Acyclovir

Theralase's Light-Activated Ruvidar Shows Promising Results in BCG-Unresponsive Bladder Cancer Clinical Trial

17 days ago

• Theralase's Phase II clinical trial for BCG-Unresponsive Non-Muscle Invasive Bladder Cancer (NMIBC) shows 62.5% complete response rate with its light-activated small molecule Ruvidar. • The therapy demonstrates impressive durability with 45% of complete responders maintaining cancer-free status for at least 12 months, and some patients showing responses lasting over 7 years. • Theralase plans to complete trial enrollment by mid-2025, submit regulatory applications to Health Canada and FDA in late 2026, with potential market approval by early 2027.

Herpes Zoster Vaccine Shows Strong Protection for Stem Cell Transplant Recipients, Meta-Analysis Reveals

3 months ago

• A comprehensive meta-analysis of 3,048 hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients demonstrates that herpes zoster vaccine reduces infection risk by 64%, with infection rates dropping from 18.3% to 6.4%. • The vaccine showed promising results in reducing post-herpetic neuralgia and other complications, while maintaining a favorable safety profile with no significant increase in adverse events. • Research primarily focused on autologous transplant recipients, highlighting the need for additional studies in allogeneic transplant populations to confirm vaccine efficacy and safety.

Theralase's Ruvidar® Shows Complete Healing of HSV-1 Lesions in Preclinical Study

3 months ago

• Theralase's topical Ruvidar® treatment demonstrated complete healing of HSV-1 cutaneous lesions in mice after four days of application, marking a significant breakthrough in herpes treatment. • The non-light activated therapy showed promising safety and efficacy in animal models, potentially offering new hope for billions affected by HSV infections worldwide. • Researchers plan to advance the development of both a therapeutic treatment and preventive vaccine for HSV, with clinical trials to follow these successful preclinical results.

Candel Therapeutics Highlights Pipeline Momentum with CAN-2409 and CAN-3110

4 months ago

• Candel Therapeutics is set to report updated overall survival data for CAN-2409 in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma and non-small cell lung cancer in Q1 2025. • The company is preparing for a Biologics License Application (BLA) submission for CAN-2409 in prostate cancer, expected in Q4 2026. • Phase 3 clinical trial data for CAN-2409 in prostate cancer will be presented at upcoming scientific conferences, marking a key milestone. • Overall survival data from the Phase 1b trial of CAN-3110 in recurrent high-grade glioma is anticipated in Q4 2025.

Real-World Data Reinforces Cilta-Cel Efficacy in Relapsed Multiple Myeloma, While Ide-Cel Shows Promise in CNS Involvement

5 months ago

• Real-world evidence confirms cilta-cel's effectiveness in relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma, mirroring clinical trial outcomes with high response rates and durable remission. • A significant portion of patients in the real-world study wouldn't have met clinical trial eligibility, highlighting cilta-cel's potential in a broader patient population. • Ide-cel demonstrates promising results in patients with CNS involvement of multiple myeloma, showing favorable responses and manageable safety profiles in a retrospective analysis. • Renal impairment does not significantly impact the efficacy of BCMA-targeting CAR T-cell therapies in relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma, though increased monitoring for ICANS and infections may be warranted.

Herpes Drug Resistance Linked to Viral Polymerase Conformation

6 months ago

• Researchers used cryo-EM to study herpes simplex virus (HSV) polymerase conformations in the presence of antiviral drugs, acyclovir and foscarnet, to understand resistance mechanisms. • Mutations in HSV polymerase affect the enzyme's finger movement, reducing antiviral drug binding strength and enabling the virus to overcome blocking effects. • The study suggests that drugs trapping HSV polymerase in a static conformation could help combat treatment resistance, offering insights for future drug development. • Scientists aim to develop algorithms predicting protein movement to forecast resistance in clinical settings, enhancing personalized treatment strategies for HSV infections.

Brivudine Shows Promise in Treating Herpes Zoster, Meta-Analysis Suggests

6 months ago

• A recent meta-analysis indicates that brivudine is more effective than acyclovir and valaciclovir in treating herpes zoster (HZ), commonly known as shingles. • The study suggests brivudine reduces recovery time and the occurrence of postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) compared to other antiviral treatments. • Safety analysis showed no significant differences in adverse reactions among brivudine, acyclovir, and valaciclovir treatments for herpes zoster. • Researchers call for larger studies to further validate brivudine's safety and efficacy in treating shingles, despite promising initial results.

Obe-cel Approved for Relapsed/Refractory B-Cell ALL: A New CAR T-Cell Therapy Option

6 months ago

• Obecabtagene autoleucel (obe-cel) received FDA approval in November 2024 for adult patients with relapsed or refractory B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). • The approval was based on the FELIX trial, which demonstrated high overall remission rates and a manageable safety profile with split dosing. • Obe-cel's unique fast-off target binding and 4-1BB construct may lead to decreased T-cell exhaustion and reduced cytokine release syndrome (CRS) and neurotoxicity. • Analysis of the FELIX trial data suggests that patients with low-risk scores may experience better outcomes with obe-cel treatment.

Datopotamab Deruxtecan Shows Promise in Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

8 months ago

• Datopotamab deruxtecan shows a clinically meaningful trend in improving overall survival for advanced nonsquamous non-small cell lung cancer patients who have received prior therapy. • In nonsquamous NSCLC patients, datopotamab deruxtecan improved overall survival by 2.3 months compared to docetaxel, regardless of actionable genomic alterations. • NeoCOAST-2 trial results show datopotamab deruxtecan plus IMFINZI and chemotherapy demonstrating promising response rates in early-stage resectable NSCLC patients. • AstraZeneca and Roche Tissue Diagnostics are collaborating to co-develop a TROP2-QCS biomarker companion diagnostic to identify patients most likely to benefit from datopotamab deruxtecan.

Mycophenolate Mofetil Shows Promise in Phase II Osteosarcoma Trial

5 years ago

• A Phase II clinical trial is evaluating mycophenolate mofetil's efficacy and safety in patients with high-grade locally advanced or metastatic osteosarcoma. • The trial aims to determine progression-free survival at 16 weeks as the primary endpoint, with secondary endpoints including overall survival and safety parameters. • Mycophenolate mofetil, an immunosuppressant, has shown anticancer activity against osteosarcoma in preclinical studies, warranting further investigation in humans. • The study involves multiple centers in Thailand and includes adolescent and adult patients who have progressed after standard chemotherapy or are not candidates for it.

Drug Development Updates