Frank Vinluan

4 days ago | medcitynews.com | Frank Vinluan

A Kura Oncology and Kyowa Kirin-partnered drug vying to become the first FDA-approved treatment for cases of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) carrying a particular genetic signature will have its regulatory review supported by clinical data showing the therapy achieved statistically significant improvement in signs and symptoms of the disease.

4 days ago | medcitynews.com | Frank Vinluan

BioNTech’s oncology strategy centers on a bispecific antibody that the company envisions as the backbone of many potential drug combinations for many types of cancer. Bristol Myer Squibb is buying into that strategy, paying $1.5 billion up front to partner on the clinical-stage asset, which could have applications as part of combinations with the pharmaceutical giant’s own immunotherapies and other cancer drugs.

6 days ago | medcitynews.com | Frank Vinluan

Patients with tenosynovial giant cell tumor can take some comfort in knowing that this rare type of tumor affecting joints won’t kill them. But that doesn’t make living with the disease easy. Merck KGaA has data from a pivotal study showing its once daily pill helped, leading to reduction in pain and improvement in physical movement. Regulatory submissions are now planned. But first, data from the drug’s pivotal study will be shared at the largest cancer conference in the world.

1 week ago | medcitynews.com | Frank Vinluan

Astellas Pharma already has the first FDA approval for a therapy that goes after Claudin 18.2, a protein whose overexpression on the surface of cells in gastrointestinal cancers makes it an attractive drug target. But the company has shown interest in pursuing multiple ways to drug this target, and it’s furthering this strategy with a deal that secures rights to a clinical-stage molecule from Evopoint Biosciences. Astellas’s approved drug, Vyloy, is a monoclonal antibody.

1 week ago | medcitynews.com | Frank Vinluan

A precision oncology Pfizer drug now has clinical data showing it helped patients with colorectal cancer live longer, results that study investigators say could change the way physicians treat those whose disease exhibits the specific genetic signature targeted by this therapy. Patients who received the Pfizer drug Braftovi alongside standard of care colorectal cancer therapies had a 51% lower risk of dying than patients treated with the standard of care chemotherapy.