November 2008 | Oncology & Biotech News

May 24, 2010

Scientists at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, have linked the CDK8 gene to colon cancer, a previously unsuspected association.

May 24, 2010

University of Pittsburgh scientists ecently discovered a virus that they have determined is the cause of Merkel cell carcinoma.

May 24, 2010

Stanford University School of Medicine investigators may have discovered a new chemotherapy target for a deadly form of leukemia. A molecular signal, glycogen synthase kinase 3 (GSK3), known to regulate cell growth appears to play a %u201Cdouble agent%u201D role.

May 24, 2010

Researchers at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland, have developed an innovative test to screen for chemical modifications to DNA, which are known as methylation. The test could potentially be used to diagnose cancer early on and to assess patients%u2019 response to cancer therapies.

May 24, 2010

Researchers at the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee have announced a pending patent on a new synthetic version of a protein involved in some cancers and immune system diseases.

May 24, 2010

In what researchers are touting as a first-of-its-kind finding, Houston-based University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center investigators have discovered a potential connection between exposure to the hepatitis B virus and an increased risk of developing pancreatic cancer.

May 24, 2010

When the market is volatile, people think about their financial future. With current market events as turbulent as they are, you may be concerned about their potential impact on your 401(k) account. During times like this, it is more important than ever to follow certain basic, time-tested principles of investing.

May 24, 2010

This year, most Americans have seen the value of their home drop faster than a lead weight. If you purchased your home in the last 10 years, during the housing boom, you will likely find that it is worth less today than what you paid for it%u2014and in some cases less than what you still owe.

May 24, 2010

Bristol-Myers Squibb wrote down $300 million on auction-related securities. Wyeth lost $70 million on the collapses of Lehman Brothers and Washington Mutual. Genentech took a $67 million hit on its investments in financial institution preferred securities, and more updates.

May 24, 2010

Merck has won FDA approval to market Gardasil,which immunizes patients against cancer-causing strains of the human papillomavirus (HPV), as a preventive vaccine for vaginal and vulvar cancers, as well.

May 24, 2010

Eli Lilly and Company has obtained FDA approval for an expanded indication of its anti-cancer agent Alimta. This new indication allows Alimta to be combined with cisplatin as a first-line treatment in locally advanced or metastatic non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) for patients with nonsquamous histology.

May 24, 2010

At the 33rd Annual ESMO Congress in Stockholm, Sweden, investigators presented new data from 3 clinical trials that indicate Zometa reduces the risk of local and distant breast cancer recurrence in pre- and postmenopausal women with early stage disease (stage I or II).

May 24, 2010

MediGene, based in Germany, has a new product in late-stage development that may offer hope to patients with inoperable pancreatic cancer.

May 24, 2010

ProStrakan Group plc, announced it had attained FDA approval to market Sancuso in the United States. The company describes Sancuso as the first and only anti-nausea and vomiting agent formulated for delivery via a transdermal patch, designed specifically to prevent these adverse effects in patients with cancer who are undergoing chemotherapy.

May 24, 2010

Despite the rocky global economy-or perhaps because of it-consolidation in the oncology biotechnology industry continues to race forward. Over the past several quarters, we have seen a trend toward increased mergers and acquisitions, and this shows no signs of slowing down.

May 24, 2010

Several months ago, Physicians' Financial News covered Pfizer Inc's aggressive move into the oncology market and the strategic and tactical refocus that accompanied its paradigm-changing shift in priorities. Since then, Pfizer has continued its profound efforts to reorganize in earnest pursuit of a larger berth in the cancer marketplace.

May 24, 2010

Many managed care and payer organizations use pay-for-performance programs as incentive to improve healthcare quality. While several studies have examined the effect of these programs on primary care, few studies have evaluated their impact on cancer care.

May 24, 2010

Based on data from the National Health Interview Surveys of 2000-2005, researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention noted a promising trend: nearly half of elderly individuals were up to date on the recommended number of screenings of colorectal cancer.

