GLG News by Rituxan Prescribers for NHL: Lymphoma Oncologists (US)

In pooled data from 8000 patients across 15 studies, the risk of blood clots was increased by 12% in patients receiving Avastin.

President elect Obama will try , most probably unsuccessfully, to take on insurance companies in orfder to fulfill his election promises of "close to universal" health care. Generics will thrive, but Big Phrama , especially those with innovative products and biotech companies will continue to pr...

A recent study infers taht periods of increased rainfall could be linked to increase in number of children dioagnosed with autism. The causla l;ink of rainfall is unlikely, but most probably reflects other factors like children staying more indoors and thus watch more TV, get less sun exposure and...

Genetech's Avastin have shown modest increase in progresion free survival and overall survival in patients with gliobalstoma multiforme, the most common and most agressive malignant brain tumor With such data, Avastin is expected to join Temodar as chemotherapy agent approved for this tumor with...

Sanofi's rapid acting insulin formulation got FDA approval for use in children 4 years and older with Type I insulin dependent diabetes. The drug has rapid action so it may replace lispro and older short acting  insulin preparations, if the price tag is not prohibitive.

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

The FDA required Amgen to revise the label for Procrit and Aranesp so that these agents are not used until a patient's hemoglobin drops below 10 or in the setting of potentially curative therapy.