GLG News by Nexavar Prescribers: Oncologists

This press release discusses Phase IIa results from a novel melanoma vaccine in a small group of patients with various levels of melanoma. Only 22 patients were treated in this study that began about two years ago. Fourteen patients developed specific activation of cytotoxic T cells that recognize...

This study is interesting because it uses gene expression profile data to choose the tumor target. Specifically, preclinical work looking at PARP expression in various tumor types identified that breast cancers negative for estrogen, progesterone, and HER2 expression were much more likely to overexpress...

M-Vax, an autologous tumor vaccine modified by treatment with HNP, has been proposed as a potential treatment for advanced melanoma. Prior trials that I am aware of were non-randomized and therefore could not be compared to other types of therapy. The majority of the earlier trials were in Stage III...

The recent study implies and improved outcome with zevalin The radio immunoconjugates have bee anything but a success story

I think this a very important advance in a tumor where there is no adequate treatment. however, we have to realize that the studies were done in japan, and the natural history of gastri  cancer in japan is quite different that gastic cancer in USA

This Phase II study of a novel dendritic cell melanoma vaccine shows a significant yet not overwhelming response rate of just under 10%. An additional 20% of patients had stable disease. The progression free survival is in-line with other recent melanoma studies in this population as is the 1 year survival....

Asuragen is a contract lab with apparently high capabilities in gene expression profiling, miRNA detection, and other molecular diagnostic techniques. This news item announces a business arrangement between Merck and Asuragen, to develop a biomarker assay using pharmacogenomics for use in cancer clinical...

This article reports on two related prospective studies of Remicade treatment for refractory ulcerative colitis. The data suggest that Remicade therapy reduces the short term (one year) need for colon surgery in these difficult to treat patients. Further follow-up is needed to better understand the...

This reports on a small scale pilot study of combination therapy with Avastin and Irinotecan in patients with an aggressive brain cancer, glioblastoma multiforme, who have already failed standard treatment with chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Although comparing only to historical controls, the results...

Genasense is an antisense compound that is pro-apoptotic in cancer cells. A large scale Phase III trial in patients with metastatic melanoma was not considered approvable by the FDA in spring 2004. However, subsequent analysis along pre-specified stratification points (ie LDH level) show striking survival...