UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA HOSPITALS

Novel Chemo-Immunotherapy Approach Shows Promise for Advanced HPV-Negative Head and Neck Cancer

3 months ago

• A Phase 2 clinical trial at UChicago Medicine demonstrated that combining nivolumab immunotherapy with chemotherapy led to tumor shrinkage in 53% of advanced HPV-negative head and neck cancer patients. • The innovative treatment approach, which included response-adaptive chemo-radiation therapy, showed improved survival outcomes and reduced toxic side effects, particularly in patients who responded well to initial treatment. • Higher PD-L1 expression levels were associated with better treatment responses, suggesting its potential as a biomarker for predicting treatment outcomes in this patient population.

Nanobiotix's Radioenhancer JNJ-1900 Enters Phase 2 Trial for Unresectable NSCLC

4 months ago

• Nanobiotix has dosed the first patient in the CONVERGE study, a Phase 2 trial evaluating JNJ-1900 (NBTXR3) for Stage 3 unresectable non-small cell lung cancer. • The CONVERGE trial, sponsored by Janssen, assesses JNJ-1900 in combination with chemoradiation and durvalumab for patients with advanced NSCLC. • JNJ-1900, a novel radioenhancer, aims to improve tumor cell death and trigger an adaptive immune response when activated by radiotherapy. • Nanobiotix is also evaluating JNJ-1900 in a Phase 3 trial for head and neck squamous cell cancers, with FDA Fast Track designation for HNSCC.

Real-World Evidence Reveals Disparities in CAR T-Cell Therapy Outcomes Across Patient Demographics

5 months ago

• CAR T-cell therapy and bispecific antibodies have transformed hematologic malignancy treatment, offering new hope beyond traditional chemotherapy and targeted drugs. • Real-world data indicates concerning disparities, with Black patients showing inferior progression-free survival and Hispanic patients experiencing slightly worse overall survival rates. • These advanced cellular therapies present unique challenges, requiring specialized healthcare centers and careful management of toxicities including cytokine release syndrome and B-cell depletion.

Ziftomenib Shows Promise in Treatment of Relapsed/Refractory AML

6 months ago

• Ziftomenib, a selective menin inhibitor, demonstrates promising clinical activity in relapsed/refractory AML patients, especially those with _NPM1_ mutations or _KMT2A_ rearrangements. • The KOMET-001 trial revealed a 25% complete remission rate in patients with _KMT2A_ rearrangement or _NPM1_ mutations at the 600 mg dose, with a 35% complete remission rate in _NPM1_ mutated patients. • Ziftomenib exhibits a manageable safety profile, with the most common severe adverse events including anemia, febrile neutropenia, and pneumonia, and a low incidence of _MEN1_ mutation development. • Ongoing clinical studies are exploring ziftomenib in combination with other therapies, such as 7+3 induction chemotherapy and azacytidine/venetoclax, to enhance its effectiveness in AML treatment.

Low-Dose Antiviral Therapy Reduces Risk of Eye Disease from Shingles

7 months ago

• Long-term, low-dose valacyclovir reduces the risk of new or worsening eye disease by 26% in patients with herpes zoster ophthalmicus (HZO). • The Zoster Eye Disease Study (ZEDS) found a 30% reduction in flare-ups at 12 months and 28% at 18 months with antiviral therapy. • The treatment also shortened pain duration and decreased the need for medications like pregabalin and gabapentin. • Experts emphasize shingles vaccination with Shingrix for adults 50 and older, and immunocompromised adults 19 and older.

Ifinatamab Deruxtecan Shows Promise in Extensive-Stage Small Cell Lung Cancer

7 months ago

• Ifinatamab deruxtecan (I-DXd) demonstrated promising activity in patients with extensive-stage small cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC) at the World Congress on Lung Cancer. • The antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) I-DXd showed a dose-response relationship, with higher doses yielding improved overall response rates in ES-SCLC. • Combination strategies involving ADCs like I-DXd with immunotherapy are being explored due to the potential for immunogenic cell death induction. • Protein engineering advancements are enabling the development of targeted therapies with improved clinical responses in lung cancer.

Keytruda Improves Survival in Head and Neck Cancer; Talzenna Prolongs Life in Prostate Cancer

7 months ago

• Merck's Keytruda, combined with adjuvant radiation therapy, significantly improved event-free survival in patients with resectable head and neck squamous cell cancer. • Pfizer's Talzenna, in combination with Xtandi, demonstrated improved overall survival in patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer compared to Xtandi alone. • A new FDA rule mandates healthcare providers to inform women about their breast density, impacting screening and risk assessment practices. • Research indicates that common breast cancer treatments may accelerate biological aging, highlighting the need for strategies to mitigate these long-term effects.

Versamune HPV Vaccine Plus Pembrolizumab Shows Promise in HPV16+ Head and Neck Cancer

8 months ago

• The addition of Versamune HPV (PDS0101) to pembrolizumab demonstrated robust and durable responses in first-line treatment for HPV16-positive recurrent or metastatic HNSCC. • In the VERSATILE-002 trial, the combination therapy achieved a median overall survival of 30 months and an objective response rate of 35.8% in patients with a CPS ≥ 1. • The safety profile of the combination was consistent with pembrolizumab alone, with mostly mild injection site reactions, supporting its continued evaluation. • A phase 3 trial (VERSATILE-003) is being planned to compare the combination with pembrolizumab monotherapy to validate the regimen's efficacy and safety.