Axatilimab Shows Efficacy in Recurrent/Refractory GVHD
SAN DIEGO — Axatilimab achieved rapid and durable responses in patients with recurrent/refractory chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD), according to the phase II AGAVE-201 trial. The highest overall response rate (ORR) was observed in patients treated with the lowest dose of axatilimab at 0.3 mg/kg every 2 weeks, with an ORR of 74% (95% CI 63-83) […]
ASCT Tops CAR T-Cell Therapy for Relapsed LBCL in Complete Remission
SAN DIEGO — Autologous stem-cell transplantation (ASCT) led to improved outcomes as compared with CAR T-cell therapy for patients with relapsed large B-cell lymphoma (LBCL) in complete remission, a retrospective analysis showed. Patients who underwent ASCT had fewer relapses at 2 years (27.8% vs 48.0%) and better progression-free survival (PFS, 66.2% vs 47.8%), and overall […]
‘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% […]
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 […]
Bilateral Mastectomy Not Tied to Better Survival in BRCA1-Positive Breast Cancer
SAN ANTONIO — Bilateral mastectomy as initial treatment for women with breast cancer and a pathogenic BRCA1 variant was not linked to better survival, according to an international analysis. Compared with breast-conserving treatment (BCT), bilateral mastectomy was not significantly associated with a reduction in mortality in this population of patients (HR 0.83, P=0.52), reported Kelly […]
Is Omitting Radiation Therapy in Low-Risk Breast Cancer a Good IDEA?
SAN ANTONIO — Postmenopausal women with genomically low-risk early hormone receptor (HR)-positive breast cancer had a low risk of recurrence with endocrine therapy alone after lumpectomy, a randomized trial showed. The 5-year overall survival (OS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS) rates were 100% without adjuvant radiation therapy (RT) in 186 women ages 50-69 followed for at […]
JAK Inhibitor Preserves Beta-Cell Function in Early Type 1 Diabetes
A Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitor helped preserve beta-cell function in people with recent-onset type 1 diabetes, the phase II BANDIT trial found. Meeting the study’s primary endpoint, daily baricitinib (Olumiant) maintained a significantly higher average mixed-meal-stimulated C-peptide level at week 48 compared with placebo (0.65 vs 0.43 nmol/L/min, P=0.001), according to Thomas Kay, MBBS, PhD, […]
Oncolytic Virus Shows High Response Rates in BCG-Unresponsive Bladder Cancer
WASHINGTON — Treatment with cretostimogene grenadenorepvec, an investigational intravesically delivered oncolytic immunotherapy, achieved high response rates in patients with high-risk non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) unresponsive to Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG), according to an interim analysis of the phase III BOND-003 trial. Among 66 patients evaluable for efficacy, 75.7% (95% CI 63-85) achieved a complete response (CR) […]
Prone Positioning Falls Flat for Weaning COVID Patients Off ECMO
Early application of prone positioning did not help patients with severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) — mostly from COVID — get off venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VV-ECMO) any faster compared to supine positioning, a randomized trial found. Among ARDS patients receiving ECMO, an identical 44% of patients were successfully weaned off ECMO after 60 […]
‘Alexa, Titrate My Insulin’: AI App Boosts Glycemic Control in Randomized Trial
A custom artificial intelligence (AI) app for insulin management advice helped patients with type 2 diabetes gain rapid glycemic control, a small randomized clinical trial found. In titrating basal insulin, those who used a voice-based conversational AI application — delivered over Amazon’s Alexa at home — more quickly achieved optimal insulin dosing (median 15 days […]