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Vorasidenib Shows Promise as First Targeted Therapy for IDH-Mutant Low-Grade Gliomas

Targeted TherapyDrug ApprovalOncology
  • Vorasidenib, the first targeted therapy developed specifically for brain cancer, more than doubled progression-free survival in patients with recurrent grade 2 glioma carrying IDH1/IDH2 mutations, extending the time without disease progression from 11.1 months to 27.7 months.
  • The international INDIGO trial involving 331 patients demonstrated that vorasidenib delayed the need for chemotherapy and radiation by nearly 17 months compared to placebo, with 85.6% of patients going 18 months before requiring next treatment.
  • The drug showed excellent tolerability with limited adverse effects, offering a new treatment option for younger patients typically in their 30s and 40s who face cognitive deficits from standard radiation and chemotherapy treatments.
  • Results from this phase 3 study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine and presented at ASCO, are expected to establish a new standard of care for IDH-mutant low-grade gliomas pending FDA approval.

FDA Approves Two Bispecific T-Cell Engagers for Relapsed/Refractory B-Cell Lymphomas

Drug ApprovalOncology
  • The FDA has granted accelerated approval to epcoritamab-bysp (Epkinly), the first T-cell engaging bispecific antibody for relapsed/refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma after two or more lines of systemic therapy.
  • Epcoritamab demonstrated a 61% overall response rate with a 38% complete response rate in the EPCORE NHL-1 trial, with a median duration of response of 15.6 months.
  • The FDA also approved glofitamab-gxbm (Columvi), another CD20/CD3-targeted bispecific T-cell engager, showing a 56% overall response rate and 43% complete response rate in clinical trials.
  • Both therapies carry boxed warnings for serious immune-related adverse reactions including cytokine release syndrome and immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome.

First-in-Human (FIH) Trial in Patients With Relapsed, Progressive or Refractory B-Cell Lymphoma

NCT03625037Active, Not RecruitingPhase 1
Genmab
Posted 6/26/2018

Revumenib Shows Promise in Phase 1 Trial for KMT2A-Rearranged and NPM1-Mutated Acute Leukemia

OncologyTargeted Therapy
  • Revumenib, a first-in-class menin inhibitor, demonstrated a 30% complete remission rate in heavily pretreated patients with KMT2A-rearranged or NPM1-mutated acute leukemia, with 78% achieving undetectable measurable residual disease.
  • The oral therapy works by disrupting the menin-KMT2A interaction, downregulating key leukemogenic genes and promoting differentiation of leukemic cells, addressing a critical unmet need for these poor-prognosis genetic subtypes.
  • While QT interval prolongation was the most common treatment-related adverse event (53%), the phase 1 trial established recommended phase 2 dosing with manageable safety profile, supporting further development of this targeted therapy.

BriaCell Advances Pivotal Study for Bria-IMT in Metastatic Breast Cancer Following Positive FDA Feedback

Oncology
  • BriaCell Therapeutics has received positive FDA feedback for its pivotal study of Bria-IMT in combination with a checkpoint inhibitor for advanced metastatic breast cancer, potentially accelerating commercialization.
  • The FDA has agreed on the eligible patient population—breast cancer patients who have failed available approved therapies—and the primary endpoint of survival improvement compared to physician's choice of treatment.
  • BriaCell is also preparing to launch its Bria-OTS personalized treatment program, which matches patients' HLA type with pre-manufactured cells, with dosing expected to begin in the first half of 2023.

BDR Pharmaceutical Launches First Generic Apalutamide in India for Prostate Cancer Treatment

Oncology
  • BDR Pharmaceutical has launched India's first generic version of apalutamide (brand name Apatide) for treating metastatic castration-sensitive and non-metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer.
  • The generic drug is priced at one-third the cost of the innovator brand, with 60 tablets costing Rs 22,500 and 120 tablets costing Rs 45,000.
  • Clinical data from the SPARTAN trial showed apalutamide plus androgen-deprivation therapy reduced disease progression risk by 71% and improved median progression-free survival from 14.7 to 40.5 months.
  • The launch addresses India's growing prostate cancer burden, where it ranks as the second most common cancer and sixth leading cause of cancer deaths among men.

