News

The emergence of monoclonal antibodies, immunomodulatory agents, immunotoxins, bispecific T-cell engagers, and CAR T-cell therapies will redefine multiple myeloma treatment. However, these new approaches, by themselves, are not enough to achieve cure; they must be used in combination.

Saul Priceman, PhD, City of Hope assistant professor in the Department of Hematology & Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, and his research team have received a $9.28 million award from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine to support a chimeric antigen receptor T cell phase 1 clinical trial for the treatment of women with HER2-positive breast cancer that has spread to the brain.

Following CMS’ decision to make chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy available to Medicare beneficiaries nationwide, including in the community oncology setting, the Community Oncology Alliance (COA) applauded the decision.

Olaparib demonstrated a statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvement in radiographic progression-free survival compared with enzalutamide or abiraterone acetate in patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer who harbor a homologous recombination repair gene mutation and have progressed on prior therapy with either androgen receptor inhibitor, meeting the primary endpoint of the phase III PROfound trial.

Novartis hid manipulated data about its $2 million gene therapy Zolgensma from the FDA; US District Judge Kristine Baker granted a preliminary injunction preventing Arkansas from enforcing 3 abortion restrictions; a federal judge in Ohio expressed support for a plan by attorneys representing cities and counties suing US opioid manufacturers and distributors that would bring every US community into their settlement talks despite objections from most states.

The FDA has approved pembrolizumab for the treatment of patients with recurrent locally advanced or metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus whose tumors express PD-L1 (combined positive score ≥10) as determined by an FDA-approved test, with disease progression after ≥1 prior lines of systemic therapy.