First-Line Nivolumab Plus Chemo Approved for Bladder Cancer
The FDA approved the PD-1 immune checkpoint inhibitor nivolumab (Opdivo) in combination with cisplatin and gemcitabine for the first-line treatment of adults with unresectable or metastatic urothelial carcinoma, the agency announced Thursday. Approval was based on results from the phase III CheckMate-901 trial, which were presented last year at the European Society for Medical Oncology […]
Investigational Immunotherapy Combo Shows Promise for Advanced Solid Tumors
An investigational combination of CTLA-4 and PD‐1 checkpoint inhibitors demonstrated “encouraging” tumor activity, as well as a manageable safety profile, in patients with advanced/metastatic solid tumors, according to results from a small phase I study. Among 61 patients with different solid tumors who were evaluated for efficacy, 37.7% achieved an objective response to treatment with […]
FDA Approves Antibiotic Combination for Complicated UTIs
The FDA approved the combination of cefepime and enmetazobactam (Exblifep) for the treatment of adult patients with complicated urinary tract infections, including pyelonephritis. The agency’s decision was based on data from the phase III ALLIUM trial in which the β-lactam/β-lactamase inhibitor combination demonstrated superiority over piperacillin/tazobactam. Clinical efficacy was shown for Pseudomonas aeruginosa and among […]
Novel Antibiotic Combo Bests Meropenem for Complicated UTIs
Cefepime-taniborbactam, an investigational beta-lactam and beta-lactamase inhibitor combination, was superior to meropenem for the treatment of hospitalized patients with complicated urinary tract infection (UTI), including acute pyelonephritis, a phase III randomized study showed. In the microbiologic intention-to-treat (ITT) population, the composite microbiologic and clinical success rate with the combination at test-of-cure (trial days 19 to […]
Combination Shows Promise in Metastatic ESR1-Mutant Breast Cancer
A novel drug combination led to clinically meaningful antitumor activity in metastatic ESR1-mutated, estrogen receptor-positive (ER+)/HER2-negative breast cancer that had progressed on CDK4/6 inhibition, a small prospective study showed. Adding the selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM) lasofoxifene to abemaciclib (Verzenio) resulted in a median progression-free survival (PFS) of 56 weeks, and a 24-week clinical benefit […]
Paramagnetic Seeds: An Effective Option for Breast Lesion Localization
Paramagnetic seeds along with superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO) was an effective combination for nonpalpable breast lesion localization and sentinel lymph node detection (SLND), data from the MAGTOTAL trial in Sweden showed. The totally magnetic technique was equivalent to the use of guidewire and SPIO regarding re-excision frequency at 2.84% versus 2.87%, for a difference of […]
‘New Gold Standard’ for Previously Untreated CLL
SAN DIEGO — A time-limited, targeted combination significantly improved survival compared with chemoimmunotherapy in fit chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) patients who met criteria for starting treatment, findings from the randomized FLAIR trial indicated. At 3 years, progression-free survival (PFS) rates reached 97% for patients randomized to venetoclax (Venclexta) plus ibrutinib (Imbruvica), as compared with 77% […]
RAF/MEK and FAK Inhibitor Combo Effective in Low-Grade Serous Ovarian Cancer
SEOUL, South Korea — The combination of avutometinib and defactinib achieved “exceptionally” high response rates in heavily pretreated patients with recurrent low-grade serous ovarian cancer (LGSOC), according to the ENGOT-ov60/GOG-3052/RAMP 201 trial. Moreover, responses were consistently high no matter how many previous lines of therapy patients received prior to study entry, reported Rachel N. Grisham […]
Preterm babies given certain fatty acids have better vision
Preterm babies given a supplement with a combination of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids have better visual function by the age of two and a half. This has been shown by a study at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden. The study, published in The Lancet Regional Health Europe, covers 178 extremely preterm babies at the […]
COX-2 Inhibitor Added to Levonorgestrel Improved Emergency Contraception Efficacy
Taking the oral cyclo-oxygenase (COX)-2 inhibitor piroxicam in combination with levonorgestrel improved emergency contraception efficacy versus levonorgestrel alone, with no additional adverse events, a randomized controlled trial showed. Piroxicam 40 mg combined with levonorgestrel 1.5 mg prevented 94.7% of expected pregnancies compared with 63.4% with levonorgestrel plus placebo (P<0.0001), reported Raymond Hang Wun Li, MD, […]