May 24, 2010

Using a database of managed care claims, outcomes researchers at Huffman-La Roche Inc in Nutley, New Jersey, examined the total cost of care for patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (N = 1459) who received 5-fluorouracil (5-FU)-based regimens or capecitabine-based chemotherapy regimens from 2004-2006.

May 24, 2010

According to the National Cancer Institute, more than half of patients undergoing radiation therapy to manage malignant tumors report experiencing significant pain. Despite this, relatively few use pain relief medication.

May 24, 2010

Although imatinib mesylate (Gleevec) is the standard of care for patients with metastatic or unresectable gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST), few studies have examined its cost-effectiveness in treating this disorder.

May 24, 2010

In addition to providing healthcare coverage for elderly individuals, CMS offers coverage for younger patients with chronic disabilities. Like all Medicare enrollees, these patients have the option to subscribe to a Medicare Advantage plan.

May 24, 2010

Researchers from the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute noted that the number of elderly patients with a new cancer diagnosis enrolled in oncology clinical trials has declined, and they think Medicare Advantage may be to blame.

May 24, 2010

Researchers from the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston have found that oral fluoropyrimidines can facilitate longer exposure to 5-fluorouracil and reduce inconvenience in treating metastatic colorectal cancer.

May 24, 2010

Clinicians from various centers across the nation collaborated in conducting a multicenter phase II trial that assessed the feasibility, toxicity,and possible efficacy of a short-term treatment regimen prior to surgery for squamous-cell head and neck carcinoma (SCHNC).

May 24, 2010

Researchers from the University of Texas, Houston,recently evaluated the use of everolimus (RAD001) combined with octreotide long-acting repeatable (LAR) to treat patients who have advanced low- to intermediate-grade neuroendocrine tumors.

May 21, 2010

Previous studies have demonstrated that patients who have recurrent or metastatic squamous-cell head and neck cancer (SCHNC) that is resistant to platinum-based chemotherapy can be treated effectively with cetuximab. Belgian researchers hoped to discover whether cetuximab plus platinum-based chemotherapy would be an effective first-line treatment in patients with SCHNC.

May 21, 2010

At the 33rd Congress of ESMO in Stockholm, Sweden, findings were presented from a recent study that found administration of intravenous (IV) iron intensified and accelerated cancer patients' response to darbepoetin alfa (Aranesp.

May 21, 2010

German researchers sought to confirm the results of a previous Japanese trial that found patients with extensive-disease small–cell lung cancer (ED SCLC) treated with irinotecan plus cisplatin lived longer than subjects given therapy with etoposide plus cisplatin.

May 21, 2010

Women with ovarian cancer have few nonplatinum-based chemotherapy options. At the 33rd ESMO Congress in September 2008, researchers reported findings from OVA-301, a phase III trial that compared efficacy and safety of trabectedin (Yondelis) in combination with pegylated liposomal doxorubicin (PLD) versus PLD monotherapy in women with relapsed ovarian cancer.

May 21, 2010

May 21, 2010

Blood testing plays a critical role in diagnosis and treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML).

May 21, 2010

A pivotal phase III study is currently underway to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Novartis' novel anti-cancer compound ASA404 in patients with non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). NSCLC is the most prevalent cause of cancer death among men and women in the United States and globally.

May 21, 2010

The International Liver Cancer Association (ILCA) takes a multidisciplinary approach to furthering the understanding and management of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In September 2008, researchers from more than 40 countries attended the Second Annual Conference in Chicago, Illinois to discuss the most recent findings on diagnosis and treatment.

May 21, 2010

Reporting on ASCO's October 2008 Breast Cancer Symposium and the Second Annual Conference of the International Liver Cancer Association held in September, highlighting new research and emerging trends in patient care and treatments.

May 21, 2010

Key findings from the 2008 ASCO Breast Cancer Conference focus on the latest multidisciplinary research as well as in-depth discussions on how and when to translate new findings into patient care. Highlighted presentations address the need for greater selectivity in choosing a therapy regimen for a specific patient with breast cancer. In particular, what efforts are underway to develop targeted treatments for triple-negative breast tumors?