Astrazeneca, Pfizer, Gilead Release Cancer Drug Data
The participants go through the lobby of the annual conference of the American Society of Clinical Oncology in Chicago.
Tim Boyle | Bloomberg | Getty pictures
A version of this article was first published in CNBCS Healthy Return's newsletter, in which the latest health news leads directly to their inbox. Subscribe here to get future expenses.
I am back in New York City after spending last weekend in Chicago for the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology.
More than 5,000 research taxes were presented or published by ASCO by pharmaceuticals, biotech companies, researchers and oncologists. They included studies on existing drugs, experimental treatments, AI tools and ideas for improving patient care.
Here are some data highlights and executive comments of the larger companies, which I follow:
Astrazeneca Win large (again) – The Blockbuster drug Enertu from Astrazeneca and the Japanese pharmaceutical manufacturer Daiichi Sankyo solved the growth of a common type of breast cancer in a large study in the late stage for more than a year when it was used as the first treatment. The results could expand the use of the drug and change the way the disease has been treated for the first time in a decade.
The study evaluated Ententu in combination with standard medicine called Pertuzumab as a frontline treatment, which means that it was used in patients who have been diagnosed as a her2-positive metastatic breast cancer. Patients who received the Ententu combination lived almost 41 months before their illness spread, while a group who received a standard treatment with three-glands lived for about 27 months before the cancer advanced.
David Fredrickson, Executive Vice President of the Oncology Business of Astrazeca, told CNBC that one of three patients who start with treatment for this type of cancer could not receive a second type of therapy because their health deteriorated or died.
However, the results show that the enhaltu combination “could give another third of the patient the chance to possibly have a longer progression-free survival time and to benefit from more effective frontline therapy than to wait until a second one”.
Pfizer impressed with colon cancer – The company's pill-braachtovi, in combination with two other cancer treatments, doubled the survival time for patients with an aggressive form of colon cancer compared to standard treatment in a study in the late stage. It is good news for Pfizer that has transmitted the data to Food and Drug Administration to expand Braftovi's approval label.
The combination of three treatments included standard chemotherapy, an antibody medication called Cetuximab and Braftovi, which aims at a cancer mutation called Braf V600E. This combination also reduced the deaths of 51% and reduced the risk that cancer would progress by 47% compared to standard treatment during the study.
Chris Boshoff, the Chief Scientific Officer from Pfizer, told CNBC that 10 to 15% of the patients with colon cancer had this specific mutation and found that their survival rates are “particularly bad”.
“We are very proud of it [the data] Because for the first time it really shows a real influence on the survival of an illness that is very difficult to treat, ”he said.
Gilead and Merck Combo win from breast cancer – The popular drug Trodelvy from Gilead in combination with Merck's blockbuster immunotherapy Keytruda lowered the risk of an aggressive type of breast cancer, which deteriorated by 35% when it was used as a first treatment in a study in the late stage. Gilead could benefit from a higher turnover of Trodelvy because it competes with Entelu.
The study examined patients with advanced triple negative breast cancer whose tumors express PD-L1, the protein targeted by medication such as Keytruda. Around 15% of breast cancer cases are three times negative, which, according to Gilead, is more aggressive and difficult to treat.
The results suggest that the combination of Trodelvy and Keytruda “will probably become a new diligence standard” in this environment, according to a statement.
A MerchantDaiichi Sankyo Drug disappointed with lung cancer – Merck and Daiichi Sankyo said on Thursday that they had withdrawn their US application for experimental treatment after it had not extended the life of lung cancer patients in a late Stadium study.
The drug Patritumab Deruxcan is one of three so-called antibody medication conjugates, on which Merck worked with Daiichi Sankyo to compensate for keytrudas upcoming loss of exclusivity.
The drug did not fail the study of the study to extend the overall survival, which is defined as a period of time that the patients lived from the beginning of the treatment. Together with subsequent discussions with the FDA, these results prompted companies to withdraw the application.
Last year, however, the drug hit the main goal of the study to delay the progression of the tumor compared to chemotherapy in patients who were previously treated with a mutation in a gene called EGFR due to non-small cell cancer.
