Onco Actu du 17 mai 2018

	2.11 Etiologie - Alimentation
In Labeling Coffee a Carcinogen, California Leaps Ahead of the Science [Undark] There is a universe of difference between something that might cause cancer and something known to do so. California should take heed.
	3.1.1 Prévention - Tabac - e-cigs
Both Sides of the Vaping Controversy [Conversable Economist] My reading of the evidence comes down somewhat in favor of a belief that vaping will disrupt the cigarette industry, and that the probabilities are in favor of believing that this change will benefit public health.
Vape Pen Explodes, Killing a Man in Florida [NY Times] An electronic cigarette exploded and killed a man in Florida this month, the authorities said, in what appears to be the first death attributed to vaping products in the United States.
	4.2 Dép., diag. & prono. - Génome
Implementing and Evaluating Genomic Screening Programs in Health Care Systems [National Academies Press] Of particular interest are genomics- based screening programs, which will, in this publication, be clinical screening programs that examine genes or variants in unselected populations in order to identify individuals who are at an increased risk for a particular health concern (e.g., diseases, adverse drug outcomes) and who might benefit from clinical interventions.
	5.1 Traitements - Pré-clinique
NIH, Northwestern scientists develop potential new approach to stop cancer metastasis [NIH] The team collaborated to identify a compound, which they named metarrestin, that stopped tumor metastasis in multiple animal models. Mice treated with metarrestin also had fewer tumors and lived longer than mice that did not receive treatment.
	5.12.7 Immunothérapies - vaccins
Is This Stem Cell Clinic Really Making Cancer Vaccines? [Wired] On May 9, the FDA along with the Department of Justice filed a complaint seeking a permanent injunction against US Stem Cell and Comella, accusing them of endangering patient safety and failing to meet manufacturing standards for cell therapies.
	5.2.3 Pharma - économie
Former Novartis CEO Explains Why His Company Paid Trump Lawyer Michael Cohen $1.2 Million [Forbes] A million dollars, Jimenez says, is a lot of money, even to a Novartis chief executive. But it was not a lot for a corporation of Novartis' size, given what he feared was at stake if the Trump Administration was going to rebuild the Affordable Care Act.
Novartis announces changes to the Executive Committee [Novartis] Mr. Ehrat said: "Although the contract was legally in order, it was an error. As a co-signatory with our former CEO, I take personal responsibility to bring the public debate on this matter to an end."
	5.3.4 Traitements - AMM (FDA, EMA,...)
Exelixis’ Partner Ipsen Announces European Commission Approval of CABOMETYX® (Cabozantinib) for Previously Untreated Intermediate- or Poor-Risk Advanced Renal Cell Carcinoma [Exelixis] Approval based on statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvement in progression-free survival for CABOMETYX versus sunitinib in CABOSUN trial.
	5.4 Traitements - Economie
Roche gets NICE approval for advanced bladder cancer [Pharmafile] As is usually the case, NICE has given the nod to the treatment only after it agreed a confidential discount on the list price of the drug, which doesn’t come cheap at the official cost of £3,807.69 per 1,200 mg vial.
	5.5 ASCO
ASCO 2018: How a major medical meeting uses embargoes to shape the news, and what the consequences may be [HealthNewsReview] "This is incomplete information that hasn’t been vetted or peer-reviewed. Most journalists — and the public — don’t know the limitations of these highly promoted data."
	5.5.1 ASCO (général)
ASCO 2018 Preview [OBR blog] Topics covered included a practice-changing regimen for T-cell malignancies, shorter course trastuzumab for early HER2-positive breast cancer, cost-effectiveness of next-generation sequencing, mobile sensor technology for reducing symptom severity in head and neck cancer survivors, and alarmingly low rates of lung cancer screening in heavy smokers and former heavy smokers. Here are recaps of the major findings.
	5.5.1.1 ASCO (général) - Industriels
Janssen to Present New Data in Urothelial, Hematologic and Prostate Cancers at ASCO 2018, Including Best of ASCO Selections [Janssen] New data analyses in support of a portfolio of products, including the investigational treatment erdafitinib, IMBRUVICA® (ibrutinib), DARZALEX® (daratumumab), ERLEADA™ (apalutamide) and ZYTIGA® (abiraterone acetate), will be highlighted across urothelial, hematologic and prostate cancers.
AbbVie to Show Progress and Growth in Oncology Research at the American Society of Clinical Oncology 2018 Annual Meeting [AbbVie] More than 30 abstracts accepted across hematologic malignancies, solid tumors and other oncology-related diseases.
Celgene to Present New Clinical Data in Blood Cancer and Solid Tumor Therapies at Upcoming American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Scientific Sessions [Celgene] Presentations highlight the value of innovative research in key disease areas including multiple myeloma, lymphoma, acute myeloid leukemia and squamous non-small cell lung cancer, as well as novel CAR T technology.
Loxo Oncology's targeted RET drug shows promise in early trial [Reuters] Loxo shares rose more than 9 percent after the data was released, while shares of Blueprint Medicines, which is developing a rival drug, fell more than 12 percent.
