Onco Actu du 9 février 2018

	1.4 Biologie - Technos
Genomenon and Saphetor Announce Collaboration to Share Genomic Data [Xconomy] Last year, Genomenon went live with Mastermind, a search engine that combs through millions of publicly available medical journal articles to connect a patient’s genomic data with the latest scientific literature, simplifying the diagnostic process. Saphetor maintains VarSome, a gene and variant database with 47,000 users worldwide and more than 33 billion data points.
	2.11 Etiologie - Alimentation
California coffee may soon come with a cancer warning, but should consumers worry? [CBS] The Council for Education and Research on Toxics wants businesses to warn consumers about a possible cancer risk from coffee. The lawsuit, which has been grinding on for years, alleges no matter how you make it, your daily jolt of java comes with a potential carcinogen: acrylamide.
	3.1 Prévention - Tabac
Big tobacco’s offer: $1 billion for research. Should scientists take it? [Science] The big question is how many researchers will want a share of PMI's $1 billion. "I would be very surprised if reputable researchers applied," says Martin McKee of the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. But Yach says he's already received 50 to 60 proposals from around the world, including from U.S. medical schools.
	3.8 Prévention - Alimentation
No, Asparagus Won't Give You Cancer [ACSH] Why was this rather boring molecule that biology majors are forced to memorize grabbing international headlines? Because, according to the media, it causes cancer. And where can you find asparagine? It can be found in any food that contains protein -- which is a lot of foods -- including asparagus, the vegetable after which it was named. Thus, asparagus causes cancer. Think I'm joking? I'm not.
	4.10 Dép., diag. & prono. - FDA, EMA, NICE,...
Statement from FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, M.D., on groundbreaking approval and interagency approach to bring stable supply of critical medical imaging isotope to the U.S. [FDA] The RadioGenix System is a novel manufacturing system for producing radioisotope called Technetium-99m (Tc-99m). Tc-99m plays a vital role in nuclear imaging studies for a wide range of uses, including cancer and cardiology.
UK's NICE Finalizing Updated Breast Cancer Test Guidance Following Stakeholder Comments [Genome Web] Although the current draft once again recommends against all evaluated tests, the final recommendation could absolutely be updated if companies can present a special price for their testing that would shift the health economic results into an acceptable range — as Genomic Health did in 2013.
	4.2 Dép., diag. & prono. - Génome
Genomics meets blockchain: Harvard team featuring George Church launches peer-to-peer genome sequencing startup [EndPoints] According to the white paper, this approach will result in lower sequencing costs (as companies would essentially subsidize individuals for the tests); more secure data protection (blockchain is encrypted and anonymous); and more centralized, efficient data aggregation.
	4.9 Dép., diag. & prono. - Sein
QIAGEN launches predictive therascreen PITX2 test in Europe to guide treatment in high-risk breast cancer [Qiagen] Novel DNA methylation assay provides insights for individualized chemotherapy selection.
	5.10 Traitements - Essais
Results From Phase 3 XGEVA® (Denosumab) Study In Patients With Multiple Myeloma Published In The Lancet Oncology [Amgen] XGEVA Successfully Met Primary Endpoint of Non-Inferiority Versus Zoledronic Acid in Delaying Time to First On-Study Skeletal-Related Event.
Many mutations in one clinical-trial basket [Nature] When abnormality in a gene is linked to cancer and a drug targets the encoded protein, how can the patients who will respond to the drug be identified if the gene is mutated in many different ways in many different cancers?
	5.12 Immunothérapies
Patient Specific HLA Class I Genotype Influences Response to Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors [ESMO] The findings published in Science indicate that HLA class I homozygosity and loss of heterozygosity represent a genetic barrier to effective immunotherapy, and alternative ways to harness the immune system may be necessary to maximize clinical benefit.
	5.12.2 Immunothérapies - CAR-T
Novartis could cut its Kymriah price to $160,000 and keep its profit margins: study [FiercePharma] "None of the $200 million was used to develop the therapy for FDA approval and there was no direct government funding to Novartis," the company's spokesperson said via email. Further, the company said the "oft-cited $20,000 to manufacture Kymriah is false." The company's CAR-T manufacturing costs have "never been made public and cannot be for proprietary reasons."
Drugs Don’t Work If People Can’t Afford Them: The High Price Of Tisagenlecleucel [Health Affairs Blog] Two of us are patients with currently incurable blood cancers, and a CAR-T-based treatment such as tisagenlecleucel could one day represent a life-saving treatment for our diseases. However, if patients like us cannot afford the drug, then this hope is pointless.
