MAYO CLINIC

The global cancer profiling market is projected to grow from $31.816 billion in 2024 to $59.049 billion by 2029, driven by rising cancer prevalence, biomarker use in tumor profiling, and demand for personalized medicine. Key developments include Guardant Health's tissue genomic profiling test and QIAGEN's NGS analysis tool for stomach cancer. North America leads in market share due to increased cancer research and precision treatment efforts.

Scientists awarded £600,000 to develop the first ovarian cancer vaccine, OvarianVax, targeting folate receptor alpha. Mayo Clinic's vaccine aims at secondary prevention and treatment, while the UK vaccine focuses on primary prevention. No reliable screening methods exist for ovarian cancer, and an FDA-approved vaccine is years away.

Ascentage Pharma's NDA for lisaftoclax, a Bcl-2 inhibitor for r/r CLL/SLL, was accepted by China's NMPA with Priority Review, potentially making it the first domestically developed Bcl-2 inhibitor in China and the second globally. This follows a Phase II study showing efficacy and safety in Chinese patients with r/r CLL/SLL, addressing a significant unmet need in China where CLL/SLL incidence is rising.

Molecular testing shapes treatment decisions in advanced pancreatic cancer, with RAS inhibitors potentially increasing genetic testing importance. Bekaii-Saab discusses chemotherapy regimen selection, emphasizing molecular testing's role and targeted therapies' potential. Triplet regimens like NALIRIFOX and FOLFIRINOX are favored over doublets, though gemcitabine plus nab-paclitaxel shows comparable efficacy. NAPOLI 3 data suggests NALIRIFOX's superiority, though toxicity considerations remain. Germline and somatic tumor profiling guide treatment, especially for RAS mutations and other targeted strategies.

AI in healthcare promises faster, accurate diagnoses, personalized treatment plans, accelerated drug discovery, streamlined administrative tasks, outbreak prediction, and enhanced telehealth. Challenges include ethical concerns and regulatory frameworks.

Type 2 diabetes medications, GLP-1 agonists and SGLT2 inhibitors, may significantly reduce the risk of secondary stroke, heart attack, and death in stroke survivors.

Genomadix, a leader in precision medicine diagnostics, has entered a know-how license agreement with Mayo Clinic to enhance telestroke services in the U.S. The collaboration will expand the use of Genomadix's FDA-cleared Cube CYP2C19 System, which provides rapid CYP2C19 genotype results for personalized dual-antiplatelet therapy decisions.

Adding veliparib to temozolomide did not improve overall survival in newly diagnosed glioblastoma patients with MGMT promoter hypermethylation, according to a phase II/III trial reported in JAMA Oncology.

PDS Biotech's Q3 2024 earnings call discussed the VERSATILE-003 Phase 3 trial, evaluating Versamune HPV + pembrolizumab for HPV16-positive head and neck cancer. The trial design was modified to reduce costs and time, now including 350 patients, with FDA clearance expected by mid-December. Key data from the VERSATILE-002 study informed the update, showing improved responses and durability. Financial results showed a net loss of $10.7 million, with cash and equivalents totaling $50 million. The company plans to initiate the trial in Q1 2025, with a focus on HPV-positive head and neck cancer.