NRG Oncology

Doris Benbrook, Ph.D., named Associate Director for Translational Research at OU Health Stephenson Cancer Center, will oversee planning and initiatives to translate basic science discoveries into clinical trials, aiming for NCI Comprehensive Designation. Benbrook, with over 30 years of research experience at OU College of Medicine, developed a new drug, OK-1, entirely in Oklahoma, marking a historic first for the state.

Cetuximab with radiation therapy outperformed durvalumab in a clinical trial for locally advanced head and neck cancer patients unable to receive cisplatin, with 64% progression-free survival vs. 51%.

Heinzerling et al reported a phase II trial of SBRT followed by concurrent mediastinal chemotherapy and consolidative immunotherapy in locally advanced NSCLC, showing 1-year progression-free survival of 62.7% and median overall survival of 47.1 months, with treatment-related adverse events including 7% treatment-related deaths. The study, funded by AstraZeneca and Atrium Health Levine Cancer Institute, serves as basis for ongoing phase III study NRG Oncology LU008.

AstraZeneca and Merck's OlympiA trial showed Lynparza (olaparib) improved overall survival, invasive disease-free survival, and distant disease-free survival for germline BRCA-mutated HER2-negative high-risk early breast cancer patients. The benefits persisted after six years, with Lynparza reducing death risk by 28% and maintaining a favorable safety profile. Lynparza is approved in multiple countries for this indication.

LYNPARZA (olaparib) showed sustained improvements in overall survival (OS), invasive disease-free survival (IDFS), and distant disease-free survival (DDFS) at six years for patients with germline BRCA-mutated HER2-negative high-risk early breast cancer, reducing death risk by 28% vs. placebo. 87.5% of LYNPARZA patients were alive at six years vs. 83.2% in the placebo group.

LYNPARZA® (olaparib) showed sustained survival benefits in gBRCAm HER2-negative high-risk early breast cancer patients, reducing death risk by 28% at 6 years. It improved IDFS, DDFS, and OS, with 87.5% survival rate vs. 83.2% in placebo. This PARP inhibitor is the first to improve survival in early breast cancer.

Lynparza's safety and tolerability in the OlympiA trial align with prior trials, showing no new safety signals or increased risk of myelodysplastic syndrome or acute myeloid leukaemia. Lynparza is approved for gBRCAm, HER2-negative high-risk early and metastatic breast cancer in the US, EU, Japan, and other countries. The trial is coordinated by the Breast International Group (BIG) in partnership with NRG Oncology, the US National Cancer Institute, Frontier Science & Technology Research Foundation, AstraZeneca, and MSD. Lynparza, a PARP inhibitor, targets DNA damage response in cells with BRCA mutations, leading to cancer cell death.

Accelerated FDA approvals bring hope for small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) treatments like tarlatamab, though caution is advised due to potential withdrawal risks. The NRG Oncology/Alliance LU005 trial found no survival benefit from adding atezolizumab to standard chemoradiotherapy in LS-SCLC, but twice-daily radiation showed improved survival.

Article references discuss global cancer statistics, treatment strategies for ovarian cancer, and the prognostic impact of histological responses to neoadjuvant chemotherapy, including the development and validation of a chemotherapy response score system.