The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Tecentriq (atezolizumab) in combination with Avastin (bevacizumab) for the treatment of newly diagnosed patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the most common form of liver cancer. Genentech, a Roche subsidiary developing Tecentriq, submitted a supplemental biologics license application to the FDA earlier this year requesting approval for…
A type of mouth bacteria involved in gum disease is able to infect human brain cells, new research shows. The infection results in cellular changes that are similar to what is seen in Alzheimer’s, supporting a link between the bacteria and the neurodegenerative disease. The findings were presented at the Advances in Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s…
Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT), a form of hormone therapy commonly used to treat prostate cancer, appears to confer protection against the virus that causes COVID-19, lowering the rate of infections and their severity, a new study suggests. The study, “Androgen-deprivation therapies for prostate cancer and risk of infection by SARS-CoV-2: a population-based study,” was published…
Women who breastfeed are at a significantly lower risk of developing ovarian cancer overall and some of its subtypes, including the deadliest — high-grade serous tumors, a large data study reported. This finding was particular to white women — because not enough black and Asian women could be included in the analysis — strengthened with longer…
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Tauvid (flortaucipir F18) as an imaging radiotracer agent — a radioactive diagnostic tool — to efficiently detect clumps of tau protein in the brain, one of the hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease. “Alzheimer’s disease is a devastating condition that affects millions of Americans. This approval will provide health…
Janssen‘s new under-the-skin formulation of daratumumab, called Darzalex Faspro, has been recommended for approval in Europe by the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP), an arm of the European Medicines Agency, as a faster and easier alternative to treat people with multiple myeloma. The new formulation, combining daratumumab and hyaluronidase, is given to…
Surface Oncology has entered a collaboration with Merck to investigate a combination of SRF617 and Keytruda (pembrolizumab) in patients with solid tumors, with a particular focus on individuals with gastric cancer and those who failed to respond to immune checkpoint inhibitors. This combination will be investigated as part of the first-in-human Phase 1/1b clinical trial…
Only a couple of weeks after Rubraca (rucaparib) was approved for the treatment of prostate cancer, the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) has updated its guidelines recommending this PARP inhibitor as an option for select prostate cancer patients in the U.S. According to Clovis Oncology, which makes Rubraca, the NCCN recommends Rubraca as a “treatment option…
For breast cancer care during the COVID-19 pandemic, a panel of experts has recommended that patients be divided into one of three categories based on the severity of their condition and the potential effectiveness of treatments. Top priority are patients who require urgent care immediately because of life-threatening conditions, while the second group includes those…
A new Phase 2 clinical trial in Australia will assess whether exercise can improve the quality of life and physical function of women with recurring ovarian cancer who are on chemotherapy. Researchers at Griffith University recently were awarded a AU$884,172 grant (about $581,000) from the Medical Research Future Fund for this project. They will collaborate with teams at…
