Tony Berberabe, MPH, is the Editor for Targeted Therapies in Oncology. Berberabe received his Bachelor of Arts in Biology from Rutgers University and his Master of Public Health from the University of Medicine and Dentistry in New Jersey.
FDA Approves Supplemental NDA for Neratinib in Metastatic HER2-Positive Breast Cancer
February 27th 2020The FDA has approved a supplemental New Drug Application for neratinib in combination with capecitabine for the treatment of adult patients with advanced or metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer who have previously received 2 or more anti–HER2-based regimens in the metastatic setting, according to a press release issued by the manufacturer Puma Biotechnology, Inc.
PARP Inhibitors Poised to Change Prostate Cancer Standard of Care
February 26th 2020PARP inhibitors have the potential to change standards of care in prostate cancer, according to Daniel P. Petrylak, MD, who, along with his colleague, Leonard G. Gomella, MD, will cochair the New York GU: 13th Annual Interdisciplinary Prostate Can­cer Congress® and Other Genitourinary Malignancies conference, held in New York, New York.
Overcoming Resistance to Osimertinib Remains Key Challenge for Treatment Strategies in NSCLC
February 20th 2020As one of the main challenges faced by cli­nicians who treat non small cell lung cancer, drug resistance continues to thwart efforts to mitigate disease progression. This is especially true for the class of drugs called tyrosine kinase inhibitors, which inhibit adenosine triphosphate at the binding site of tyrosine kinase.
FDA Grants Priority Review for Selinexor in R/R Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma
February 20th 2020A Priority Review supplemental New Drug Application for selinexor, a selective inhibitor of nuclear export, has been accepted for filing by the FDA, according to the manufacturer, Karyopharm Therapeutics, Inc, in a press release. The application seeks accelerated approval from the agency as a treatment for adult patients with relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.
FDA Extends Decision Date on Avapritinib in Fourth-Line GIST by 3 Months
February 7th 2020The FDA has extended the Prescription Drug User Fee Act date by 3 months for the new drug application of avapritinib from February 14, 2020, to May 14, 2020, the manufacturer, Blueprint Medicines Corporation, announced in a news release. The NDA was seeking accelerated approval for the kinase inhibitor for the treatment of adults with fourth-line gastrointestinal stromal tumors.
ctDNA Informs Targeted Therapy Choice for Breast Cancer
February 5th 2020Patients with metastatic breast cancer who carry rare mutations identified by circulating tumor DNA responded to matched targeted therapies, according to results of the plasma-MATCH trial presented during the 2019 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium.
ctDNA Informs Targeted Therapy Choice for Breast Cancer
February 5th 2020Patients with metastatic breast cancer who carry rare mutations identified by circulat­ing tumor DNA responded to matched targeted therapies, according to results of the plasmaMATCH trial presented during the 2019 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium. Specifically, patients with HER2 mutations responded to neratinib and patients with AKT1 mutations responded to capivasertib.
STELLAR Trial Explores Potential Treatment Options for Anaplastic Astrocytoma
February 1st 2020In an interview with Targeted Oncology, Arati Desai, MD, co-director of the University of Pennsylvania Brain Tumor Cancer Program Center, assistant professor of clinical medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, discussed the implications of the STELLAR trial, the role of eflornithine, and how IDH1/2 mutational status affects outcomes in patients with anaplastic astrocytomas.
FDA Grants Priority Review for Rucaparib in Advanced Prostate Cancer
January 16th 2020The FDA has granted priority review status on a supplemental New Drug Application for rucaparib in advanced prostate cancer, according to a release issued by Clovis Oncology.1 The sNDA seeks approval for rucaparib as monotherapy treatment in patients with a BRCA1/2 mutation resulting in recurrent metastatic castrate-resistant prostate cancer. The agency has assigned a Prescription Drug User Fee Act date of May 15, 2020.
Regulatory Approval Moves Ahead for Lurbinectedin in SCLC
December 19th 2019A new drug application has been filed for accelerated approval with the FDA for lurbinectedin in patients with small cell lung cancer who have progressed after prior platinum-containing therapy, according to the manufacturer, PharmaMar.1 The filing was based on results from a phase II basket trial, presented at the 2019 ASCO Annual Meeting.
