Onco Actu du 14 mars 2017

	1. Biologie
Pancreatic cancer, diabetes link explored by Stanford researchers [Stanford Medicine] What we’ve learned is that neuromedin U is not just a marker, but is also an actor in the drama for these people diagnosed with diabetes who are destined to develop pancreatic cancer.
Using Darwin’s notebook to outsmart resistance [Cancer World] The new wave of interest in Darwinian principles has been spearheaded by Charles Swanton, Chair in Personalised Cancer Medicine at University College London’s Cancer Institute, and leader of the research group at the Francis Crick Institute examining genetic diversity in cancer.
	1.1 Biologie - Gènes
More breast cancer patients than previously thought could benefit from existing targeted treatment [Cancer Research UK] Professor Sir Mike Stratton, director of the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute where the research took place, called the findings a “promising start”, but added that further DNA analysis was needed to confirm the findings.
Genetic similarities open up treatment options for non-BRCA breast tumours [ecancer News] From the mutational signatures we were able to spot many more tumours with defects in their DNA repair machinery that we couldn't see before. This was only possible by sequencing the entire genome of these cancers.
	3.1 Tabac
Can we trust Big Tobacco to promote public health? [The Conversation] It’s a bit like arguing that we should pat a mafia boss on the back for donating a few hundred thousand dollars to a drug rehabilitation clinic while it’s business as usual during the rest of his week.
	3.8 Prévention - Alimentation
Why you should beware of those aiming to “separate fact from fiction” in nutrition research [HealthNewsReview] We love to consume this type of news even though a large majority of us probably ignore it. And with good reason, because as the ACC report makes clear, most of the provocative advice that looks great on paper tends to be unspectacular in the real world.
	4. Dépistage, diagnostic et pronostic
Combining MRI scans could help spot where tumours are short of oxygen, helping to personalise treatment [Cancer Research UK] The combination of the 2 scans is now being tested in clinical trials, looking at how well the techniques work in people, and is a great example of the progress that research into imaging techniques such as MRI can make in the fight against cancer.
	4.9 Dép., diag. & prono. - Sein
Myriad Genetics Launches the EndoPredict® Test in the United States for Patients with Breast Cancer [Myriad] Second-Generation Test Provides More Accurate 10-Year Recurrence Risk for Patients Diagnosed with ER+ HER2- Early-Stage Breast Cancer.
	5. Traitements
Richard Lehman’s journal review—13 March 2017 [BMJ] Gefinitib, erlotinib, sunitinib, cabozantinib: they may think they’re his nibs, but they are not helping the majority of people with cancer. “Inib,” you may have guessed, really stands for “inhibitor.” It also stands for the Institute of Northern Ireland Beekeepers. Perhaps a good summary of the tyrosine kinase inhibitors would be “More Buzz than Honey.”
Old-Style Chemo Is Still A Mainstay In The Age Of Targeted Cancer Therapy [NPR] In an ideal world, highly toxic chemo would give way altogether to gentler and more effective medicines for patients like Deborah Mazia. But Comis, for one, doesn't see that day coming anytime soon.
	5.12 Immunothérapies
Checkpoint Inhibition Success Depends on CD28/B7 Costimulation [GEN] To mobilize T cells against cancer, it may not be enough to “take the brakes off.” It may also be necessary to “hit the gas.”
Immunotherapy: The three major treatments that are changing cancer prognoses [Pharmafile] We examine the leading immunotherapies in the market and their development as we move further into 2017.
	5.12.2 Immunothérapies - CAR-T
Possible Cures. Mystery Deaths. Daunting Costs. Can CAR-T Be Tamed? [Xconomy] Now the field’s first-ever regulatory approval is looking like a strong possibility, making this a watershed year for CAR-T therapy. But the supercharged T cells remain an enigma. Experts are wrestling with the super-hero problem that threatens to limit their usefulness: How can the cells be engineered to kill cancer without running amok?
