The Cigna Group
- Country
- Ownership
- -
- Employees
- 72.5K
- Market Cap
- -
- Introduction
The Cigna Group is a global health company, which engages in the provision of global health services. It operates through the following segments: Evernorth Health Services, Cigna Healthcare, Other Operations, and Corporate. The Evernorth Health Services segment partners with health plans, employers, governmental organizations, and health care providers to solve challenges in the areas of pharmacy benefits, home delivery pharmacy, specialty pharmacy, specialty distribution, and care delivery and management solutions. The Cigna Healthcare segment includes the U.S. Healthcare and International Health operating segments, which provide comprehensive medical and coordinated solutions to clients and customers. The Other Operations segment consists of the remainder of business operations, which includes certain ongoing businesses and exited businesses. The Corporate segment refers to net interest expense, certain litigation matters, expense associated with frozen pension plans, charitable contributions, operating severance, certain overhead and enterprise-wide project costs, and eliminations for products and services sold between segments. The company was founded in 1792 and is headquartered in Bloomfield, CT.
Ten-Year APHINITY Data Shows Perjeta-Based Regimen Reduces Death Risk by 17% in HER2-Positive Early Breast Cancer
• Long-term follow-up data from the Phase III APHINITY trial demonstrates a statistically significant 17% reduction in risk of death when adding Perjeta (pertuzumab) to Herceptin (trastuzumab) and chemotherapy in early-stage HER2-positive breast cancer.
• The benefit was more pronounced in patients with lymph node-positive disease, showing a 21% reduction in death risk, reinforcing the regimen's value as a standard-of-care treatment in the curative setting.
• After ten years, 91.6% of patients receiving the Perjeta-based regimen were alive compared to 89.8% in the control group, with the previously reported invasive disease-free survival benefit maintained without new safety concerns.
Weight Loss Injections Show Promising Anti-Cancer Effects Beyond Weight Reduction
• Research presented at the European Congress on Obesity suggests weight loss injections may reduce obesity-related cancer risk by nearly 50%, potentially through anti-inflammatory mechanisms beyond simple weight reduction.
• Scientists from the University of Manchester are designing a large-scale clinical trial involving tens of thousands of patients to further investigate GLP-1 agonists as cancer prevention tools.
• Experts believe these findings could herald a "new dawn" in preventative cancer medicine, potentially benefiting even non-obese individuals with high cancer risk factors.
Shingles Vaccine Reduces Cardiovascular Risk by 23% for Up to Eight Years, Study Finds
• A large-scale study of over 1.2 million people found that receiving a shingles vaccine is associated with a 23% lower risk of cardiovascular events, with protection lasting up to eight years.
• The protective effect was strongest in men, individuals under 60, and those with unhealthy lifestyles, with a 26% reduction in major cardiovascular events including stroke, heart attack, and death from heart disease.
• Researchers suggest the vaccine may prevent cardiovascular complications by reducing shingles-related blood vessel damage, inflammation, and clot formation that can contribute to heart disease.
Nadofaragene Firadenovec Shows 75% Complete Response Rate in Japanese Phase 3 Trial for BCG-Unresponsive Bladder Cancer
• Nadofaragene firadenovec demonstrated a 75% complete response rate at 3 months in Japanese patients with high-risk BCG-unresponsive non-muscle invasive bladder cancer with carcinoma in situ, according to new Phase 3 trial data.
• The gene therapy showed a favorable safety profile with 84.2% of treatment-related adverse events being Grade 1 and 15.8% Grade 2, with no Grade 3 or higher events reported in the Japanese patient population.
• These results appear higher than previously reported in US trials and align with recent Mayo Clinic real-world data showing a 79% complete response rate, potentially establishing nadofaragene as a new standard of care for patients who would otherwise face bladder removal.
GLP-1 Medications Reshape Obesity Treatment Landscape as Bariatric Surgeries Decline 25%
• The rise of GLP-1 medications like Wegovy and Zepbound has coincided with a 25.6% decrease in bariatric surgeries between 2022 and 2023, according to Harvard researchers.
• U.S. obesity rates declined for the first time in a decade in 2023, dropping from 46.2% in 2021 to 45.6%, with the steepest reductions observed in the South where GLP-1 medication use was highest.
• Despite their effectiveness, GLP-1 medications face challenges including high costs, gastrointestinal side effects, and supply shortages, which may influence future treatment patterns.
Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors Emerge as Standard of Care for Early-Stage NSCLC, New Data Shows
• Neoadjuvant, adjuvant, and perioperative PD-L1 immune checkpoint inhibitors have become standard treatment options for early-stage non-small cell lung cancer, significantly improving survival outcomes compared to conventional approaches.