Marjorie Greene, Merck's head of the global clinical development of oncology, told CNBC that the “totality of the data” could not rely on the application of the drug for approval. She called it a disappointment, but noticed that the company “what worked and what did not work” and still “fully invested” in the refinement of the drug.
Merck and Daiichi Sankyo plan to bring treatment into a development in the late stage for breast cancer.
AmgenPositive lung cancer data: The company's drug, IMDELLTRA, reduced the risk of death compared to chemotherapy in patients with small cell cancer by 40%, the illness of which was worsened after a first round of chemotherapy after a study in the late stage.
IMDelltra also expanded the median overall survival by more than five months compared to the chemotherapy of care.
Amgen said the test results should support the accelerated approval of Imdelltra by the FDA last year.
BONUS: Bristol Myers Squibb Inks deal with Biontech – – Bristol Myers Squibb said on Monday that it was ready to pay up to $ 11.1 billion to work with Biontech and to develop his next generation cancer immunotherapy.
The drug could take over from Keytruda and new treatments in development by Summit Therapeutics and Pfizer. Biontech operates studies in the late stage of pharmaceuticals in lung cancer and plans to start a phase three-day study with triple negative breast cancer this year.
Feel free to send Annikakim.constantino@nbcuni.com tips, suggestions, ideas and data to Annika.
More in health care: a big victory for the AI ​​platform for breast cancer screening
This week, the FDA approved the first AI platform for the prediction of breast cancer from the clairity based in Boston, which marks a large milestone for health technology for women and possibly for the health of women.
I have the founder of Clairity, Dr. Connie Lehman, presented three years ago as part of a story about investments in Femtech. At that time she announced CNBC that the accuracy of the technology could help reduce the overcoming of women, which are assumed to be at risk, and at the same time help to identify women who may otherwise not be monitored if they have already developed cancer.
“By providing validated, fair risk assessments, we can help to expand access to life -saving early detection and prevention for women anywhere,” she said in the announcement of the company.
In order to save life, the next big step is to ensure that women have access to breakthrough technology as preventive screening. The American Medical Association must first issue a billing code that only comes slowly for some AI-controlled tools. This code is crucial for securing insurance coverage.
Feel free to send tips, suggestions, stories ideas and data to Bertha at Bertha.coombs@nbcuni.com.
The latest in the healthcare system Tech: Amazon Pharmacy announces new functions for patients with caregivers and Medicare part D
Close up of a hand with a mobile phone with the Amazon pharmacy system, Lafayette, California, September 15, 2021.
Smith Collection | Gado | Getty pictures
Amazon The pharmacy announced new updates for nurses and more than 50 million Medicare part D favorite on Tuesday.
The Amazon Pharmacy was founded in 2020 from the takeover of the online piliary pillpack by the company from the company. The offer is now a digital pharmacy with a comprehensive service that can support patients with unique and recurring recipes. Prime members in cities like Los Angeles and New York City are entitled to medication permissions on the same day.
Amazon said that customers with Medicare Insurance can now access the services of Pillpack directly, which means that those with two or more recipes can sort their medication into individual tear packets that are marked with date and time.
The company said that these monthly shipments will reduce the need for patients, to keep an eye on several tablets and to help them stick to their routines, according to publication. Patients who are interested in access to pre-sorted medication via Pillpack can register by registering with the Amazon pharmacy.
Amazon Pharmacy also had a new way for verified nurses to manage medication on behalf of their relatives. According to Aarp, about one in five adults in the USA takes care of an aging family member.
Patients can invite trustworthy nurses to monitor their medication by submitting their telephone number. The caregiver receives a text with a link, must confirm details about the patient concerned and can then start with the administration of the patient's medication via his own account.
“These updates provide what our customers asked – Simpler Medication Management for themselves and their relatives,” said John Love, Vice President of Amazon Pharmacy, in a statement on Tuesday.
Amazon's online pharmacy is part of the company's several years of efforts to get into the healthcare industry. In July 2022, the company acquired a doctor for around 3.9 billion dollars for around 3.9 billion dollars.
Read the complete announcement here.
Feel free to send tips, suggestions, story ideas and data to Ashley at Ashley.capoot@nbcuni.com.
