Onco Actu du 29 octobre 2019

	1.4 BIOLOGIE - TECHNOS, MODÈLES
The human element: A biotech upstart hopes to carve a path around faulty animal models [EndPoints] The group will be building a technology that promises to shortcut the sometimes months-long process of generating stem cells — which itself was a Nobel prize-winning achievement twelve years ago – and convert one cell type directly into any another.
	2. ETIOLOGIE
The facts about birth control and cancer risks [Washington Post] Ultimately, the disease-related risks and benefits of such devices may even out, at least for most people. But individual health factors need to be considered.
	2.11 ETIOLOGIE - ALIMENTATION
Does eating dairy foods increase your risk of prostate cancer? [The Conversation] Evidence about dairy products and prostate cancer remains uncertain. So before fussing about whether to skip milk, cheese and yoghurt, men who wish to reduce their risk of prostate cancer would be better advised to lose any excess weight.
	2.13 ETIOLOGIE - NDMA
EMA Lays Out Plans for Testing for Nitrosamine Impurities [RAPS] By 26 April 2020, EMA is calling on companies to conduct a risk evaluation to identify products at risk of N-nitrosamine formation or (cross-)contamination and report the outcome and fill out either the template indicating “no risk identified” or “risk identified.”
	3.1.1 PRÉVENTION - TABAC - E-CIGS
Characteristics of Patients in a National Outbreak of E-cigarette, or Vaping, Product Use–Associated Lung Injuries — United States, October 2019 [CDC] As of October 22, 2019, a total of 1,604 cases of EVALI, including 34 deaths, were reported to CDC. Based on data collected as of October 15, 2019, use of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)-containing products in the 3 months preceding symptom onset was reported by 86% of patients.
Deaths linked to vaping often involved THC products, not nicotine, CDC says [CNN] "The data do continue to point towards THC-containing products," Dr. Anne Schuchat, CDC's principal deputy director, told reporters Friday. "But I'd like to stress that we don't know what the risky material or substance is. THC may be a marker for a way that cartridges were prepared or way that the devices are producing harm."
	4.2 DÉP., DIAG. & PRONO. - GÉNOME
MUTYH: Who should be screened? How should we screen? Who decides? [DNA Exchange] The focus right now seems to be on the question of how we should be screening for MUTYH. I think we are engaging in the wrong discussion here – I think we should go back to the heart of this and really take a close look at why we are doing this testing?
	5.1 TRAITEMENTS - PRÉ-CLINIQUE
Resistance to Targeted Leukemia Drug Lurks in Cells’ “Powerhouse” [Dana-Farber Cancer Institute] As they demonstrate in a recent paper in Cancer Cell, the mechanism has two components, both of which involve mitochondria, the lozenge-shaped structures that provide energy for the cell.
Tumors alone may be linked to cancer patients’ cognitive problems [Ohio State University] Study in mice suggests both cancer and chemo affect the circadian clock.
	5.10 TRAITEMENTS - ESSAIS
Treating the TOTAL patient: clinical trial reduces relapse [St. Jude Children's Research Hospital] Total 16 evaluated interventions aimed at preventing relapse by improving systemic and CNS disease control. Researchers found that adding doses of chemotherapy in the cerebrospinal fluid earlier in care improved CNS control without adding toxicity for high-risk patients.
	5.12.11 IMMUNOTHÉRAPIES - PRÉ-CLINIQUE
Teamwork by different T-cell types boosts tumour destruction by immunotherapy [Nature] Immunotherapy treatment harnesses CD8 T cells of the immune system to kill tumour cells. The finding that CD4 helper T cells contribute to the success of this treatment in mice might offer a way to improve clinical outcomes.
	5.12.3 IMMUNOTHÉRAPIES-COMBINAISONS
AstraZeneca, on BMS' heels, scores lung cancer win with Imfinzi combos [Fierce Pharma] With the triplet, AstraZeneca will also have to show a large enough benefit to justify adding a third drug into the mix. Doing so often ups toxicity levels for patients, not to mention the added costs.
AstraZeneca joins Bristol-Myers' run at Merck in lung cancer [Biopharma Dive] AstraZeneca did not release detailed safety and efficacy results. Oncologists will want to see data on Imfinzi's magnitude of benefit as well as side effects before deciding whether to use it instead of Merck's Keytruda.
AstraZeneca’s triplet with Imfinzi, treme and chemo works on a key endpoint for frontline lung cancer [EndPoints] Overall survival data — which is critical — are expected to follow next year, as AstraZeneca continues to pursue a bigger share of the market with a slate of late-stage studies.
AstraZeneca's combo drug for lung cancer succeeds in late-stage trial [Reuters] Shares of Merck & Co Inc, whose drug Keytruda is a dominant treatment for advanced lung cancer, dropped as much as 2% after the data.
Imfinzi and Imfinzi plus tremelimumab delayed disease progression in Phase III POSEIDON trial for 1st-line treatment of Stage IV non-small cell lung cancer [AstraZeneca] The POSEIDON trial will continue to assess the additional primary endpoint of overall survival (OS) with data anticipated in 2020. AstraZeneca will submit the results for presentation at a forthcoming medical meeting and plans to share the results with health authorities.
