Onco Actu du 6 décembre 2017

	1. Biologie
Adding Letters to the DNA Alphabet [NIH Director's Blog] An extra two letters might not sound like a lot, but it now vastly expands the number of possible three-letter “words” that can be written in DNA. In fact, the expanded code boosts the number of possible codons and corresponding amino acids from 20 to 172! Of course, caution is warranted.
Everything You Need to Know About Crispr Gene Editing [Wired] Crispr isn’t perfect; sometimes the protein veers off course and makes cuts at unintended sites. So scientists are actively working on ways to minimize these off-target effects. And as it gets better, the ethical questions surrounding the technology are going to get a lot thornier.
	4.12 Biopsies liquides
Blood test could predict skin cancer's return [Cancer Research UK] Led by researchers based at the Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute and The Christie NHS Foundation Trust, scientists studied blood samples taken after surgery from 161 patients with stage 2 and 3 melanoma. They then looked for faults in two genes that are linked to 70% of melanoma skin cancers – BRAF and NRAS.
	4.9 Dép., diag. & prono. - Sein
Seno Medical’s Imagio Combines Optoacoustics with Ultrasound to Diagnose Breast Cancer [medGadget] The company’s Imagio system relies on a duplex probe that looks and acts like a regular ultrasound transducer, but that also emits laser light to simultaneously work as an optoacoustic imaging device.
Widespread screening for breast cancer didn't do much to save women's lives, study finds [LA Times] Screening programs rest on the assumption that cancers caught early are easier to treat than those noticed after they start causing symptoms. But with breast cancer, that may not be the case. The new study demonstrates why.
	5.1 Traitements - Pré-clinique
Combination Strategy Could Hold Promise for Ovarian Cancer [Johns Hopkins] When the researchers treated the mice with both AZA and an HDACi, along with an immune checkpoint inhibitor, they got the greatest response—the highest decreases in ascites and tumor burden, and the longest survival.
Breast, bowel and other cancers could be targeted by new drug type [Institute of Cancer Research] The scientists, from The Institute of Cancer Research, London, found that blocking the action of a protein called cyclin G associated kinase (GAK) killed cancer cells with faulty versions of a gene called FBXW7.
A possible workaround for targeting the untargetable in a childhood nerve tumor [Broad Institute] Taken together, the team's findings suggest that EZH2 could be a potent and attractive target for developing sorely needed new treatment options against high-risk neuroblastoma.
	5.10 Traitements - Essais
Sanofi and J&J Lead the Way With Clinical Trial Transparency, Study Finds [RAPS] "On the drug level, about half of FDA-approved drugs have publicly disclosed results for all trials in patients who were included in our sample," the study found.
	5.12.4 Immunothérapies - Essais
U.S. Food and Drug Administration Lifts Partial Clinical Holds on Two Opdivo-based Combination Studies in Multiple Myeloma [BMS] The decision follows consultation with the FDA and agreement on amendments to the study protocols.
	5.12.7 Immunothérapies - vaccins
New Immunotherapy for Deadly Childhood Brain Cancer Targets Novel “Neoantigen” [UCSF] The neoantigen Okada and colleagues worked with is a fragment of a protein called histone 3 variant 3. This protein is identically mutated in about 70 percent of cases of diffuse intrinsic pontine gliomas and results in abnormal control of gene activity in tumor cells.
	5.2 Pharma
Clovis Announces Priority Reveiw Designation for Rucaparib Supplemental New Drug Application [Clovis Oncology]] Priority review granted based on positive data from phase 3 ARIEL3 clinical trial in which rucaparib significantly improved PFS in all ovarian cancer patient populations studied.
Phase 3 Study Evaluating IMBRUVICA® (ibrutinib) in Combination with Rituximab in Waldenström’s Macroglobulinemia Met Primary Endpoint [Janssen] Study will be unblinded based on positive pre-specified interim analysis.
	5.2.3 Pharma - économie
Government and life sciences sector agree transformative sector deal [GOV.UK] The transformative Sector Deal gives the life sciences sector and government an agreed set of strategic goals that will ensure the UK builds on its exceptional reputation for science and research, genomics and clinical trials.
GSK welcomes launch of the UK Government’s Life Sciences Sector Deal [GSK] New £40 million GSK investment in genomic research
	5.3 Traitements - FDA, EMA, NICE...
Call for patient organisation representatives to join the Committee for Orphan Medicines [EMA] Deadline for applications is 20 December 2017.
EMA Issues Warning About Use of Radium-223 Dichloride in Combination With Abiraterone Acetate and Prednisone or Prednisolone [ESMO] Ongoing prostate cancer clinical trial shows an increased risk of death and fractures.
Merck and PhRMA to FDA: Wait for ICH before finalizing guidance on toxicity testing for cancer drugs [EndPoints] Drugmakers and industry groups are calling on the FDA to hold off on finalizing a draft guidance until the International Council on Harmonisation (ICH) finalizes its own guidance on the topic of reproductive toxicity testing for oncology drugs.
FDA's program to speed up drug approval shaved nearly a year off the process [LA Times] UC San Francisco health economist Dr. Adams Dudley said the new research underscores that when it comes to shortening drug-development times, one key factor appears to make a difference: intensive attention from FDA evaluators. And providing that takes a commitment to staffing an agency whose budget is currently clouded in uncertainty.
	5.3.4 Traitements - AMM (FDA, EMA)
FDA Expands Use of Antibody–Drug Conjugate to Additional Types of Lymphoma [Cancer Research Catalyst] The recent approval of brentuximab vedotin was based on results from the randomized phase III ALCANZA clinical trial, which were published earlier this year in The Lancet.
	5.4 Traitements - Economie
NICE says ‘no’ to Novartis’ AML drug Rydapt [PharmaTimes] “There is also considerable uncertainty about the cost effectiveness of midostaurin because of problems with the economic model. These include not accounting properly for remission after relapse and including implausibly high long-term costs in some situations,” according to the consultation document.
	5.8.2 ASH - Pharma
AstraZeneca to highlight its commitment to blood cancers at the 2017 American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting [AstraZeneca] New data on five potential new medicines in development across six types of blood cancer.
	6. Lutte contre les cancers
Veteran French pop singer Johnny Hallyday dies aged 74 after cancer battle [The Telegraph] Partying, drugs, alcohol and dark tobacco, the latter apparently adopted on the advice of rock icon Keith Richards, all took their toll, carving out the husky voice and craggy face that were to become his trademark.
	6.1 Observation
Consistently lower cancer survival rates for black patients in U.S. [Reuters] Whether it’s colon cancer, breast cancer, or ovarian cancer, survival rates in the U.S. are lower for black people than for white people, three new studies show.
	6.10 Politiques
NHS cancer plan marks first step towards fixing chronic staff shortages [Cancer Research UK] These ambitions are vital to fix NHS staffing issues, particularly for diagnosis. So today’s announcement is an important first step. But with only 3 years to do it, and no new money, it’s going to be a challenge.
	6.6 Publications
Hundreds of German universities set to lose access to Elsevier journals [Nature] Negotiations to reduce journal prices and promote open access are progressing slowly.
	6.7 DMP, Big Data & applis
27 Top Breast Cancer Oncologists, Picked By Big Data [Forbes] Grand Rounds uses a computer model based on publicly available and proprietary data, including administrative claims data from insurers, practice affiliations, board certifications, disciplinary actions, and academic publications.