GLG News by Oncologists (US)

Individual reactions to learning about disease-risk data range the gambit from denial, paranoia, disbelief, as well as relief in knowing, whether the outcome is positive or negative.    One of the most important implications is the need for physicians and other health care givers...

Two Phase II trials show meanigful prolonged pFS in patients with iodine-refractory thyroid cancer who are treated with Sorafenib ( bayer/Onyx) The benefit needs to be confirmed in larger trials and need also to establish a favorable safety profile. Studies are needed for combination with other targeted...

Genesys terminated its studies of its cancer Vaccine for patients with refractory prostate cancer.  Cancer vaccine therapy remains limted to modest advantages in minimal residual diseases and in limted cases of melanoma and NHL

Genetic testing is the wave of the future to define targets for cancer therapy. EGFR, K-Ras and FLT-3 testing is just the beginning and affects the use of drugs such as Tarceva ( OSI-Genentech), Erbitux ( Imclone) , Veibitix ( Amgen) and Lasteurinib ( cephalon). The ultimate goal is to use more sophisticated...

K-Ras mutaions analysis in colorectal cancer may become a pre-requiste for use of anti-EGFR antibodies in therapy Erbitux and Vecitibix use may be relegated to less number of cases. This will benefit Avastin ( Genentech) whose mechanism of action is independent of these mutations

Measuring mutated K-RAS will show who will NOT respond to ImClone's Erbitux or Amgen's Vectibix. Thus to use either in CRC will not be particularly effective.

31 million more doses of Pneumovax yearly in the US??

Cell Genesys is basically stopping work on GVAX inview of failure in two trials. The cause of the failure is not readily apparent.

Being able to select the right drug for the righ patient benefits everyone, most importantly patients, but also the drug company.  Developing drugs specifically for a small, but targeted population likley means you get a much higher level of efficacy for a smaller population making the risk-benefit...

 as per an accompanying editorial "In conclusion, it is particularly gratifying that years of research in tumor biology and drug development have coalesced. Translation of these research advances into therapeutic benefits for patients with refractory thyroid cancer, and a related paradigm shift...