Onco Actu du 4 mars 2016

	1. Biologie
Piecing together the mosaic: how genetic research is revealing new connections [Cancer Research UK] There are some potential stumbling blocks – notably the suggestion that the particular faults in FGFR1 found in pilocytic astrocytoma might mean these tumours aren’t sensitive to lucitanib. But there’s always the option of developing and testing new drugs that might be more effective, or combining it with other treatments that enhance its effectiveness.
	2. Etiologie
High Glycemic Index Associated With Increased Risk of Lung Cancer [AACR] “This study provides additional evidence that diet may independently, and jointly with other risk factors, impact lung cancer etiology.”
Genital talc boosts ovarian cancer risk in study [Reuters] Cramer first reported a link between genital talc and ovarian cancer in 1982. But the current study is the first to confine the association to premenopausal women and to postmenopausal women who used hormone therapy – which might help explain earlier contradictory results on the link between talc and ovarian cancer, Cramer and his team write.
	2.6 Etiologie - Environnement
EU seen approving weed-killer ingredient glyphosate amid cancer row [Reuters] Two EU sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, said they expected approval, preventing a legal vacuum when the existing authorization lapses at the end of June. Another diplomat said at least one big member state was undecided, but a block on approval was unlikely.
	3.4.1 Chimioprévention - aspirine
Aspirin found to reduce overall cancer risk [Harvard Gazette] Effect strongest against colorectal, other gastrointestinal tumors.
Taking two aspirin a week could protect against cancer [The Telegraph] Researchers said the evidence was now strong enough that people who had a family history of bowel or stomach cancer to consider taking aspirin, if given the go ahead by their doctor.
Prolonged aspirin use tied to reduced colon cancer risk [Reuters] For their new work, the researchers used data on 88,084 women and 47,881 men participating in two large studies.
	4.12 Biopsies liquides
Digital Pathology at Scale: Epic Sciences Takes CTC Technology to the Next Level [Mendelspod] For inspiration, Murali draws on the history of HIV drug development. It is now customary for AIDS patients to keep regular counts on their viral load as they manage their illness with one pill a day. This type of regular screening using just blood samples could become the norm in cancer as well.
	5. Traitements
Progress in targeting tumour cells, avoiding healthy cells [PHG Foundation] The beads are injected into the bloodstream and drawn to the site of the tumour by a previously implanted magnet. Prior to injection the team coated the magnetic beads with an encapsulated cytotoxin to kill off the cancer cells.
	5.12 Immunothérapies
New immunotherapy discovery could give treatments the precision they need [Cancer Research UK] What’s urgently needed are treatments that can guide immune cells to specifically attack a tumour, while leaving healthy cells alone. And today, Cancer Research UK scientists have published a new study in the journal Science that may have uncovered the intelligence needed to precisely guide these new weapons.
Where Cancer Immunotherapy Works (and Doesn’t) [In the Pipeline] This brings up something for us small-molecule people to think about: as the march of the immunotherapies continues, it’s possible that we’re going to have to modify our own targets.
Cancer study identifies likely responders to immune therapy [STAT] The number of neoantigens is only part of the story. This study goes beyond previous ones in showing that when neoantigens are found throughout a tumor rather than in some cells only, patients have the best shot at benefitting from immunotherapy. And that’s true even if there are relatively few neoantigens.
Tumours contain the seeds of their own destruction [Cancer Research UK] The findings, by researchers funded by Cancer Research UK and the Rosetrees Trust, could guide future immunotherapies and improve the way existing immunotherapy drugs are used.
The Most Promising Cancer Therapy in Decades Is About to Get Better [The Atlantic] Quezada and Swanton’s teams found that patients had better survival rates if their tumors have lots of trunk neonatigens, but not branch ones. They also responded better to pembrolizumab, one of those checkpoint inhibitors that works by unleashing the immune system.
This $150,000 Cancer Treatment Saved a Pharma Company [Bloomberg] Ono is an anomaly among Japanese pharmaceutical companies, most of which have struggled to find brand new medicines. Sagara credits his company’s success with Opdivo to a gamble it took more than a decade ago in working with some university researchers on a little known course of treatment.
Scientists find 'Achilles' heel' of cancer offering hope for most deadly cases [The Telegraph] It means that, in future, doctors could look at the genetic profile of a tumour to locate the ‘flags’ then engineer billions of special immune cells which could be transferred back into the body in large numbers to kill tumours.
Genetics of cancer tumours reveal possible treatment revolution [The Guardian] Breakthrough could allow potent personalised treatments which prime patients’ own immune systems to attack biological markers on tumours.
	5.12.2 Immunothérapies - CAR-T
Autolus fundraising now tops $105M for next-gen CAR-T work [FierceBiotech] All-in, the CEO adds, there have only been about 500 patients exposed to CAR-T therapies. "The field is still pretty much in its infancy," says Itin, and over the next 10 years you can expect to see a number of improvements across the landscape.
Advances in Immunotherapy: Tackling CAR T-cell Therapy Resistance [CANCER RESEARCH Catalyst] “There are two ways to try to tackle CTL019 resistance,” Sotillo says. “One way would be to design new antibodies that recognize alternative epitopes within the CD19 extracellular domain. And the other would be to force the cell to make a full length CD19. In fact, both approaches could be combined.”
	5.2 Pharma
Stealthy MIT Spinout Ribon, Led by a Sanofi Vet, Takes Aim at Cancer [Xconomy] The only thing Ribon has revealed publicly about its plan—via this LinkedIn page and a bio of Richon tied to an upcoming medical meeting—is that it aims to develop cancer drugs that target specific types of poly ADP-ribose polymerase, or PARPs.
	5.2.1 Pharma - Partenariats
Pfizer, Merck KGaA partner PD-L1 drug with Verastem's failed cancer drug [FierceBiotech] Five months after Verastem acknowledged the stock-crushing failure of its cancer drug VS-6063 (defactinib) against mesothelioma, the Cambridge, MA-based biotech will now try its chances in a combination study using a checkpoint inhibitor from Pfizer and Merck KGaA.
Merck, Pfizer and Verastem Announce Combination Trial of Avelumab and VS-6063 in Ovarian Cancer [Pfizer] Collaboration will focus on a Phase I/Ib clinical trial expected to begin in the second half of 2016.
Merck announces drug discovery collaboration with European Molecular Biology Laboratory [Pharmafile] The collaboration will aim to ultimately deliver novel therapeutic targets by investigating mechanisms by which cancer cells generate energy and growth-enabling building blocks, as well as biomarkers.
	5.3 Traitements - FDA, EMA,...
Guidance for the publication of clinical data [EMA] Requirements for industry now available on submission of clinical data for publication.
	5.3.4 Traitements - AMM (FDA, EMA)
FDA approves new indication for FASLODEX® (fulvestrant) [AstraZeneca] The FDA approval of this new indication for FASLODEX is based on data from the Phase III PALOMA-3 trial, which met the study’s primary endpoint of progression-free survival (PFS). The combination of FASLODEX 500 mg and palbociclib 125 mg resulted in a 4.9 month PFS improvement over FASLODEX and placebo, in women with HR+ HER2- advanced or MBC whose disease had progressed after endocrine therapy.