This week’s Innovation Partners BioBlog is focused on the pharmaceutical industry. Attention now turns to the development of new antibiotics to address antimicrobial resistance, as well as to new and improved treatments for various types of cancer. This and more in the BioBlog.
Pharmaceutical Companies Must Do More To Combat Antimicrobial Resistance, Develop New Antibiotics, Access To Medicine Foundation Assessment Shows
A roundup of what the media is saying about the advances the pharmaceutical industry has made in the war against micro “superbugs.” Antibiotic resistance is among the chief health concerns facing the medical community. Although the pharmaceutical industry has responded to the need, there is growing awareness that more must be done to combat antimicrobial resistance.
Major Trials Create New Standards of Care in Hematologic Malignancies
Practice standards for several major hematologic malignancies are changing, according to major trials presented at the 2017 annual meeting of the American Society of Hematology. Changing drug regimens, new treatments and more are the major force behind the suggested changes.
Making milestones against non-small cell lung cancer
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide and accounts for 1.6 million deaths per year. Now, new treatments for non-small cell lung cancer, which make up about 85% of all lung cancer cases, are improving the odds for many lung cancer patients.
FDA approves new treatment for certain digestive tract cancers
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Lutathera (lutetium Lu 177 dotatate) for the treatment of a type of cancer that affects the pancreas or gastrointestinal tract called gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (GEP-NETs). This is the first time a radioactive drug, or radiopharmaceutical, has been approved for the treatment of GEP-NETs. Lutathera is indicated for adult patients with somatostatin receptor-positive GEP-NETs.
CAR T-Cell Immunotherapy Named Advance of the Year in Annual ASCO Report
The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) named CAR T-cell immunotherapy the Advance of the Year in its annual report, Clinical Cancer Advances 2018. The report highlights the most impactful clinical cancer research and policy developments over the past year. CAR T-cell therapy is a treatment that uses a patient’s own white blood cells, which have been genetically reprogrammed in the lab to fight their own cancer.
PD-1 Treatment in Progressed NSCLC Associated With Cost Increase, Limited Benefit
PD-1 inhibitors have become standard of care in the treatment of patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Prior research has shown immunotherapy agents to improve survival with less toxicity compared with chemotherapy agents. However, response patterns to PD-1 inhibitors may be unconventional and identifying disease progression using RECIST has been challenging. More details from a presentation made at the ASCO-SITC Clinical Immuno-Oncology Symposium, January 25-27, 2018; San Francisco, CA, are included in this article.
Oncologists Overcome Hurdles to Deliver Cancer Care in Puerto Rico
Interviews in The American Journal of Managed Care indicate that the situation for cancer patients is improving. The island, slammed by recent hurricanes, is still recovering, and many residents continue to lack electricity or other necessities. On Puerto Rico, 75% of cancer patients receive treatment in the community rather than at hospitals. A look at cancer care in the devastated region.