Guidelines Direct Pretransplant Work-Up and Illustrate GVHD Challenges
December 4th 2019New clinical practice guidelines for HCT have been published by the National Comprehensive Cancer Network. The guidelines provide step-by-step information on best practices in evaluating patients for HCT and managing complications.
For Patients With Neurofibromatosis Type 1, Many Unmet Needs Remain
November 25th 2019A large proportion of children diagnosed with neurofibromatosis type 1-related plexiform neurofibromas have no appropriate treatment available to them and represent a significant unmet medical need. To determine demographics, clinical characteristics, and treatments, a cross-sectional analysis of existing data from the Children’s Tumor Foundation registry was undertaken by Jinghua He, PhD, MPH, and colleagues.
Dabrafenib, Trametinib Combination Shows Response and Duration in BRAF V600E Mutated Tumors
November 24th 2019Patients with both high-grade and low-grade glioma harboring the <em>BRAF</em> V600E mutation demonstrated positive benefit in response, duration of response, and progression-free survival when given the combination of dabrafenib and trametinib in a phase IIa study.
Emerging Data Concerning Modifiable Host Factors and Immune Responses Fuel Discussion
November 15th 2019This year’s Hot Topic Symposium during Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer’s 34th Annual Meeting, co-chaired by Jennifer A. Ligibel, MD, and Jennifer Mcquade, MD, MS, MA, focused on modifiable factors that can affect tumor response to treatment.
SITC Handbook Addresses Multispecialty Needs to Manage Immunotherapy Toxicities
November 13th 2019The advent of immunotherapy has delivered unprecedented and durable anti-tumor responses as well as long-lasting survival benefits in some patients. Yet many clinicians may not be familiar with managing the unique toxicities that accompany these emerging cancer treatments.
Nivolumab/Ipilimumab Combination Shows Benefit in First-Line Setting for NSCLC
November 11th 2019Although the use of PD-1 and CTLA-4 pathway blockade in non–small cell lung cancer has had mixed results in the past, the combination of nivolumab and ipilimumab has demonstrated positive benefit in overall survival and adverse event profile compared with chemotherapy. Research suggests that anti–CTLA-4 helps induce T-cell responses and anti–PD-1 aids to restore anti-tumor T cell function.
Despite Only a 50% HPV Vaccination Rate in Adolescents, Cervical Precancer Incidence Rates Drop
November 6th 2019Although a vaccine for the human papillomavirus (HPV) is widely available, an average of 34,800 HPV-associated cancers attributable to the virus, including cervical, vaginal, vulva, penile, anal, and oropharynx were reported in the United States from 2012 through 2016, according to data published in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
Mesa Explains Risk Assessment For Patients With PMF and How it Affects Treatment
November 5th 2019During a <em>Targeted Oncology </em>live case-based peer perspectives discussion, Ruben A. Mesa, MD, discussed risk assessment and treatment options available based on these assessments for patients with primary myelofibrosis with a group of physicians. Mesa, director of the UT Health San Antonio Cancer Center, explained these treatment options based on a case scenario of a patient with PMF.
ASCO Adds Oral Anticoagulants to Venous Thromboembolism Guidelines for Patients With Cancer
October 4th 2019The addition of direct oral oral anticoagulants for the management of venous thromboembolism in patients with cancer is the latest change to previous guidelines issued by the American Society of Clinical Oncology.
Migden Reviews Updated Data for PD-1 Agents in Case Review of cSCC
September 20th 2019Michael R. Migden, MD, spoke with a group of physicians during a <em>Targeted Oncology </em>live case-based peer perspectives discussion about responses in patients with cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma to immunotherapy treatment.
Immuno-Oncology Therapies Make Slow But Steady Gains in Gynecologic Cancers
September 18th 2019Thomas J. Herzog, MD, provided an overview of clinical research in cervical, endometrial, and ovarian cancer settings that covered cancer vaccines, adoptive T-cell transfer therapy, and immune checkpoint inhibitors during the 14th Annual New Orleans Summer Cancer Meeting.
Promising PFS Shown With Isatuximab Triplet in High-Risk Multiple Myeloma
September 15th 2019In an interview with <em>Targeted Oncology</em> during the 17th IMW Scientific Program, Simon J. Harrison, MBBS, PhD, discussed the subgroup findings from the ICARIA-MM study in relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma.