funding round, which also involved AV8 Ventures, Heritage Medical Group, and Mayo Clinic. SimBioSys also announced that existing investors and its founders participated in the financing, raising a total of $21 million. The company…

Amgen (NSDQ:AMGN) has acquired privately-held immunotherapy specialist Teneobio (Newark, California). The transaction includes an upfront $900 million upfront payment and future contingent milestone payments worth up to an additional $1.6 billion. Tenebio’s stated mission was to tap human heavy-chain antibodies to “redirect the immune system to safely fight disease.” Earlier this year, it had three drug…

Animal models, long the basis of academic research and preclinical drug discovery, continue to play an important role in advancing our understanding of basic pharmacology and bringing critical therapies to those in need. However, animal models have some natural drawbacks (e.g., not being humans) that hamper their ability to fully predict the interaction of new…

Eli Lilly (NYSE:LLY) has announced that it has approved Verzenio (abemaciclib) for certain patients with HR+ HER2– high-risk early breast cancer. The drug will become the first inhibitor of cyclin-dependent kinase 4 and 6 (CDK4/6) to hit the U.S. market. “Over time, the collective results of the Verzenio clinical development program have demonstrated a differentiated…

Today, the allogeneic CAR-T company Allogene Therapeutics (NSDQ:ALLO) saw its stock dip to the lowest level since its IPO in 2018. The company announced that FDA had placed a hold on its AlloCAR T clinical trials after the identification of a chromosomal abnormality in a patient enrolled in its ALPHA2 study (NCT04416984). That trial was…

Merck (NYSE:MRK) has agreed to acquire the biopharma Acceleron Pharma (NSDQ:XLRN) for $180 per share in cash, bringing the purchase price to roughly $11.5 billion. The companies expect the deal to close in the fourth quarter of 2021. Cambridge, Massachusetts–based Acceleron specializes in developing drugs that aim to balance transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta, which plays…

FDA has approved a new indication for Lilly‘s (NYSE:LLY) Erbitux (cetuximab injection) in combination with Pfizer’s Braftovi (encorafenib) to treat adults with metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC) with a BRAF V600E mutation confirmed with an FDA-approved test. The indication covers previously-treated patients. Erbitux is currently the only FDA-approved antibody that targets the epidermal growth factor receptor…

Oncology-focused Ayala Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: AYLA) has published two positive case studies of adults with desmoid tumors treated with gamma secretase inhibitor AL101 in Current Oncology. Desmoid tumors are noncancerous and most often appear in the abdomen, arms or legs. They can also occur in the head and neck, chest and other areas of the body.…

Merck & Co. (NSDQ:MRNA) scientists have explored fighting cancer by way of the STING (stimulator of interferon genes)-controlled innate immune pathway. Now, the company has published research in Advanced Therapeutics detailing a preclinical study with its partner Vesselon Inc. that reported impressive pharmacokinetics results related to MSA-1, a STING agonist. The researchers found that low…

Bristol Myers Squibb (NYSE: BMY) has won priority review for its Biologics License Application for the fixed-dose combination of the checkpoint inhibitors relatlimab and nivolumab to treat patients 12 and older who weigh at least 40 kg (88 pounds) with unresectable or metastatic melanoma. Relatlimab would be a novel lymphocyte-activation gene 3 (LAG-3) blocking antibody.…

Boehringer Ingelheim announced today that it acquired Abexxa Biologics, a developer of precision medicines for treating cancer. Acquiring Abexxa, which utilizes a new approach in immuno-oncology and oncology research, offers Boehringer Ingelheim access to the company’s expertise in targeting cancer-specific proteins located inside the cell instead of those expressed on the cell membrane, according to…

The FDA has granted accelerated approval to the first-in-class antibody-drug conjugate Tivdak (tisotumab vedotin-tftv) from Genmab and Seagen to treat adults with recurrent or metastatic cervical cancer. Specifically, the approval covers cancer with disease progression on or after chemotherapy. The drug targets protein tissue factor (TF), which is abnormally expressed in cervical cancer. Historically, physicians…

Ivy Brain Tumor Center and its partner Sonalasense have announced positive initial results in a first-in-human Phase 0/1 clinical trial involving recurrent glioblastoma patients. Sonalasense has developed a sonodynamic therapy (SDT) that pairs low-intensity ultrasound with chemotherapeutic agents known as sonosensitizers. The therapy is noninvasive. Data from the trial indicate that SDT swiftly causes targeted…

Minorities tend to participate in clinical trials at far lower rates than their real-world demographics and prevalence of the disease, according to the American Society of Clinical Oncology. In addition, minorities often have worse outcomes for certain cancers than the broader public. Just one example: the mortality rate for Black women with breast cancer is 40% higher than…

Immunotherapy-specialist Hookipa Pharma (NSDQ:HOOK) has announced a clinical collaboration and supply agreement with Merck (NYSE:MRK). Hookipa will test its immunotherapeutic HB-200 in conjunction with Merck’s blockbuster anti-PD-1 therapy, Keytruda (pembrolizumab), as first-line treatment for patients with advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Last year, Merck raked in $14.5 billion in sales revenue from Keytruda.…

Sanofi (NSDQ:SNY) announced today that it has completed the purchase of its mRNA partner Translate Bio. The previously announced deal, according to Sanofi, accelerates the French pharma giant’s efforts to develop transformative vaccines and therapies using mRNA technology. The deal comes during a year in which mRNA-based Moderna (NSDQ:MRNA) and Pfizer-BioNTech (NYSE:PFE/NSDQ:BNTX) COVID-19 vaccines are…

AB Science today touted results from a study of masitinib in combination with docetaxel in treating prostate cancer. Paris-based AB Science presented the data at the 2021 American Urological Association (AUA) annual meeting, according to a news release. Masitinib in combination with docetaxel as a first-line treatment of metastatic castrate refractory prostate cancer (mCRPC) eligible…