Genmab and AbbVie Submit Regulatory Applications for Epcoritamab Bispecific Antibody in Relapsed/Refractory B-Cell Lymphomas

Oncology
  • Genmab submitted a Biologics License Application to the FDA for subcutaneous epcoritamab to treat relapsed/refractory large B-cell lymphoma after two or more lines of systemic therapy.
  • AbbVie's Marketing Authorization Application for epcoritamab in relapsed/refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma has been validated by the European Medicines Agency.
  • The regulatory submissions are supported by results from the pivotal EPCORE NHL-1 Phase 2 trial evaluating epcoritamab's safety and efficacy in patients with CD20+ mature B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
  • Epcoritamab is an investigational bispecific antibody designed to simultaneously bind CD3 on T-cells and CD20 on B-cells, inducing T-cell mediated killing of malignant B-cells.

Photocure and Karl Storz Launch Advanced Blue Light Cystoscopy System in US Market

Oncology
  • Photocure ASA announces the commercial availability of Karl Storz's New Blue Light equipment powered by Saphira technology in the United States for bladder cancer detection.
  • The advanced system shows strong market demand with orders outpacing previous systems, signaling potential for blue light cystoscopy to become standard of care for bladder cancer visualization.
  • Bladder cancer affects 1.72 million patients globally with high recurrence rates up to 78% over five years, making improved detection technology critically important for patient outcomes.

Tagrisso Plus Savolitinib Shows Promising 49% Response Rate in EGFR-Mutated Lung Cancer with MET Resistance

Targeted TherapyOncologyPrecision Medicine
• Preliminary results from the SAVANNAH Phase II trial demonstrated that Tagrisso (osimertinib) plus savolitinib achieved a 49% objective response rate in EGFR-mutated NSCLC patients with high levels of MET overexpression who progressed on Tagrisso.
• MET was identified as the most common resistance biomarker in EGFR-mutated lung cancer, with 62% of patients screened showing MET overexpression and/or amplification after progression on Tagrisso.
• The combination therapy showed the highest response rate (52%) in patients with high MET levels who had not received prior chemotherapy, potentially offering a less toxic alternative to the current standard of chemotherapy after targeted therapy failure.

Lead Pharma and Oxeltis Secure €800K Grant to Develop First-in-Class DLBCL Therapy

OncologyDrug Discovery
  • Lead Pharma and Oxeltis received an €800K EUREKA Eurostars grant to fund their three-year EPIGENEXT project developing a first-in-class small molecule therapy for diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.
  • DLBCL affects approximately 115,000 people worldwide annually, with 30-50% of patients experiencing relapse after standard R-CHOP treatment and poor long-term survival rates.
  • The collaboration aims to address the significant unmet medical need in DLBCL treatment, where current chemotherapy approaches cause debilitating side effects and fail to cure nearly half of patients.

Cullinan Oncology and Taiho Pharmaceutical Forge $275M Strategic Collaboration for EGFR Inhibitor CLN-081/TAS6417

Targeted TherapyOncologyPrecision Medicine
  • Taiho Pharmaceutical will acquire Cullinan Pearl for $275 million upfront plus up to $130 million in regulatory milestones, gaining exclusive global rights to CLN-081/TAS6417 outside the U.S.
  • CLN-081/TAS6417 is an oral, irreversible EGFR inhibitor targeting exon 20 insertion mutations in non-small cell lung cancer, which affect approximately 2-3% of NSCLC patients globally.
  • The companies will jointly develop and co-commercialize the drug in the U.S. with equal profit sharing, while Taiho will commercialize in territories outside the U.S. and China.

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