Pfizer Oncology to Showcase Clinical Advances from its Growing Portfolio and Research Pipeline at ASCO [Pfizer] The research to be presented includes new insights on Pfizer’s late-phase investigational compounds dacomitinib, lorlatinib, talazoparib and glasdegib, as well as Pfizer’s marketed therapy XTANDI® (enzalutamide).
Jounce Therapeutics to Present Data from Ongoing ICONIC Trial of JTX-2011 at the 2018 American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting [Jounce] The abstract published today online reflects data as of January 27, 2018 and updated results will be presented on June 2, 2018.
New Data from Merck’s Leading Immuno-Oncology Clinical Development Program in Over 25 Tumor Types to Be Presented at 2018 ASCO Annual Meeting [Merck] The abstracts accepted for the 2018 ASCO Annual Meeting include data for approved and investigational uses of KEYTRUDA, investigational uses of PARP inhibitor Lynparza and MEK inhibitor selumetinib (in collaboration with AstraZeneca), and investigational uses of kinase inhibitor LENVIMA (in collaboration with Eisai).
Bristol-Myers Squibb Highlights Breadth of Immuno-Oncology–Based Combination Research and Commitment to Advancing Precision Medicine at ASCO 2018 [BMS] Seven BMS compounds to be featured in presentations spanning more than 20 types of cancer.
Loxo Oncology Announces Details of LOXO-292 Clinical Data Presentations at the 2018 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting [Loxo] The oral presentation is entitled “A Phase 1 Study of LOXO-292, A Potent and Highly Selective RET Inhibitor, in Patients with RET-Altered Cancers.” The submitted abstract utilized a January 2018 data cut-off date. The presentation at the ASCO Annual Meeting will utilize an April 2018 data cut-off date.
	5.5.10 ASCO (hémato)
bluebird bio to Present Updated Clinical Results from Ongoing Multicenter Phase 1 Study of bb2121 Anti- BCMA CAR T Cell Therapy in Patients with Late Stage Relapsed/Refractory Multiple Myeloma at ASCO Annual Meeting [bluebird bio] Presentation will include safety and efficacy data from 21 patients treated in dose-escalation phase and early data from patients treated in dose-expansion phase.
New Regimens Improve Survival for Children and Young Adults With T-Cell Cancers [ASCO] In a federally funded, randomized phase III clinical trial performed by the Children’s Oncology Group (COG), 90% of children and young adults with T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) or T-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma (T-LL) were alive four years after starting treatment regimens on this trial, and 84% were cancer free. These are the highest survival rates for these T-cell malignancies reported to date, according to the authors.
	5.5.13 ASCO (divers)
More Choices for Treating Insomnia in Cancer Survivors: Acupuncture and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy [ASCO] The survivors in the trial had completed cancer treatment, and the mean time since cancer diagnosis was about six years. The survivors had received treatment for breast, prostate, head and neck, hematologic, and colorectal cancer.
Use of Mobile and Sensor Technology Lowers Symptom Severity for People With Head and Neck Cancer [ASCO] Patients who used the technology – which included a Bluetooth-enabled weight scale, Bluetooth-enabled blood pressure cuff, and mobile tablet with a symptom-tracking app that sent information directly to their physician each weekday – had lower symptom severity than participants who had standard weekly visits with their doctors.
	5.5.2 ASCO (sein)
Roche breast cancer drug treatment time can be halved - study [Reuters] Roche, in an emailed statement, said other studies have not shown that a shorter treatment duration works as well as 12 months, and emphasized that use of Herceptin for one year is the only FDA-approved indication for HER2-positive early breast cancer.
Test of Herceptin Finds Briefer Treatment Can Work, With Fewer Side Effects [NPR] Even though the report covers the results after five years of study, there were relatively few deaths in either group, so researchers can't yet say for sure whether the long-term benefits are the same for the two treatment options.
Shorter Trastuzumab Treatment for HER2+ Breast Cancer Can Be as Effective, With Fewer Cardiac Side Effects [ASCO] A phase III randomized clinical trial of 4,089 women with HER2-positive, early-stage breast cancer found that taking trastuzumab (Herceptin) for 6 months was non-inferior to the current standard of 12 months. The disease-free survival rate at four years was 89.4% with 6 months of therapy and 89.8% with 12 months of therapy. In addition, only 4% of women in the 6-month arm stopped trastuzumab early because of cardiac problems, compared with 8% in the 12-month arm.
Shorter drug treatment OK for many breast cancer patients [AP] “There’s no reason to not immediately change practice. The findings are persuasive,” said Dr. Richard Schilsky, chief medical officer for the oncology society. Most of Herceptin’s cancer-fighting benefit seems to come in the early months of use, he said.
Six months of breast cancer treatment ‘could be as effective as 12’ in some women with early stage disease [Cancer Research UK] Professor Charles Swanton, Cancer Research UK’s chief clinician, said the results of this study had been eagerly awaited by breast cancer researchers. He added that reducing treatment time could help make expensive targeted drugs more cost effective.
