GLG News by Oncologists in Private Practice in the U.S.

- Hycamtin represents the first approved second line drug treatment for small cell lung cancer. - The oral preparation will avoid the need for intravenous lines and allow considerable flexibility in treating this disease. - Hycamtin will allow maintenance therapy for those patient who are unable...

    The company claims that Erbitux has shown survival benefit in lung cancer (NSCLC) in the current Phase III trial.  how much benefit? what are its implications? 

a novel compound unrelated to other available drugs that has activity in melanoma.

CMS is doing right thing. This will aviod pt fall and bedsore during hospitalzation

The comprehensive clinical program will supplement the significant body of clinical data existing for ERBITUX in colorectal and head and neck cancers by exploring the use of ERBITUX in additional tumor types including brain, breast, bladder, gastric, lung, pancreas and prostate

The coverage restrictions placed on the FDA-approved indication have no scientific basis and are incompatible with good clinical practice," said Roger M. Perlmutter, M.D., Ph.D., executive vice president of Global Research and Development at Amgen. "We are concerned that inappropriately limiting coverage...

My understading id medicare need to cover all FDA indicated drugs. Here CMS violating FDA indication for Aranesp and procrit

Decrease use by 20-25% use of ESA. This may lead discounting and higher rebate from both amgen and orto-biotech to sustain market share. Since most of amgen contract with aranesp and neulasta use. It may effect use of neulasta. Next 6 month CMS may restrict use of Neulasta and neupogen for neutropenia...

This recent article probably is the death knell for Nolatrexed (Thymitaq) in the treatment of HCC.  Doxorubicin is a very weak drug for this disease and in this large study Nolatrexed wasn't even as good.  This drug has been around for years and is still in search of a disease.  Most...

no doubt that Velcade has shown superior results . it deserved to be used as induciton regimen ( unles patient has pre-existing neuropathy)  for transplant. velcade is  more efficacious ,less toxic and more easier to give than VAD regimen.