THE ROYAL MELBOURNE HOSPITAL

FDA Approves Genentech's TNKase for Acute Ischemic Stroke with Simplified Administration

3 months ago

• The FDA has approved Genentech's TNKase, a clot-dissolving agent, for treating acute ischemic stroke in adults, marking the company's second stroke treatment approval. • TNKase offers a streamlined five-second intravenous bolus administration, presenting a significant advantage over the current standard treatment Activase's 60-minute infusion protocol. • The approval is supported by a multi-center non-inferiority study across 22 Canadian stroke centers, demonstrating comparable safety and efficacy to Activase in patients with disabling neurological deficits.

Novel Triple Immunotherapy Approach Shows Promise in Glioblastoma Treatment

3 months ago

• A groundbreaking experimental treatment combining three checkpoint inhibitor immunotherapies before surgery has shown promising results in glioblastoma, with one patient remaining cancer-free for over 18 months. • The innovative approach, developed by Professor Georgina Long AO, demonstrated increased immune cell activation and diversity in the treated tumor, suggesting an enhanced immune response against cancer cells. • An Australian-led international clinical trial is being planned to evaluate double immunotherapy, with some patients receiving additional chemotherapy, to validate this potential breakthrough in glioblastoma treatment.

Pfizer's Sasanlimab Plus BCG Shows Promise in BCG-Naive, High-Risk NMIBC

4 months ago

• Pfizer's Phase 3 CREST trial showed that sasanlimab combined with BCG significantly improved event-free survival in BCG-naive, high-risk NMIBC patients. • The combination therapy demonstrated a clinically meaningful and statistically significant improvement compared to BCG alone in the study. • Sasanlimab's safety profile in combination with BCG was consistent with the known profiles of both agents, according to the trial data. • Pfizer plans to submit the CREST trial results for presentation at an upcoming medical congress and discuss potential regulatory filings.