• Multiple clinical trials including CheckMate816, IMpower010, and KEYNOTE-671 demonstrate that patients with higher PD-L1 expression levels (≥50%) derive the greatest benefit from immunotherapy interventions, with some showing dramatic improvements in event-free survival.
• Novel approaches targeting the adenosine pathway, such as the investigational A2a receptor antagonist JNJ-86974680, show promise in overcoming resistance to checkpoint inhibitors in advanced NSCLC patients who have progressed on prior immunotherapy.
Ozempic Significantly Improves Walking Distance in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes and Peripheral Artery Disease
• Phase 3 STRIDE trial results show Ozempic (semaglutide) 1 mg increased maximum walking distance by 13% compared to placebo in patients with type 2 diabetes and peripheral artery disease.
• Patients treated with semaglutide experienced a clinically meaningful median improvement of 26.4 meters in walking distance on a 12% incline, along with better pain-free walking and quality of life measures.
• Based on these positive findings, Novo Nordisk has submitted a label extension application to the FDA, potentially making Ozempic the first new medication in over two decades to improve functional outcomes in PAD patients.
BioNTech's BNT327 Shows Promising 85% Response Rate in First-Line Treatment for Extensive-Stage SCLC
• BNT327, a bispecific antibody targeting both PD-L1 and VEGF-A, demonstrated an 85.4% confirmed response rate when combined with chemotherapy in extensive-stage small cell lung cancer patients.
• The phase 2 trial showed impressive disease control in 97.9% of patients, with 12-month overall survival rates of 72.7%, suggesting potential improvement over current standard treatments.
• Despite 86% of patients experiencing grade 3 or higher treatment-related adverse events, the safety profile was considered manageable with only 6% discontinuing treatment and no treatment-related deaths reported.
Luveltamab Tazevibulin Shows Promising Results in Platinum-Resistant Ovarian Cancer with Low to High FRα Expression
• Luveltamab tazevibulin demonstrated a 32% overall response rate in platinum-resistant ovarian cancer patients with FRα expression ≥25%, showing similar efficacy in both low-medium and high expression subgroups.
• The antibody-drug conjugate achieved a remarkable 96% disease control rate when administered at 5.2 mg/kg with G-CSF prophylaxis for the first two cycles, then 4.3 mg/kg in subsequent cycles.
• Common side effects included arthralgia, nausea, and neutropenia, with researchers selecting the optimized dose regimen for the ongoing phase 3 portion of the REFRΑME-O1 trial.
Afuresertib Plus Paclitaxel Fails to Improve Survival in Platinum-Resistant Ovarian Cancer Trial
• Phase 2 PROFECTA-II/GOG-3044 trial shows afuresertib plus paclitaxel did not significantly improve progression-free or overall survival compared to paclitaxel alone in platinum-resistant ovarian cancer patients.
• Biomarker analysis suggests patients with higher pAKT expression (>1) may benefit more from the combination therapy, with median PFS of 5.4 months versus 2.9 months with paclitaxel alone.
• The combination therapy demonstrated a manageable safety profile but had higher rates of diarrhea (64.6% vs 19.1%) and more frequent treatment discontinuations (20.2% vs 6.4%) compared to paclitaxel monotherapy.
Verastem Oncology to Present New LGSOC Treatment Data at SGO 2025 Annual Meeting
• Verastem Oncology will present additional analyses from the Phase 2 RAMP 201 trial evaluating avutometinib plus defactinib in recurrent low-grade serous ovarian cancer at SGO 2025, building on their FDA Priority Review submission.
• The presentations include new subgroup analyses by KRAS mutational status, supporting the company's ongoing efforts to advance treatment options for RAS/MAPK pathway-driven cancers.
• The company's NDA for the avutometinib-defactinib combination therapy has received Priority Review from the FDA with a PDUFA date of June 30, 2025, for KRAS mutant LGSOC patients.
Brukinsa Demonstrates Superior Safety Profile Compared to Imbruvica in CLL Treatment Study
• A new study comparing BTK inhibitors in chronic lymphocytic leukemia treatment shows Brukinsa (zanubrutinib) had fewer severe side effects than Imbruvica (ibrutinib), with 4% versus 9% incidence respectively.
• Notable findings include complete absence of neutropenia in the Brukinsa group compared to 3% in the Imbruvica group, suggesting particular benefits for older or immunocompromised patients.
• Treatment discontinuation and dose reductions were less frequent with Brukinsa, though researchers emphasize the importance of personalized treatment decisions based on individual patient characteristics.
Orca-T Cell Therapy Shows Superior Outcomes in Phase 3 Trial for Blood Cancer Patients
• Orca Bio's investigational cell therapy Orca-T demonstrated statistically significant improvement in survival without moderate-to-severe chronic GvHD compared to standard stem cell transplants.
