Onco Actu du 16 octobre 2017

	1. Biologie
Cancer relapse linked to body’s own immune system [Cancer Research UK] The researchers studied the immune response in mice to investigate how the cells of the immune system behaved before initial treatment, after treatment appeared to have worked, and when tumours returned.
	4.1 Dép., diag. & prono. - Prostate
PSA tests aren't great for diagnosing prostate cancer. Here are some better options in the works [LA Times] The new generation of screening tests — including the Prostate Health Index (or PHI) and the 4Kscore — can help some men avoid unnecessary biopsies. Both tests use total PSA as just one of many inputs to give a clearer picture of prostate health.
	5.12 Immunothérapies
Immunotherapy is the newest weapon in the fight against cancer [LA Times] “In many ways, we’re at the end of the beginning of immunotherapy: There’s clear benefit, but it’s still a minority of patients that get long-term benefit,” Markovic said. “We will get better at this.”
	5.12.2 Immunothérapies - CAR-T
CAR-T therapies are manufactured for each individual patient [Novartis] In contrast to typical small molecule or biologic products, autologous CAR-T therapies are specifically manufactured for each individual patient and require a paradigm shift in the approach to manufacturing, logistics and administration.
New markers could identify patients most at risk of brain damage from CAR T cell immunotherapy [Cancer Research UK] Seven patients experienced ‘life threatening’ neurotoxicity with 4 patients dying 28 days after receiving the treatment. Around 40 in 100 patients (53 patients) developed at least some side effects that affected the brain or nervous system.
	5.12.8 Immunothérapies - Economie
NICE flip-flops to back Bristol's Opdivo in head and neck cancer despite data 'uncertainties' [FiercePharma] Bristol will gain access to what NICE estimates is a patient pool of 900 eligible patients, with more on the way; nearly 10,000 new cases of head and neck cancer are diagnosed in the U.K. every year, it said.
BMS agrees deal on Opdivo availability through Cancer Drugs Fund for head and neck cancer [Pharmafile] The agreement which has now been reached by the two parties means that Opdivo will now be made available via a commercial access agreement at a lower cost than its £1,037 list price per 100mg vial.
Hundreds of patients to have access to head and neck cancer drug after new deal, says NICE [NICE] Nivolumab is recommended for use within the Cancer Drugs Fund (CDF) for some patients with head and neck cancer.
	5.2.3 Pharma - économie
Big Pharma Killed The Cancer Drug He Invented. He Raised $22 Million To Revive It [Forbes] The FDA has lifted the clinical hold on fedratinib, but there are still manufacturing and other issues that have to be ironed out to restart studies.
	5.3 Traitements - FDA, EMA, NICE...
EMA Revises Reflection Paper on Pediatric Extrapolation [RAPS] The reflection paper does not make recommendations for preferred approaches or quantitative methods for pediatric extrapolation, and instead seeks to encourage sponsors to explore and justify potentially suitable methods.
A Painful, Unacceptable Lack of Data [In the Pipeline] If you’re going to approve on surrogate endpoints, then make it mandatory to collect data on what happens afterwards, and set an appropriate date to review it, with approval to be rescinded if things don’t work out. Sounds good – but remember what happened when the FDA did that with Avastin’s breast cancer indication?
Little evidence new cancer drugs improve survival [Reuters] “While it makes sense to use drugs that shrink cancer and slow growth, the reality is sometimes we do that, but a person doesn’t live any longer.”
	5.3.4 Traitements - AMM (FDA, EMA)
CHMP Issues a Positive Opinion on Janssen’s ZYTIGA® to Include Earlier Stage Prostate Cancer Patients [Janssen] "Today’s decision means we are one step forward in ensuring mHSPC men across Europe may be able to benefit from this treatment soon,” said Professor Karim Fizazi, principal investigator of the LATITUDE trial and Head of the Medical Oncology Department at Institute Gustave Roussy.
CHMP recommends EU approval of Roche’s Alecensa (alectinib) as a first-line treatment for people with ALK-positive NSCLC [Roche] Positive opinion based on phase III results showing Alecensa reduced the risk of disease progression or death by more than half versus crizotinib.
EMA Recommends Extension of Indications for Alectinib [ESMO] New indication concerns the first-line treatment of ALK-positive advanced NSCLC.
Roche's Alecensa wins EU panel's nod against mutated lung cancer [Reuters] The race for new first-line treatments for ALK-positive lung cancer has grown crowded. Novartis also has a relatively new drug called Zykadia, as does Takeda with its Alunbrig.
	5.4 Traitements - Economie
Decoding cancer: hopes rise for a new age of precision medicine [Financial Times] Treatments targeting the molecular features of a tumour could usurp chemotherapy — but at a price.
	5.9.5 IASLC
AstraZeneca shares its comprehensive scientific approach at the World Conference on Lung Cancer 2017 [AstraZeneca] With 43 data presentations, including 16 oral presentations, AstraZeneca is focusing on four key scientific drivers of progress in lung cancer.
	6. Lutte contre les cancers
Gains in cancer treatment through the eyes of a survivor [Harvard Gazette] Experts excited by wide potential of recent progress, but big concerns remain.
Rethinking cancer, from the basics to the breakthroughs [LA Times] But there is this tendency to simplify and exaggerate that progress. Remember about 18 years ago when the growth-inhibitor drugs — antiangiogenesis drugs like Avastin — were thought to be the answer to cancer? A lot of patients got jerked around emotionally and were promised something that we just didn’t have.
Too Many People Dream of a Charmed Life in Academia [Bloomberg] Brilliant colleagues. Curious students. High status. Earning less than half of what a kindergarten teacher makes.
	6.10 Politiques
Nuclear industry acts on 'no deal' Brexit as MPs plot Euratom rebellion [Sky News] The industry was also adamant that there is a serious issue about the supply of medical isotopes, a byproduct of the continental European nuclear industry, critical for cancer treatments.
	6.12 Ethique
WMA Declaration of Geneva [WMA] Amended by the 68th WMA General Assembly, Chicago, United States, October 2017. The Physician’s Pledge.
	6.9 Controverses
That $1.25B Bristol-Myers IDO1 drug? Incyte claims a former staffer stole it [EndPoints] The company claimed that Jordan Fridman, a scientist in its ranks, had systematically lifted its IDO1 secrets before making his way to Flexus.
Incyte seeks billions after worker allegedly walks off with cancer drug secrets [DelawareOnline] The scientist jumped ship for Flexus a year before the company was acquired by Bristol-Myers Squibb. In court documents, Incyte officials claim the 46-year-old colluded with Flexus founders Juan Jaen and Terry Rosen to take advantage of the closely guarded trade secrets he grabbed on his way out the door.
Cancer drug study data was falsified, says AstraZeneca [The Telegraph] The journal article was one of dozens of pre-clinical studies showing the effectiveness of acalabrutinib. AstraZeneca added: “It’s important to note that this isolated issue had no impact on the integrity of acalabrutinib data in any clinical trials, and there was no risk to patient health.”