BIOLOGIE
Searching for novel connections in cancer metabolism [Cancer Research UK] To assess the metabolic changes that occur in cancer cells, the team acquired an ingenious piece of equipment known as the Intelligent Knife (or iKnife).
ÉTIOLOGIE - GÉNOME
Incidental Findings Most Frequent in Cancer Risk Genes, EMERGE III Data Show [Genome Web] The team found that more than 2.5 percent of participants, who were enrolled at 10 sites in the US, carried pathogenic or likely pathogenic variants in one or more of the 59 genes flagged for reporting by the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG), while a further 0.48 percent carried clinically actionable changes in the other genes and SNPs considered.
PRÉVENTION - ACTIVITÉ PHYSIQUE
Study shows sedentary behavior independently predicts cancer mortality [MD Anderson Cancer Center] Replacing sitting time with 30 minutes of activity associated with lower risk of cancer death.
DÉP., DIAG. & PRONO. - BIOPSIES LIQUIDES
Could tracking RNA in body fluids reveal disease? [Nature] Tests that detect extracellular RNA to spot cancer, heart disease and other conditions are in development.
DÉP., DIAG. & PRONO. - IMAGERIE
Will chemo cause heart failure? A new test may have answers [Yale] A study based on an animal model experiment to test the procedure appears in the journal JACC CardioOncology. The new method uses coronary CT angiography (CTA) to measure the diameter of epicardial coronary vessels, which help direct blood flow to the heart muscle.
TRAITEMENTS - PRÉ-CLINIQUE
How cells’ ‘lava lamp’ effect could make cancer drugs more powerful [Nature] In a study published today in Science, Young and his colleagues at the Whitehead Institute in Cambridge, Massachusetts, show that cancer-drug compounds become concentrated in precise spots in cells — because of a phenomenon called phase separation by which all cells partition their contents.
Researchers Attempt New Treatment Approach for Blood Cancer [Boston University]
In an effort to improve the survival of patients with myeloproliferative neoplasms, a type of leukemia, researchers inhibited a specific protein (alpha5beta1 integrin) to decrease the number of large bone marrow cells (megakaryocytes) in an experimental model.
IMMUNOTHÉRAPIES - BIOTECH
Shattuck Labs Nabs $118M for Cancer Drugs Like Keytruda, But Better [Xconomy] Shattuck’s drugs are fusion proteins. Schreiber says his company designs its drugs using proprietary technology called Agonist Redirected Checkpoint (ARC). The drugs it produces have six costimulatory domains, which are the parts of the drug that activate an immune response.
PHARMA
One of Roche’s spotlight PhIII cancer drug hopefuls stumbles in a key trial, with hit-and-miss results [EndPoints] Ipatasertib is designed to block the PI3K/AKT pathway, coming out of a partnership that Genentech struck with Array before Pfizer bought them out.
Roche’s IPATential150 study evaluating ipatasertib in combination with abiraterone and prednisone/prednisolone met one of its co-primary endpoints [Roche]
The results of the IPATential150 study will be presented at an upcoming medical meeting. While initial data are encouraging, overall survival benefit and additional secondary endpoints are not yet mature.
Roche phase 3 hits goal in subgroup of prostate cancer patients [Fierce Biotech]
Roche is yet to share full data from the trial, but the top-line findings suggest ipatasertib may have a future. There is a mechanistic explanation for why ipatasertib would perform better in patients with PTEN-loss tumors.
Roche prostate cancer hopeful has mixed results in late-stage trial [Reuters]
For the overall group of patients in its Phase III IPATential150 study, Roche said ipatasertib did not meet its goal of boosting radiographic progression-free survival (rPFS), a key goal in mCRPC.
TRAITEMENTS - FDA, EMA,...
GSK announces FDA Advisory Committee meeting to review belantamab mafodotin for the treatment of patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma [GSK] Six-month primary results from the study were published in The Lancet Oncology and follow-up data were presented at the 2020 American Society of Clinical Oncology annual meeting.
TRAITEMENTS - AMM
FDA granted accelerated approval to tazemetostat for follicular lymphoma [FDA] These indications are approved under accelerated approval based on overall response rate and duration of response. Continued approval for these indications may be contingent upon verification and description of clinical benefit in a confirmatory trial(s).
Epizyme hits the ground running with second — and crucial — OK for Tazverik, in follicular lymphoma [EndPoints]
The OK was anchored on overall response rate and duration of response in a Phase II, which encompassed both mutated and wild-type EZH2.
FDA Grants Accelerated Approval to Lurbinectedin for Metastatic SCLC [ESMO]
Efficacy was demonstrated in the PM1183-B-005-14 study.
AACR
AACR Virtual Annual Meeting 2020: Personalised cancer vaccine shows promise in early trial [Institute of Cancer Research] The vaccine comprises of genetic material called messenger RNA that corresponds to the genetic make-up of the neoantigens specific to each person’s tumour.
LUTTE CONTRE LES CANCERS - COVID19
Sharpless: COVID-19 expected to increase mortality by at least 10,000 deaths from breast and colorectal cancers over 10 years [The Cancer Letter] This analysis, frankly, is pretty conservative. We do not consider cancers other than those of breast and colon, but there is every reason to believe the pandemic will affect other types of cancer, too.
Ignoring cancer care now may trade one public health crisis — Covid-19 — for another, NCI chief warns [STAT]
NCI estimates a drop of 75% in mammograms since March, which may be conservative, Sharpless said, compared to the 95% cited by Epic, the electronic health records vendor.
ACS faces precipitous drop in fundraising [The Cancer Letter]
According to information widely shared with the staff, ACS, the largest nonprofit focused on all cancers, is hoping to raise $512 million this year. This target represents the best-case scenario for the charity, which is believed to have raised around $700 million last year.