• The pivotal Phase 3 Precision-T trial evaluated Orca-T in patients with various blood cancers including AML, ALL, high-risk MDS, and MPAL.
• Results from this landmark study will be presented at the 51st Annual EBMT Meeting in Florence, Italy, marking a potential breakthrough in blood cancer treatment.
Bezuclastinib Plus Sunitinib Demonstrates Improved Safety and Efficacy in GIST Patients
• Phase 3 Peak study shows bezuclastinib combined with sunitinib improves outcomes in gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) compared to sunitinib alone.
• The combination therapy demonstrated a median progression-free survival of 19.4 months in patients previously treated with imatinib.
• The combination of bezuclastinib and sunitinib was well-tolerated, with a manageable safety profile and a median treatment duration of 32 weeks.
• Objective response rate was 27.5% in all patients and 33% in patients with prior imatinib treatment, indicating promising clinical activity.
Cabozantinib Shows Promise in Advanced GI Neuroendocrine Tumors
• Cabozantinib (Cabometyx) significantly improved progression-free survival (PFS) in patients with advanced gastrointestinal neuroendocrine tumors (GI-NETs) after prior therapy.
• The CABINET trial subgroup analysis revealed a median PFS of 8.5 months with cabozantinib versus 5.6 months with placebo in GI-NET patients.
• Benefits were observed across various clinical factors, including tumor grade and prior treatment, except in non-midgut GI primary tumors.
• The safety profile of cabozantinib was consistent with previous data, with manageable adverse events reported.
Balstilimab Plus Botensilimab Shows Enhanced Response in MSS mCRC Without Liver Metastases
• Preliminary phase 2 data shows balstilimab combined with botensilimab yields a higher objective response rate in MSS mCRC patients without liver metastases.
• The combination of botensilimab 75 mg Q6W plus balstilimab showed a confirmed ORR of 19% and a disease control rate of 55%.
• The median duration of response has not been reached, with 70% of responses ongoing, indicating durable efficacy of the combination therapy.
• A phase 3 trial is planned using botensilimab 75 mg with balstilimab 240 mg, based on the favorable safety and efficacy profile observed.
Acalabrutinib Receives FDA Approval for Previously Untreated Mantle Cell Lymphoma
• The FDA has granted traditional approval to acalabrutinib in combination with bendamustine and rituximab for untreated MCL patients ineligible for stem cell transplant.
• The approval was based on the ECHO trial, which showed a 27% reduction in disease progression or death compared to chemoimmunotherapy alone.
• Median progression-free survival was 66.4 months with acalabrutinib versus 49.6 months with chemoimmunotherapy, demonstrating a clinically significant improvement.
• Acalabrutinib is now the first and only BTK inhibitor approved for first-line MCL treatment, offering a new option for this rare and aggressive cancer.
UroGen's UGN-102 Shows Promise in Bladder Cancer Treatment, Awaits FDA Decision
• UroGen Pharma's UGN-102 New Drug Application has been accepted by the FDA, with a decision expected by June 13, 2025.
• The ENVISION Phase 3 trial data highlights a 79.6% complete response rate at three months and an 82.3% durability of response at 12 months.
• UGN-102, a mitomycin-based intravesical solution, could become the first FDA-approved treatment for low-grade intermediate-risk non-muscle invasive bladder cancer.
• The UTOPIA Phase 3 trial for UGN-103, targeting recurrent LG-IR-NMIBC, has commenced, expanding UroGen's pipeline.
Enhertu Approved for HER2-Low and HER2-Ultralow Metastatic Breast Cancer
• The FDA has approved Enhertu for HR-positive, HER2-low or HER2-ultralow metastatic breast cancer after endocrine therapy progression.
• DESTINY-Breast06 trial data showed a 36% reduction in disease progression or death risk compared to chemotherapy.
• Patients on Enhertu had a median progression-free survival of 13.2 months versus 8.1 months on chemotherapy.
• This approval expands Enhertu's use to an earlier treatment setting and a broader patient population.
Novel Regimens Show Promise in CLL/SLL Treatment, Offering Durable Remissions and Improved Outcomes
• Fixed-duration ibrutinib and venetoclax demonstrate durable progression-free survival in CLL/SLL, even in high-risk patients, offering an easy-to-administer, all-oral option.
• Zanubrutinib and venetoclax combination shows high efficacy in relapsed/refractory CLL, including those with prior BTK or BCL2 inhibitor exposure, with manageable tolerability.
• Zanubrutinib monotherapy demonstrates superior progression-free survival compared to bendamustine/rituximab in treatment-naive CLL/SLL patients without del(17p) after 5-year follow-up.
• Time-limited zanubrutinib/rituximab therapy induces durable remissions in treatment-naive CLL, suggesting a potential alternative to long-term BTK inhibitor monotherapy.
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