Patient Advocate Says Novartis' $475,000 Breakthrough Should Cost Just $160,000 [Forbes] Using publicly available information, the group estimates that at the $190,000 price, Novartis could still invest 19% of its earnings in research and development, and would still generate a profit margin of 65%, 2.5 times what the company generates on its current product portfolio.
	5.3.4 Traitements - AMM (FDA, EMA,...)
ZYTIGA® (abiraterone acetate) Plus Prednisone Approved for Treatment of Earlier Form of Metastatic Prostate Cancer [Janssen] “LATITUDE was a large global trial which produced impressive and clinically significant results in overall survival,” said Karim Fizazi, M.D., Ph.D., Principal Investigator and Head of the Medical Oncology Department at Institute Gustave Roussy, Villejuif, France. “With today’s approval, abiraterone acetate plus prednisone could become a standard of care for patients with metastatic high-risk castration-sensitive prostate cancer.”
FDA Approves New Treatment for Certain Neuroendocrine Tumors [NCI] On January 29, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a new targeted treatment, lutetium Lu 177 dotatate (Lutathera®), for adult patients with advanced NETs that affect the pancreas or gastrointestinal tract, known as GEP-NETs. Lutetium Lu 177 dotatate is the first radioactive drug approved to treat these rare cancers.
FDA approves abiraterone acetate in combination with prednisone for high-risk metastatic castration-sensitive prostate cancer [FDA] Today’s approval was based on LATITUDE (NCT01715285), a placebo controlled international clinical trial that randomized 1,199 patients with metastatic high-risk CSPC.
	5.5 ASCO
2018 Symposium Highlights Notable Research Advances in Genitourinary Cancers [ASCO] Eight noteworthy studies exploring key research in the treatment of genitourinary cancers will be presented at the 2018 Genitourinary Cancers Symposium, taking place February 8-10 at the Moscone West Building in San Francisco, California.
	5.5.3 ASCO (prostate)
Apalutamide delays progression of nonmetastatic, castration-resistant prostate cancer [Mass. General Hospital] Results of phase 3 clinical trial published online in New England Journal of Medicine.
ERLEADA™ (apalutamide), a Next-Generation Androgen Receptor Inhibitor, Lowered Risk of Metastasis or Death in Patients with Non-Metastatic Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer [Janssen] Phase 3 SPARTAN data showed ERLEADA™ improved median metastasis-free survival by more than two years.
'Two years' extra life' for men with worst prostate cancer offers hope for 10,000 patients [The Telegraph] The drug was declared safe by the European Medicines Agency last November, however patients in England will have to wait until autumn this year before health chiefs decide whether to provide it on the NHS.
Two Prostate Cancer Drugs Delay Spread of the Disease by Two Years [NY Times] The study of an experimental drug called apalutamide was published Thursday in the New England Journal of Medicine. The other study of a drug called enzalutamide, currently approved for treating prostate cancer that has already metastasized, has not yet been peer-reviewed for publication, the authors said.
	5.6 ESMO
Teleconsulting to Bring Specialised Expertise in Rare Cancers Across Europe [ESMO] In this framework, the core business of EURACAN reference centres will be teleconsulting: the idea behind this information technology platform, currently under development, is that the expertise of the reference centres will be made available to all healthcare providers wherever they are, saving patients from having to travel for treatment.
	6. Lutte contre les cancers
ASCO panel: Precision medicine in practice can be challenging [Healio] “We’ve dealt with bad expectations and sad outcomes in oncology from the beginning of my career until now, and I find that precision medicine and immunotherapies are not different in that patients need to know everything is not fool-proof from the beginning.”
	6.10 Politiques
Steve Brine MP: Government’s ambition is ‘best cancer outcomes in the world’ [Cancer Research UK] Steve Brine is a Conservative MP and the Minister for Public Health, which includes cancer care. This means he is responsible for the Government’s work to improve prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer. Following World Cancer Day, we asked Steve about what he’s doing to help beat cancer sooner.
	6.4 Médico-éco
Waiting to Treat the Cancer [NY Times] All in, the transplant and its necessary follow-up would cost around half a million dollars. Time was of the essence – he could receive the transplant only if he remained in a remission. Another week passed. And another week. The wait was maddening. We phoned his insurance company again, but they put us off, saying that his “case” was being reviewed. It wouldn’t be long before the leukemia cropped up again.