Advances in TNBC; Mixed News in Lung Cancer Report; Pancreatic Cancer Overdiagnosis?

A chemotherapy-free regimen of neoadjuvant nivolumab (Opdivo) with or without ipilimumab (Yervoy) induced immune activation in a majority of patients with early triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) and led to pathologic complete responses and clearance of circulating tumor DNA. (ESMO, Nature Medicine)

A novel immunotherapy strategy achieved a high rate of complete responses in TNBC without the usual immune-related adverse effects. (Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer)

Cetuximab (Erbitux) improved 2-year disease-free survival versus durvalumab (Imfinzi) in cisplatin-intolerant/ineligible patients with advanced head and neck cancer. (UC San Diego, Lancet Oncology)

A subcutaneous formulation of pembrolizumab (Keytruda) with berahyaluronidase alfa plus chemotherapy proved noninferior to intravenous pembrolizumab plus chemotherapy on two pharmacokinetic endpoints in a phase III trial, Merck announced.

Six weeks after a federal judge tossed a previous lawsuit, former Celgene shareholders filed a $6.7 billion lawsuit against Bristol Myers Squibb, alleging the pharma giant cheated shareholders out of a higher stock price by delaying approval of three drugs, including the CAR T-cell therapy lisocabtagene maraleucel (Breyanzi). (Reuters via Yahoo! Finance)

The BMJ retracted a 2020 article reporting an association between unexplained weight loss and cancer, and then published an updated version showing an even stronger association. (Retraction Watch)

Buxton Helmsley said that following talks with multiple whistleblowers, the investment fund manager has urged a Senate committee to investigate alleged submission of false data to the FDA involving Spectrum Pharmaceuticals’ eflapegrastim (Rolvedon), a drug indicated to decrease the incidence of infection in cancer patients.

Preoperative induction chemotherapy, followed by surgery and radiotherapy, led to a 100% clinical benefit rate in a small study of patients with a rare head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. (University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Clinical Cancer Research)

The FDA announced updated labeling for fludarabine phosphate, including two indications for B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

Improving 5-year survival for lung cancer despite continued low rates of screening and the lack of comprehensive insurance coverage for biomarker testing in most states are among the highlights from the American Lung Association’s State of Lung Cancer report.

Overdiagnosis could be a contributing factor to the rising rate of pancreatic cancer in young adults. (Annals of Internal Medicine)

A history of endometriosis or uterine fibroids had a significant association with a higher risk of premature death due to gynecologic cancers. (The BMJ)

In laboratory studies, a modified antioxidant therapy reduced chronic pain in cancer patients without unwanted side effects. (University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Nature Biotechnology)

The novel fusion protein nemvaleukin alfa plus pembrolizumab achieved durable responses in several types of solid tumors, including malignancies that do not usually respond to immunotherapy, Mural Oncology announced.