Onco Actu du 29 juin 2016

	2. Etiologie
Normal Bacterial Colonies in Human Body Linked to Presence of Cancer of the Mouth and Throat [Johns Hopkins] Guerrero-Preston cautions that these findings do not establish a direct cause-and-effect link between any of the bacteria and head and neck cancer, stressing the preliminary nature of these assays.
	2.6 Etiologie - Environnement
European Commission gives controversial weed killer a last-minute reprieve [Science] In his comment, Andriukaitis said that the commission granted the 18-month extension in order to have the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) complete its review of glyphosate.
	4.10 Dép., diag. & prono. - FDA, EMA, NICE,...
Medical devices get to market faster in Europe — but are tied to more safety issues [STAT] In the new study, published Tuesday in the BMJ, researchers found that medical devices that were first approved in the European Union were associated with a greater rate of safety issues than devices first approved by FDA.
	5. Traitements
Recent Advances in Treating Ovarian Cancer [CANCER RESEARCH Catalyst] A pair of studies published recently in the AACR’s journal Clinical Cancer Research report on some interesting observations and developments in treating ovarian cancer, a difficult-to-diagnose and difficult-to-treat disease.
Nanomedicine could help push through combination cancer drugs [PHG Foundation] It also suggests that a key limitation of current combination therapies may be that, to be effective, both drugs have to be active in the same cell and at the same time.
	5.2 Pharma
Bayer’s Regorafenib Significantly Improves Overall Survival in Patients with Unresectable Liver Cancer [Bayer] Initial results from Phase III trial RESORCE to be presented as Late-Breaking Abstract in oral abstract session at WCGC / Median overall survival was 10.6 months for patients treated with regorafenib plus best supportive care versus 7.8 months in the group treated with placebo plus best supportive care.
	5.2.1 Pharma - Partenariats
AbbVie scraps Infinity collab in wake of weak data; biotech slashes jobs [FierceBiotech] The two had also been working together on an AbbVie-run Phase Ib/II study pairing duvelisib with venetoclax, but this was paused earlier this month after the trial. Today, this too will be axed, along with 58% of Infinity’s staff.
More Job Cuts at Infinity As AbbVie Sends Back Blood Cancer Drug [Xconomy] Infinity said this morning that it couldn’t come to terms with AbbVie about a possible restructuring of their partnership on duvelisib. As a result, the two companies have terminated the deal—which could have netted Infinity more than $200 million down the road—and Infinity has regained duvelisib. Infinity is also cutting 58 percent of its remaining workforce (100 employees).
	5.2.3 Pharma - économie
Former Pfizer exec invests in $10M Series A for cancer startup [FierceBiotech] The company is focused on developing novel formulations of existing chemotherapy drugs to treat solid tumors that are bound to a cell permeation enhancer. The idea is to trigger an adaptive immune response by injecting their candidates, with their high diffusion and dispersion properties, directly into tumors.
	6.10 Politiques
UK scientists in limbo after Brexit shock [Nature News & Comment] Researchers organize to lobby for science as country prepares for life outside the EU.
	6.10.1 Politiques (USA)
Health experts offer their support for — and skepticism of — the cancer moonshot [STAT] Let’s be honest. There’s not that much money in the moonshot. I just don’t think it is going to have that big an impact. We’ve already got a lot going on in cancer. More than 800 drugs are in cancer clinical trials. That’s really where we should be focused.
FACT SHEET: At Cancer Moonshot Summit, Vice President Biden Announces New Actions to Accelerate Progress Toward Ending Cancer As We Know It [White House] This is the first time a group this expansive and diverse will meet under a government charge is to double the rate of progress in our understanding, prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and care of cancer.
FDA names Pazdur head of new Oncology Center of Excellence [Reuters] The new center will coordinate all cancer therapeutics and comes as scientific advances in diagnostics allow for greater tailoring of drugs to an individual's genetic profile. The director will report directly to FDA Commissioner Robert Califf.
IBM Donates Use Of Watson To Veterans Health System As Part Of Biden's Cancer Moonshot [Forbes] This deal doesn’t create new medical evidence that proves that sequencing the DNA of tumors actually saves lives. Nor does it improve access for patients outside the VA. It doesn’t tell us how good Watson is at this task, either.
ASCO and CancerLinQ to Participate in Cancer Moonshot Summit with Vice President Joe Biden, Leaders in Cancer Community [ASCO] The Summit is designed to foster the formation of new alliances and actions that will expand the bounds of innovation and accelerate the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of cancer.
American Cancer Society sets goal to double research funding [ACS] The goal is one of the primary ways the American Cancer Society (ACS) and its advocacy affiliate, the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN), are supporting the National Cancer Moonshot to accelerate progress against a disease that will kill 595,000 people in America this year.
USPTO to test faster review of immuno-oncology patents [BioCentury.com] The program, which begins Wednesday, is part of the White House's Cancer Moonshot Initiative.
Biden holding cancer summit to pump up support for ‘moonshot’ effort [The Washington Post] The summit, expected to draw as many as 300 people from academia, industry and advocacy groups to Howard University, is billed as a way to generate new ideas to beat a disease that kills almost 600,000 Americans a year. Dozens of regional summits will take place at the same time.
The Cancer Moonshot is a mission, and all of us #CanServe. [White House] The goal is one of the primary ways the American Cancer Society (ACS) and its advocacy affiliate, the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN), are supporting the National Cancer Moonshot to accelerate progress against a disease that will kill 595,000 people in America this year.
	6.5 Médecines alternatives
Quackery expands in the Dana Farber Cancer Institute and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia [Respectful Insolence] Through these “pathways,” reflexologists claim to be able to diagnose and treat disease through feeling the hands and feet. It’s pure rubbish. And it’s being offered at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute, one of the most respected cancer centers in the US, if not the world.
	6.7 DMP, Big Data & applis
US Healthcare records offered for sale online [BBC News] Three US healthcare organisations are reportedly being held to ransom by a hacker who stole data on hundreds of thousands of patients.
Doctors less satisfied, more burned out with electronic records [Reuters] “EHR vendors need to work much more closely with practicing physicians, nurses and staff to better understand the functionalities they need from the record and how to make them more clinically relevant and user friendly.”
	6.8 Communication
'Why Most Clinical Research Is Not Useful' yet tsunami of news about it [HealthNewsReview] Since many papers on clinical research spawn, in turn, dozens or hundreds of news stories, one can easily see how a tsunami of not-ready-for-prime-time medical research news and information drowns the public daily.