ADC-Pertuzumab Promising as New Standard in HER2-Positive Metastatic Breast Cancer
CHICAGO — First-line trastuzumab deruxtecan (T-DXd) combined with pertuzumab (Perjeta) improved progression-free survival (PFS) in HER2-positive locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer, according to the DESTINY-Breast09 trial. In the phase III study after a median of follow-up of 29 months, patients randomized to T-DXd plus pertuzumab had a median PFS by blinded independent central review […]
Opening Blood-Brain Barrier to Deliver Alzheimer’s Drug Shows Promise
Aducanumab (Aduhelm) infusions combined with focused ultrasound led to lower cerebral amyloid-beta levels in Alzheimer’s disease, a proof-of-concept trial showed. The investigational treatment involved creating an opening in the blood-brain barrier with MRI-guided focused ultrasound to boost drug delivery. In each of three participants who received aducanumab infusions, amyloid reduction was greater in brain regions […]
Adding Atezolizumab Improves Survival in Advanced Cervical Cancer
First-line treatment with the anti-PD-L1 inhibitor atezolizumab (Tecentriq) combined with bevacizumab (Avastin) and platinum-based chemotherapy significantly improved survival in patients with metastatic or recurrent cervical cancer, according to results of the phase III BEATcc trial. The median progression-free survival (PFS) was 13.7 months with added atezolizumab compared with 10.4 months with the standard bevacizumab plus […]
Study Reinforces BRAF-MEK Inhibition Over Anti-BRAF Only in Advanced Melanoma
Combined BRAF-MEK inhibition for advanced BRAF-mutant melanoma led to significantly better progression-free survival (PFS) as compared with single-agent BRAF inhibition, according to a randomized trial. Patients who received encorafenib (Braftovi) plus binimetinib (Mektovi) had a median PFS of 12.9 months as compared with 9.2 and 7.4 months for two cohorts treated with encorafenib alone. The […]
Novel Combination Boosts Survival in Unresectable Liver Cancer
The PD-1 inhibitor camrelizumab combined with the VEGFR2-targeted inhibitor rivoceranib (also known as apatinib) significantly improved survival compared with sorafenib (Nexavar) alone for the treatment of patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), a randomized phase III trial showed. At a median follow-up of 7.8 months, the median progression-free survival was 5.6 months with the two […]
‘Fantastic,’ ‘Terrific’ Results With Oncolytic Virus Combo for Bladder Cancer
CHICAGO — An oncolytic virus therapy combined with pembrolizumab (Keytruda) produced complete responses (CRs) in 85% of patients with bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG)-unresponsive non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC), a small phase II trial showed. The results showed CRs in 29 of 34 patients with detectable carcinoma in situ (CIS) treated with cretostimogene grenadenorepvec (CG0070) and the PD-1 […]
Tenofovir, Vaccine Combo Eliminates Mom-to-Child HBV Transmission
Earlier maternal tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) combined with infant vaccination completely eliminated vertical transmission of chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) from highly viremic mothers, even without the use of hepatitis B immunoglobulin (HBIg), a randomized trial conducted in China found. At 28 weeks postpartum, mother-to-child transmission was an identical 0% with early maternal TDF therapy […]
CEND-1 Offers Hope in Advanced Pancreatic Cancer
Chemotherapy combined with the CEND-1 cyclic peptide showed promising efficacy, and was well tolerated as a first-line treatment, for patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer, researchers reported. In a phase I study of 29 patients evaluable for efficacy, 59% (95% CI 39-77) responded to the combination of CEND-1 — a novel 9-amino acid cyclic peptide that […]
Number of U.S. Cancer Survivors Grows to 18 Million
A growing — and aging — population, combined with advances in early detection and treatment, pushed the number of cancer survivors to new heights this year. More than 18 million Americans with a history of cancer, two-thirds of them over the age of 65 years, were living in the U.S. as of January 1 of […]
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 […]