FDA OKs First Cellular Therapy for Melanoma
The FDA approved the cellular therapy lifileucel (Amtagvi) for the treatment of patients with previously treated unresectable or metastatic melanoma, the agency announced Friday. Lifileucel, a cellular therapy with tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs), was approved through the accelerated approval pathway, and is the first FDA-approved tumor-derived T-cell immunotherapy, the FDA noted. “Unresectable or metastatic melanoma is […]
EGFR Inhibitors for Lung Cancer Tied to Increased Keratitis Risk
Patients with lung cancer treated with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibitors may have an increased risk of new-onset keratitis, a U.S. population-based cohort study showed. Over a 20-year period, 1.12% of patients who were treated with EGFR inhibitors developed new-onset keratitis compared with 0.74% of those who did not take these drugs (HR 1.520, […]
More Evidence Linking ADT for Prostate Cancer to Adverse Neurocognitive Effects
Men treated with androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) for prostate cancer had a significantly higher risk of dementia and other neurocognitive disorders, according to a meta-analysis of more than 2.5 million patients. The magnitude of excess risk ranged from 20% for dementia to 66% for depression. The risk of Alzheimer’s disease, vascular dementia, and Parkinson’s disease […]
Testosterone for Hypogonadism Cleared So Far of Prostate Cancer Risk
Men treated with testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) for hypogonadism didn’t have an increase in adverse prostate events, the TRAVERSE trial found. Over a mean follow-up of 33 months, those who used topical 1.62% testosterone gel had a 0.19% incidence of high-grade prostate cancer (Gleason score ≥4 + 3), similar to the 0.12% among placebo-treated men […]
Emicizumab Safe, Effective, in Infants With Hemophilia A
SAN DIEGO — Administering emicizumab (Hemlibra) to previously untreated or minimally treated infants with severe hemophilia A without factor VIII inhibitors is effective and safe, according to results from research presented here. The phase III HAVEN-7 study showed that at a median follow-up of 101.9 weeks, the annualized treated bleeding rate was 0.4 (95% CI […]
Rozanolixizumab Maintains Efficacy Among Generalized Myasthenia Gravis Subgroups
PHOENIX – Across subgroups, patients who had their generalized myasthenia gravis (gMG) treated with rozanolixizumab (Rystiggo) maintained their responses through multiples cycles of treatment, based on extension data from the phase III MycarinG clinical trial. Those with anti-acetylcholine receptor (AChR)-positive gMG receiving the higher dose of rozanolixizumab saw average Myasthenia Gravis-Activities of Daily Living (MG-ADL) […]
Second-Line Axi-Cel Bests Standard in Relapsed/Refractory Large B-Cell Lymphoma
CHICAGO — Patients treated with the chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy axicabtagene ciloleucel (axi-cel; Yescarta) in the second line for early relapsed or refractory large B-cell lymphoma had significantly longer overall survival (OS) than those treated with standard care, according to an analysis of the ZUMA-7 trial. At a median follow-up of 47.2 months […]
Quarter of Wegovy-Treated Teens With Obesity Return to Normal Weight
Far more teens with obesity treated with 2.4 mg semaglutide (Wegovy) returned to normal weight or dropped below the obesity threshold compared with placebo-treated patient, a secondary analysis of the phase IIIa STEP TEENS trial found. During the 68-week trial, 44.9% of teens with obesity returned to either normal weight or went down to the […]
I Thought I Had A Headache. It Turned Out To Be Herpes (HSV-1) — In My Brain.
The author during her stay at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, where she was treated for encephalitis in 2015. “I do not remember this day,” she writes. Courtesy of Brigid Ward On Oct. 28, 2015, I left my high school teaching job early because I thought I had the flu. I had been […]
Researchers gain a better understanding of how the most commonly used ADHD medication works
For decades, doctors have treated kids with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) with methylphenidate, a stimulant drug sold as Ritalin and Concerta, making it one of the most widely prescribed medications aimed at the central nervous system. One might expect that researchers would know how methylphenidate works in the brain by now, but little is known about […]