GLG News by Revlimid Prescribers: Hematologists (US)

Pemetrexed (lilly) with Cisplatinum is less toxic and may be more efficacious in a subset of patients with advanced NSCLC than Gemcitibine ( another Lilly compound) /Cisplatin combination. he real question is how this comapres to Avastin ( Genentech) or even the antibody Cetuximab ( Imclone) in...

The New England Journal of Medicine report confirms that Bayer/Onyx Nexavar prolongs median survival and time to progression in patients with advanced HCC. This trumor is a world wide health problem, so such positive news, although old, in a reputable journal, will lead to wider use of this oral...

In a US multicenter Phase II study, Erbitux ( Imclone) added to efficacy of Carboplatinum and Palcitaxel in a subset of NSCLC patients whose tumors had extra copies of EGFR that is targeted by Cetuxiamb. FISH techniques still has problems with standardization and larger number of patients are needed...

Sorafenib increases time to progression and median survival in HCC. (World wide a major neoplasm)

Peripheral blood in patients with metastatic non small cell lung cancer (NSCLCA) can determine the presence of EGFR mutations in circulating cancer cells that will reveal sensitivity to TKI's- Erbitux (ImClone & BMS), Tarceva (Genentech) and even Iressa (AZ).

Lung cancer patients who have increased gene copies of EGFR do better with Cetuximab than do those who do not.

Individualizing chemotherapy depending on histology (adenocarcinomas) shows that Alimta/CisPlatin appears to be more convenient and less toxic than its stablemate Gemzar.

For patients with antibodies that may make renal transplants problematic, Rituxan may make them possible!

GSK is discussing drug development with European countries and not the US. Implications???

Medicare will not cut physicians fees but will cut payments in HMO driven Medicare "advantage" plans. This means that the republicans will be unable to "feather the nest" of their insurer friends!