For Women With Early Breast Cancer, Herceptin Treatment Can Be Much Shorter [NY Times] Dr. Earl’s study, called the Persephone trial, included 4,089 women in Britain who were picked at random to take the drug for six or 12 months, along with standard chemotherapy. The women were 23 to 82 years old, with a median age of 56. They were followed for a median of more than five years.
	5.5.8 ASCO (poumon)
Merck's Keytruda boosts response in hard-to-treat lung cancer [Reuters] An early look at results of a 204-patient trial showed an overall response rate of 58.4 percent for newly-diagnosed patients given Keytruda plus carboplatin and paclitaxel or Celgene Corp’s Abraxane. That compared to 35 percent for chemotherapy alone.
Testing for all lung cancer mutations at once found cost effective - study [Reuters] The study did not factor in the cost of treatment. The study was funded by Swiss drugmaker Novartis, maker of Zykadia, a drug that targets ALK mutations found in about 4 percent of NSCLC cases.
Merck KGaA's lung cancer drugs show promise in early-stage trials [Reuters] The family-controlled company late on Wednesday released some initial data from early- and mid-stage trials, giving a 3.5 percent boost to the share price after the open on Thursday.
Roche immunotherapy combination increases lung cancer survival - study [Reuters] The Swiss company is awaiting a U.S. approval decision expected by September 5 for Tecentriq in combination with Avastin and chemotherapy as an initial, or first-line, treatment for NSCLC.
Vast Majority of Heavy Smokers Not Screened for Lung Cancer Despite USPSTF Recommendations [ASCO] An analysis of 1,800 lung cancer screening sites nationwide found that only 1.9% of more than 7 million current and former heavy smokers were screened for lung cancer in 2016, despite United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) and ASCO screening recommendations.
Follow-up phase III data showed Roche’s Alecensa helped people with ALK-positive metastatic non-small cell lung cancer live a median of almost three years without their disease worsening or death [Roche] Investigator-assessed longer follow-up of the ALEX study demonstrated sustained benefit in the reduction of the risk of disease progression or death (57%) for people treated with Alecensa.
Upfront, Comprehensive Genetic Testing in Advanced Lung Cancer Is Cost-Effective [ASCO] The model included Medicare and commercial health plans with 1 million hypothetical members. In the model, NGS saved as much as $2.1 million for Medicare, and more than $250,000 for commercial insurance providers.
Phase III IMpower150 study showed Roche’s Tecentriq and Avastin plus carboplatin and paclitaxel helped people with a specific type of metastatic lung cancer live significantly longer compared to Avastin plus carboplatin and paclitaxel [Roche] A survival advantage for the Tecentriq and Avastin combination regimen was observed in all pre-specified exploratory patient subgroups analysed, including people with EGFR and ALK mutations, liver metastases and those with varying levels of PD-L1 expression.
	5.9 AACR
Eleven New Institutions Join AACR Project GENIE Consortium [AACR] With this, there are now 19 institutions contributing clinical-grade genomic and clinical outcomes data to the AACR Project GENIE registry, and more are anticipated to be added in the near future.
	6.1 Observation
Why Is Liver Cancer on the Rise? [Cancer Research Catalyst] The study attributed about 22 percent of liver cancer deaths to cigarette smoking. Obesity is another driving force. Previous research has found that from 2000 to 2003, about 26 percent of liver cancer cases were attributable to excess body weight; from 2008 through 2011, body weight could be linked to about 36 percent of liver cancer cases that occurred. Alcoholism and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, a type of severe fatty liver disease, are also risk factors.
	6.10 Politiques
China extends drug patents to 25 years [Asian Review] China will lengthen patent protection on pharmaceuticals to up to 25 years from 20 starting this month, in a move that appears aimed at deflecting U.S. criticism over intellectual property violations.
	6.6 Publications
Sweden Cancels Agreement With Elsevier Over Open Access [The Scientist] A consortium of institutions will not renew its contract with the publisher that ends in June, following the lead of organizations in other countries.
Opinion: Reproducibility failures are essential to scientific inquiry [PNAS] We argue that the decades-long process of metabolizing reproducibility failures through theoretical integration is what leads to the reliable results across the sciences that have provided us with remarkable life-changing medical and engineering consequences.
Nine pitfalls of research misconduct [Nature] C.K.G. coined the mnemonic TRAGEDIES (Temptation, Rationalization, Ambition, Group and authority pressure, Entitlement, Deception, Incrementalism, Embarrassment and Stupid systems) to capture the interlocking factors that can lead scientists astray.
Give every paper a read for reproducibility [Nature] In 2012, I saw an advertisement for an unusual new role, and knew I was the one for the job. Leaders at the Cancer Research UK Beatson Institute, a non-profit organization in Glasgow, had created a position to weave discussion of and practices for research integrity into the daily routines of its roughly 300 researchers.