BIOLOGIE - TECHNOS, MODÈLES
St. Jude Cloud portal expands access to treasure trove of pediatric solid tumor data [St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital] The CSTN includes wide-ranging data on 170 patient-derived samples representing 21 different childhood solid tumors, including neuroblastoma, rhabdomyosarcoma and rare tumors. The samples are orthotopic patient-derived xenografts, meaning the human tumor samples are implanted and grown in the corresponding location in mice.
DÉP., DIAG. & PRONO. - GÉNOME
Rapid genomic profiling of colon cancers can improve therapy selection for patients [EurekAlert!] In a new multicenter study, researchers compared a new cartridge-based laboratory testing device called the IdyllaTM automated system (Biocartis) to current standard-of-care testing methods. They found that average turnaround time for test results could be cut by more than 65% from 15 days to 5 days, with some results available in a single day.
DÉP., DIAG. & PRONO. - COLON-RECTUM
Complications after colonoscopy up for those aged ≥ 75 [Medical XPress] For individuals undergoing outpatient colonoscopy, the risk of 30-day postcolonoscopy complications is increased for those aged ≥75 years, according to a study published online June 25 in JAMA Network Open.
DÉP., DIAG. & PRONO. - BIOPSIES LIQUIDES
Brain and Kidney Cancer Studies Lay Path for Clinical Application of Epigenetic Liquid Biopsy Method [Genome Web] Two publications piloting different potential clinical applications appeared in Nature Medicine this week.
DÉP., DIAG. & PRONO. - IMAGERIE
MRI scan used for heart disease could also pick out aggressive cancers [Institute of Cancer Research] Researchers showed that the MRI imaging technique, known as T1-mapping, could offer crucial insights into the biology of childhood cancers and give an early warning of how effective targeted treatments were likely to be.
TRAITEMENTS - PRÉ-CLINIQUE
How cancer drugs find their targets [MIT] “We used to think that drugs come to the right place because their targets are there, but in our in vitro system, the target is not there. That’s really informative — it shows the drug is actually being concentrated in a different way than we thought.”
TRAITEMENTS - ESSAIS
Targeted drug improves survival for children with non-Hodgkin lymphoma [Cancer Research UK] The latest clinical trial analysis, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, involved 328 children and young people aged between 2 and 18 years, with recruitment in 12 different countries. The trial tested the benefits of adding 6 doses of rituximab to standard chemotherapy treatment.
IMMUNOTHÉRAPIES - BIOTECH
Novartis-backed Poseida is packing in the cash for its next-gen CAR-T work, adding a $110M venture raise on top of its newly-refiled IPO [EndPoints] Poseida’s big idea involves the use of a non-viral DNA tech that they say can be used to gather a bigger concentration of stem cell memory T cells that can avoid the exhaustion that limits the efficacy of the pioneers — a central theme in cell therapy 2.0.
Natural killer biotech Artiva launches with $78M, industry veterans [Fierce Biotech]
The company plans to enter the clinic this year with AB-101 in combination with an anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody for the treatment of relapsed refractory B-cell lymphoma.
IMMUNOTHÉRAPIES - AMM
FDA Approves Pembrolizumab for Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma [ESMO] Efficacy was investigated in KEYNOTE-629 (NCT03284424), a multicentre, multi-cohort, non-randomised, open-label trial. The trial excluded patients who had previously received therapy with an anti-PD-1, anti-PD-L1, or anti-CTLA-4 antibody and those with autoimmune disease or a medical condition that required immunosuppression.
IMMUNOTHÉRAPIES - PRÉ-CLINIQUE
Immune Cells Hampered When Fighting Soft Tissue and Bone Sarcomas [Johns Hopkins] Immunotherapies such as checkpoint inhibitors that enhance the body’s natural ability to fight cancer have been only minimally successful in treating sarcomas — rare cancers that grow in the soft tissues and bones. In a new study, Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center researchers have teased out the tumor microenvironment in these cancers to look for reasons why.
Manipulating proteins to make 'cold' tumors responsive to immunotherapies [Fierce Biotech]
In mice with a variety of cancers, DR-18 significantly reduced tumor growth compared with wild-type IL-18. It also completely cleared tumors in many of the animals.
IMMUNOTHÉRAPIES - CAR-T, THÉRAPIES CELLULAIRES, …
Cellectis Published Streamlined Manufacturing Method to Generate Ultrapure Allogeneic CAR T-Cell Therapies [Cellectis] This article describes an innovative and easy-to-implement procedure which will streamline the manufacturing of allogeneic ‘off-the-shelf’ CAR T-cell therapies.
PHARMA
Sanofi preps another round of layoffs as new execs look to slim down the global pharma in an ongoing reorganization — report [EndPoints] Since Hudson’s arrival in Paris, the company has dumped its diabetes work, focusing on cancer and specialty care. There’s long been considerable tension between the European side of Sanofi and the US-based research ops, where Reed is based.
FDA, EMA, ...
Emer Cooke nominated as new EMA Executive Director [EMA] Ms Cooke has 30 years’ experience in international regulatory affairs, 18 years of which were in leadership roles. She worked for the pharmaceutical unit of the European Commission from 1998 to 2002 and at EMA between 2002 and 2016.
EMA nominates Emer Cooke as executive director to replace Guido Rasi [EndPoints]
Cooke is currently the director of the Regulation and Prequalification Department at the WHO, where she leads the international agency’s work on health technology regulation, standards, prequalification and regulatory systems strengthening.
EMA picks WHO's Cooke to replace Rasi as executive director [Fierce Biotech]
In nominating Cooke, the management board has turned to an EMA insider to lead the agency.
TRAITEMENTS - AMM
Meeting highlights from the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) 22-25 June 2020 [EMA] The CHMP adopted a negative opinion recommending the refusal of a marketing authorisation for Turalio (pexidartinib). Turalio was expected to be used to treat tenosynovial giant cell tumours.
Samsung Bioepis Receives Positive CHMP Opinion for AYBINTIO® (Bevacizumab) [Samsung]
AYBINTIO® is recommended for the treatment of the same types of cancer as reference bevacizumab.
TRAITEMENTS - ÉCONOMIE
Prostate cancer hormone therapy not recommended for NHS in England [Cancer Research UK] In addition to the uncertainties about the drug’s effectiveness, NHS England and the manufacturer were unable to agree a pricing arrangement that would make abiraterone a cost-effective use of NHS resources.
LUTTE CONTRE LES CANCERS - OBSERVATION
A Study Of Early-onset Colorectal Cancer In Young Adult Men Reveals “Hotspots” Of Death In The United States [Huntsman Cancer Institute] Rogers and his colleagues developed an analysis of counties with a high rate of early-onset colorectal cancer using data from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention during the years 1999 to 2017. They then linked this to Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program data from the National Cancer Institute for men aged 15 to 49.
