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Landmark VA Study Reveals Genomic Differences in Metastatic Prostate Cancer Across Racial Groups

  • Researchers from Moffitt Cancer Center and partners analyzed genomic data from over 5,000 veterans with metastatic prostate cancer, finding significant biological differences between non-Hispanic Black and white patients.
  • Non-Hispanic Black veterans showed higher rates of genomic alterations associated with immunotherapy benefit, while white veterans had more frequent mutations in DNA repair genes and androgen receptor pathways.
  • Despite these biological differences, both groups demonstrated similar survival outcomes when given equal access to care, highlighting the potential of precision oncology to reduce healthcare disparities.

CADENCE and Medera Launch Asia's First Multi-Centre Gene Therapy Trial for Heart Failure in Singapore

  • CADENCE and Medera's Sardocor have initiated Asia's first multi-centre gene therapy clinical trial for heart failure, with Singapore being the only site selected outside the United States.
  • The gene therapy product SRD-001 targets heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) and aims to improve heart muscle function, reduce symptoms, and decrease hospital readmissions.
  • The trial represents a significant collaboration between Singapore's national heart centers and highlights the country's robust cardiovascular research infrastructure and potential to advance innovative heart failure treatments.

Alectinib Plus Bevacizumab Shows Promising Results in First-Line Treatment of ALK-Positive NSCLC

  • The ALEK-B phase 2 trial demonstrated that combining alectinib with bevacizumab significantly improved progression-free survival in ALK-positive NSCLC patients, with 97% remaining progression-free at 12 months and 64% at 36 months.
  • The combination therapy showed remarkable efficacy in preventing CNS progression, with a 36-month intracranial progression-free survival rate of 87.8% and only 8.8% cumulative incidence of new brain metastases.
  • Despite higher rates of adverse events compared to alectinib monotherapy, particularly proteinuria (70.7%) leading to bevacizumab discontinuation in 43.9% of patients, the treatment maintained quality of life improvements throughout the study period.
NCT03779191CompletedPhase 2
Instituto Nacional de Cancerologia de Mexico
Posted 4/8/2020

Landmark Study Confirms Liver Health Biomarker cT1 Predicts Cardiac and Liver Outcomes

  • A major Nature Medicine study of 28,841 individuals demonstrates that Perspectum's iron corrected T1 (cT1) MRI biomarker effectively predicts both liver-related and cardiac outcomes, establishing it as a valuable non-invasive alternative to liver biopsy.
  • Elevated cT1 levels (>800ms) were associated with a 30% increased risk of heart-related hospitalization, while higher levels (>875ms) led to a nine-fold increase in serious liver-related outcomes within four years.
  • The research provides compelling evidence for using multiparametric MRI to identify at-risk patients with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), potentially transforming clinical practice by enabling earlier intervention.

Elevated Lipoprotein(a) Linked to Higher Risk of Recurrent Cardiovascular Events in Landmark Study

  • A landmark study of over 273,000 individuals with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease found that every increase in lipoprotein(a) levels is associated with higher risk of recurrent cardiovascular events.
  • Patients with very high Lp(a) levels (≥300 nmol/L) faced a 45% increased risk of subsequent cardiovascular events compared to those with low levels (<15 nmol/L), with slightly higher risks observed in Hispanic and Black individuals.
  • High-impact LDL cholesterol-lowering therapies, particularly PCSK9 inhibitors, may help mitigate the harmful effects of elevated Lp(a) levels, suggesting important treatment implications for high-risk patients.

Medicines Discovery Catapult Expands Strategic Partnerships to Accelerate UK Drug Discovery Innovation

  • Medicines Discovery Catapult has formed two major strategic partnerships with the Francis Crick Institute and University of Exeter to accelerate drug discovery and translational research across the UK.
  • The partnership with the Francis Crick Institute will support KQ Labs, a national accelerator that has helped 70 start-ups raise over £219 million in investment since 2018.
  • The University of Exeter collaboration aims to bridge the gap between academic research and industrial drug development by providing industry-standard validation and translational support.
  • These partnerships represent a new blueprint for academic-industry collaboration designed to maximize the impact of UK biomedical research and enhance the nation's life sciences ecosystem.

Colorectal Cancer Leads in Real-World Data Volume, But Oncology Trials Need Modernization

• Phesi's analysis of 167 million patient records reveals colorectal cancer has the largest volume of real-world data with nearly six million records, outpacing breast, lung, liver, and prostate cancers.
• Despite the wealth of available data, oncology clinical trials continue to suffer from inefficiencies, with trial design and execution failing to keep pace with advances in biomarker science and patient profiling.
• Experts urge a shift toward "precision oncology" using AI and clinical data science to optimize patient profiles, programs, protocols, and operations plans to accelerate drug development.

IMU Biosciences Partners with Curiox for UK's Largest Immune Profiling Initiative

  • IMU Biosciences has adopted Curiox's Pluto Workstation to support large-scale immune phenotyping within the £21.9 million MANIFEST consortium, the UK's largest immune profiling initiative.
  • The Pluto automation platform will enhance sample preparation quality and reproducibility for AI-driven immune profiling analytics, addressing critical challenges in traditional manual workflows.
  • The MANIFEST consortium aims to identify predictive biomarkers for cancer immunotherapy response, resistance, and immune-related adverse events through collaboration between 15 academic institutions and 11 industry partners.

Pluto Bio Secures $3.6M to Expand AI-Powered Platform for Drug Discovery

• Pluto Bio has raised $3.6 million in new funding led by Kickstart, with participation from existing investor Silverton Partners, to scale its AI-powered computational biology platform.
• The platform enables scientists to analyze complex biological datasets without coding, supporting critical drug discovery processes including target identification, mechanism of action studies, and precision medicine research.
• Funding will accelerate development of AI agents and copilots, expand integrations with R&D tools, and support commercial growth across therapeutic areas.

NICE Opens Consultations for Two Targeted Therapies in Advanced Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer

  • NICE has initiated public consultations for adagrasib targeting KRAS G12C mutations and encorafenib with binimetinib for BRAF V600E mutations in advanced non-small-cell lung cancer.
  • The consultation for adagrasib closes on June 2, 2025, while the encorafenib-binimetinib combination consultation extends until June 24, 2025.
  • Both draft guidance documents are available for public comment through NICE's online consultation platform, with final recommendations potentially changing based on stakeholder feedback.
  • These consultations represent critical steps toward expanding targeted treatment options for patients with specific genetic mutations in advanced NSCLC.

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