Immunotherapy Rechallenge in NSCLC Yields Overall Survival Boost
CHICAGO — Randomized data suggest that an anti-angiogenic agent can kick-start immunotherapy’s antitumor activity in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients whose disease has already progressed after chemotherapy and a checkpoint inhibitor. In the phase II study, median overall survival improved by nearly 3 months with ramucirumab (Cyramza) plus pembrolizumab (Keytruda) versus standard-of-care options (14.5 […]
Intratumoral Combo Shrinks Melanomas Refractory to Anti-PD-1
Intratumoral injection of an investigational agent, BO-112, combined with pembrolizumab (Keytruda) demonstrated promising efficacy in certain patients with advanced melanoma refractory to anti-PD-1-based therapy, according to results from a single-arm phase II trial. Ten of 40 evaluable patients responded to treatment — six partial and four complete responses — meeting the study’s primary endpoint of […]
Even With CKD, Patiromer Helped Heart Failure Patients Keep Hyperkalemia at Bay
Regardless of chronic kidney disease (CKD) stage, the potassium-binding agent patiromer (Veltassa) improved serum potassium levels in patients with heart failure, according to a prespecified CKD subanalysis from the DIAMOND trial. In a subgroup of patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction plus CKD, and hyperkalemia due to renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system inhibitors (RAASi), patiromer significantly […]
Patiromer Limits Impact of RAAS Inhibitor-Related Hyperkalemia in HF
WASHINGTON — Use of the potassium-binding agent patiromer (Veltassa) allowed more heart failure patients at risk for hyperkalemia to remain on optimal therapy with renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system inhibitors (RAAS), including mineralocorticoids, the randomized DIAMOND trial showed. For the study’s revised primary endpoint, patiromer led to a significant reduction in potassium levels by study end versus placebo […]
Naomi Osaka Pulls Out Of Wimbledon
Tennis star Naomi Osaka will not be playing in the upcoming Wimbledon tournament. Osaka’s agent said in a statement Thursday that the 23-year-old four-time Grand Slam winner “is taking some personal time with friends and family,” but is still expected to play in the Summer Olympics. Osaka, who is ranked second in the world in […]
Common household cleaner can boost effort to harvest fusion energy on Earth
Scientists have found that adding a common household cleaning agent — the mineral boron contained in such cleaners as Borax — can vastly improve the ability of some fusion energy devices to contain the heat required to produce fusion reactions on Earth the way the sun and stars do. Physicists at the U.S. Department of […]
Year in Review: Lung Cancer
Lung cancer developments in 2021 were highlighted by the approval of an agent for a target once considered “undruggable,” the first approval of an adjuvant immunotherapy, broader screening recommendations from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), and more. First Approvals Targeting KRAS and a Rare EGFR Mutation In May, the FDA granted accelerated approval […]
Finerenone OK’d for Slowing Kidney Disease in T2D
The FDA approved the anti-mineralocorticoid agent finerenone (Kerendia) for slowing the progression of chronic kidney disease in type 2 diabetes patients, the agency announced on Friday. The first non-steroidal, selective mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist was approved to reduce the risk of sustained estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) decline, end-stage kidney disease, cardiovascular death, non-fatal myocardial infarction, […]