	5.12.3 Immunothérapies-combinaisons
Combination immunotherapy shows promise in castration-resistant prostate cancer [Pharmafile] MDSC-inhibiting drugs including cabozantinib and BEZ showed similarly weak effects when used in isolation. However, when both checkpoint blockades and MDSC-inhibitors were used in combination, the therapy proved much more successful.
	5.2 Pharma
After an AML flop, Karyopharm hit with hold for selinexor tests [FierceBiotech] “Ultimately, we see selinexor's most likely path to market in multiple myeloma, based on results presented to date indicating around a 20% response-rate in penta-refractory patients, but we think it'll take at least until mid-2018 until potential pivotal data will be available,” the firm said.
	5.2.1 Pharma - Partenariats
Celgene embraces MTAP cancer deal with fast-moving collaborator Agios [EndPoints] Agios has been working on MTAP inhibitors after discovering that the pathway delivered anti-tumor evidence in animal models for cancer. MTAP deletions, says Agios, is involved in about 15% of all cancers.
	5.2.3 Pharma - économie
Roche and Mylan settle a scrap over Herceptin, clearing path to a global launch of a knockoff drug [EndPoints] As part of the settlement, Mylan is dropping a legal challenge to two of Genentech’s patents.
Mylan deal clears path for biosimilar copy of Roche's Herceptin [Reuters] Herceptin, which generated sales of 6.78 billion Swiss francs ($6.7 billion) in 2016, is one of the world's most successful antibody drugs and has been a mainstay of Roche profits for many years.
	5.3 Traitements - FDA, EMA, NICE...
Biopharma execs give Scott Gottlieb’s nomination for FDA commish (almost) a standing O in Endpoints poll [EndPoints] In our snap poll over the weekend Gottlieb picked up 87% support among the 580 qualified subscribers who voted on the decision, with 504 approving the choice against 76 who largely hated it.
	5.3.4 Traitements - AMM (FDA, EMA)
Novartis rolls out flex pricing scheme for newly approved Ibrance rival Kisqali [FiercePharma] A 28-day supply of the 600-mg dose will cost $10,950, while the same supply of the 400-mg dose will go for $8,760 and the 200-mg dose will run at $4,380.
Ipsen announces MHRA approval of new indication for Decapeptyl® for the treatment of pre-menopausal women with early stage breast cancer [Ipsen] The approval is based on international trials sponsored by the International Breast Cancer Study Group (IBCSG) and conducted on a total of 5,700 randomized patients in 27 countries.
Watch out Pfizer, Novartis’ LEE011 bags quick OK for frontline use against breast cancer [EndPoints] The drug, also known as ribociclib, hits the market as Kisqali with peak sales estimates of around $2.5 billion a year, giving the pharma giant a clear shot at a new blockbuster franchise.
Novartis Kisqali® (ribociclib, LEE011) receives FDA approval as first-line treatment for HR+/HER2- metastatic breast cancer in combination with any aromatase inhibitor [Novartis] Approved based on a first-line Phase III trial that met its primary endpoint of progression-free survival (PFS) at interim analysis due to superior efficacy compared to letrozole alone.
FDA approves Novartis drug as first-line treatment for breast cancer [Reuters] Kisqali, an oral drug, helps in slowing down the progression of cancer by preventing two proteins called cyclin-dependent kinase 4 and 6 (CDK4/6). These proteins when over-activated can enable cancer cells to grow and divide too quickly.
	6.10 Politiques
Brexit and the treatment of children with cancer | Letters [The Guardian] Theresa May seems determined to cut all ties with the EU, even where there are obvious advantages from continued cooperation. It would certainly benefit patients in the UK, and children with cancer in particular, if we seek to remain part of the EMA and the EU clinical trials framework.
	6.6 Publications
Collision Course — Why Are Funders Straying from Their Lane? [The Scholarly Kitchen] What has led to this lane-changing behavior from funders and philanthropies with regard to researchers, technology, and publishers? Why are they moving into the publishing world with competitive attitudes? Why are they seeking to define publication choices for their funded researchers?