Tagged News
UCLA Study Reveals SSRIs May Enhance Immune Response Against Cancer
• UCLA researchers discovered that selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) can enhance T cells' ability to fight cancer, reducing tumor size by more than half in multiple cancer models.
• The study, published in Cell, demonstrated SSRIs' effectiveness against melanoma, breast, prostate, colon, and bladder cancers in both mouse and human tumor models.
• Combining SSRIs with existing cancer immunotherapies showed promising results, suggesting potential for repurposing these widely used antidepressants as cancer treatments.
Elicera's iTANK-Armed CAR T-Cell Therapy Shows Complete Response in Lymphoma Patients
• Elicera Therapeutics reports that two out of three patients in the first cohort of the CARMA study achieved complete metabolic response with ELC-301, an iTANK-armed CD20-targeting CAR T-cell therapy.
• The promising results were achieved despite using only one-tenth of the planned maximum dose in a challenging patient population, including one patient who had previously failed standard CD19 CAR T-cell therapy.
• The Phase I/IIa CARMA study has already progressed to its second cohort, where patients are receiving a dose three times higher than the initial cohort, with further data expected as the trial advances.
FDA Clears Avenzo Therapeutics' IND for AVZO-023, a Novel CDK4 Selective Inhibitor for Advanced Breast Cancer
• Avenzo Therapeutics has received FDA clearance for its investigational new drug application for AVZO-023, a highly selective CDK4 inhibitor with potential best-in-class properties for treating HR+/HER2- breast cancer.
• The company plans to initiate a Phase 1/2 clinical trial in Q3 2025, evaluating AVZO-023 as monotherapy and in combination with endocrine therapy and their CDK2 inhibitor AVZO-021.
• Preclinical data presented at AACR 2025 demonstrated AVZO-023's sub-nanomolar potency against CDK4 with high selectivity over CDK6, potentially reducing hematologic toxicity common with current CDK inhibitors.
OSE Immunotherapeutics Leads €1.3 Million Consortium to Advance mRNA Therapeutics Using Lipid Nanoparticle Technology
• OSE Immunotherapeutics has secured €1.3 million in non-dilutive funding to lead the 36-month "HexARN" program focused on advancing mRNA therapeutics delivered via lipid nanoparticles.
• The strategic collaboration brings together OSE Immunotherapeutics, Inside Therapeutics, and MiNT Laboratory to overcome challenges in RNA therapy selectivity, safety, target expansion, and manufacturing scalability.
• The consortium aims to develop novel RNA therapeutics for inflammatory disorders and autoimmune diseases, leveraging advantages over conventional antibody approaches while improving delivery methods.
BioDlink Secures Brazil GMP Certification, Expanding Global Reach for Bevacizumab Biosimilar
• BioDlink has successfully passed its first on-site GMP inspection by Brazil's ANVISA, a PIC/S member, marking a significant regulatory milestone for the company's Suzhou manufacturing facility.
• The inspection specifically reviewed production of Pusintin® (bevacizumab), a biosimilar antibody treating non-small cell lung cancer and metastatic colorectal cancer, receiving full approval with no observations.
• With regulatory certifications now in five countries including Brazil, Indonesia, Egypt, Colombia, and Argentina, BioDlink aims to expand access to affordable oncology biologics across emerging markets.
Tecentriq and Avastin Combined with TACE Shows Significant Benefit in Unresectable Liver Cancer Trial
• The Phase III TALENTACE study demonstrated statistically significant improvement in TACE-progression-free survival for patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma treated with Tecentriq, Avastin, and on-demand TACE.
• This landmark trial enrolled 342 patients across China and Japan, marking the first Phase III study in Asia showing TACE PFS benefit from combining immunotherapy and targeted therapy with TACE for unresectable HCC.
• Liver cancer remains the third leading cause of cancer-related death globally with rising mortality rates, with only 20% of patients surviving five years after diagnosis.
New Global Report Reveals Comprehensive Landscape of Chemotherapy-Induced Diarrhea Clinical Trials
• A new comprehensive report analyzing the global clinical trial landscape for Chemotherapy-Induced Diarrhea (CID) has been released, providing crucial insights for stakeholders in pharmaceutical R&D.
• The report details trial distribution across G7 and E7 countries, enrollment trends over five years, and classifies trials by phase, status, endpoint status, and sponsor type.
• Key companies involved in CID therapeutics include Novartis AG, Jaguar Health, and Guangzhou Zhiyi Biotechnology, with the report drawing data from over 80 clinical trial registries worldwide.
Worldwide Clinical Trials Joins WCG's Avoca Quality Consortium to Enhance Clinical Trial Standards
• Worldwide Clinical Trials has joined WCG's Avoca Quality Consortium (AQC), a collaborative network of over 200 life sciences companies focused on elevating clinical trial quality.
• The strategic partnership aims to enhance quality, efficiency, and regulatory compliance through industry collaboration and best practices, ultimately delivering faster and more reliable outcomes for customers.
• This membership aligns with Worldwide's commitment to quality assurance across its services, which include bioanalytical laboratory services, Phase I-IV clinical trials, and post-approval studies.
Faron Pharmaceuticals Appoints Ralph Hughes as Chief Business Officer to Advance Immunotherapy Pipeline
• Faron Pharmaceuticals has appointed Ralph Hughes as Chief Business Officer, bringing extensive experience in commercial strategy and market access from his previous roles at PharmaVentures, Mundipharma, and Pfizer.
• Hughes joins Faron at a critical time as the company advances its lead immunotherapy candidate bexmarilimab, currently in Phase I/II trials for acute myeloid leukemia and myelodysplastic syndrome.
• Bexmarilimab targets the Clever-1 receptor on macrophages, potentially overcoming cancer treatment resistance by reprogramming the tumor microenvironment and enhancing immune system response against cancer cells.
ME Therapeutics Secures $140,000 in Funding to Advance Novel mRNA Cancer Therapies
• ME Therapeutics has received up to $140,000 in funding from Canada's NRC IRAP to advance its mRNA therapeutic program targeting myeloid cell biology for cancer and inflammatory diseases.
• The company's proprietary mRNA sequences are engineered to encode proteins that modify immune responses, with preclinical testing showing promising anti-cancer activity in colorectal cancer mouse models.
• ME Therapeutics is developing tissue-specific mRNA expression modifications to enhance efficacy and safety, potentially offering new treatment options for patients with limited alternatives.