	5.2 PHARMA
Blueprint Medicines Announces FDA Intent to Split Avapritinib New Drug Application into Separate Submissions for PDGFRA Exon 18 Mutant GIST and Fourth-Line GIST [Blueprint] Given proximity of NDA action date to anticipated top-line data readout for Phase 3 VOYAGER trial, FDA requested VOYAGER top-line data to inform its review of fourth-line GIST indication.
	5.2.3 PHARMA - ÉCONOMIE
Ovarian cancer market set to smash $6.7 billion by 2025 [Pharmafile] This growth is predicted to be driven predominantly by adoption of maintenance therapy for the disease across the US, UK, France, Germany, Spain, Italy and Japan.
	5.9 AACR
Merus Bispecific Antibody MCLA-128 Shows Encouraging Early Clinical Activity in Patients with Cancers Harboring NRG1 Gene Fusions [Merus] Of nine patients enrolled across the MCLA-128 Early Access Program and the eNRGy Clinical Trial, four of seven treated showed clinical activity, two are too early in treatment for first assessment.
Merus charts early promise for cancer drug targeting NRG1 fusions [Fierce Biotech] Targeting NRG1 fusions with the investigational drug produced tumor shrinkage in two of the patients, both of whom had pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, and in another with non-small cell lung cancer.
Selumetinib Shows Clinical Benefit in Adult Patients with Neurofibromatosis Type 1-Associated Plexiform Neurofibromas [AACR] Patients were evaluated for shrinkage of plexiform neurofibromas and for improvement in pain and other symptoms using patient-reported outcomes. Preliminary results showed that 71 percent of the 21 evaluable patients had a partial response.
Mixed early data on Agios' AG-270 suggest combo therapy could be way forward [EndPoints] The drugmaker has already kicked off additional phase 1 arms to explore AG-270 in combination with other drugs in second-line non-small cell lung cancer and first or second-line pancreatic cancer.
	5.9.8 AACR - BIOTECH
Mirati keeps pace with Amgen in hunt for KRAS cancer drug [Biopharma Dive] Investors will likely be quick to compare the two datasets, although, with results from so few patients available, it's difficult to judge the drugs against each other.
Mirati clears first clinical hurdle in KRAS race against Amgen [Fierce Biotech] As of the cutoff, 12 patients treated with MRTX849 had undergone a radiographic scan to assess the impact of the drug. Of the six non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients, three had partial responses, resulting in a response rate in line with that achieved by Amgen in the indication. One of the four colorectal cancer (CRC) patients assessed to date had a partial response.
Mirati Therapeutics Presents First Clinical Data Of Phase 1/2 Trial Of MRTX849 At The 2019 AACR-NCI-EORTC International Conference On Molecular Targets And Cancer Therapeutics [Mirati] Preliminary Clinical Activity and Favorable Safety Profile Support Dose Expansion.
MRTX849 Shows Clinical Activity in Patients With KRAS G12C-mutant Solid Cancers [AACR] Data demonstrating the efficacy of MRTX849 in preclinical studies and in two patients with solid tumors were published simultaneously in Cancer Discovery.
Mirati team demonstrates that their KRAS G12C drug is active in NSCLC — but how do they stack up next to Amgen? [EndPoints] Part of what’s coming next for both Amgen and Mirati are combination studies, with the Mirati crew looking at a matchup with PD-1 and cetuximab, which has been making a mark in colorectal cancer combined with Braftovi and Mektovi.
Mirati drug shrinks tumors in some cancer patients in early-stage trial [Reuters] “The signs are there, but the numbers are small,” lead study investigator Dr. Pasi Janne, director of thoracic oncology at Boston’s Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, told Reuters. “It is too early to say anything about the durability of response.”
	6. LUTTE CONTRE LES CANCERS
Scientist Led or Mission Oriented – How much does it cost research funders to lead science? [LSE Impact Blog] It is rather surprising that virtually zero funds from any major scientific funding agency in the world explicitly subsidize scientific adjustments. For instance, there is no grant I am aware of where the objectives are for scientists to just change the focus of their laboratory – funds are almost always expected to be used for “doing” science, producing knowledge, writing papers.
	6.6 PUBLICATIONS
Careless citations don't just spread scientific myths – they can make them stronger [Nature] The study, published in PLoS ONE by Kåre Letrud and Sigbjørn Hernes of the University of Applied Sciences in Lillehammer, Norway, looks at citations and mis-citations of three articles critiquing the so-called Hawthorne effect. It’s the first in a series of planned investigations of what Letrud refers to as “tenacious scientific myths”.
	6.7 DMP, BIG DATA & APPLIS
Thinking Inside the Box: five ways the ICR is leading the way with Big Data in cancer research [Institute of Cancer Research] There is a long way to go – in order to be able to get the most out of data, we need common guidelines around the quality of data entered into the public domain. Harnessing the data available is a huge challenge given its scale and complexity, but it will form an integral part of understanding and treating cancer in the future.
	6.8 COMMUNICATION
Facebook vows strict privacy safeguards as it rolls out preventive-health tool [STAT] Facebook on Monday took a step into preventive medicine, rolling out a new tool to encourage users to get flu shots as well as appropriate cancer screenings and heart health tests.