See The Moon Meet Mars As Orion's Belt Tightens: Stargazing This Weekend
First Quarter Moon is this weekend.
Each Friday, I pick out North America's celestial highlights for the weekend (which also applies to northern hemisphere mid-northern latitudes). Check my main feed for more in-depth articles on stargazing, astronomy, eclipses and more.
With next weekend all about the full pink moon, take a few minutes to look at the night sky before it becomes too bright for serious stargazing. The first quarter moon will move through the constellation Gemini toward Mars, while Orion — surely the most iconic constellation of all — is dropping towards the southwestern horizon, destined to become hidden from view for six months. Here's what to see in the night sky this weekend:
The moon will look half-lit tonight as reaches its first quarter phase. This is the moment of the month when the night sky begins to get becomes bleached by moonlight, making stargazing tricky. However, this will be a fine sight since the moon will be positioned near the feet of the constellation Gemini and edging close to Mars. Look to the right of the moon to find Capella, one of the brightest stars in the sky, and the red supergiant Betelgeuse in Orion below it.
Tonight's highlight is a beautiful gathering of the moon, Mars, and the bright stars of Gemini — Castor and Pollux. Mars, still an obvious reddish color, will be positioned a couple of degrees from the 60%-illuminated waxing gibbous moon. Above them both, you'll see the two bright stars of Gemini, Pollux (closest to the moon and Mars) and Castor (slightly farther away) make a triangle.
Tonight, take one last look at Orion, surely the most iconic and recognizable of all the winter constellations in the Northern Hemisphere. Before it disappears from the night sky for the summer, look to the west, where Orion's Belt — three stars (Alnitak, Alnilam and Mintaka) in a straight line — will be visible just above the southwestern horizon. Above the belt, the red giant Betelgeuse will shine, looking slightly reddish (particularly if you squint).
Did you see the partial solar eclipse last weekend? Whether you did or not, you'll want to know when the next eclipse is. The next one, a partial solar eclipse, is on September 21. On that date, a maximum of 80% eclipse will be seen from the Indian Ocean, close to Antarctica, New Zealand, and the southwestern South Pacific. On August 12, 2026, a total solar eclipse will be seen from parts of Greenland, western Iceland, and northern Spain for a maximum of 2 minutes and 18 seconds, while North America will experience a slight partial solar eclipse.
The times and dates given apply to mid-northern latitudes. For the most accurate location-specific information, consult online planetariums like Stellarium.
Wishing you clear skies and wide eyes.
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Amid cuts, Trump's proposed NASA budget would lay waste to new Artemis launch tower
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An existing mobile launcher, ML-1, was used on the uncrewed Artemis I test flight of SLS and the Orion spacecraft in 2022, and is in place within the VAB for the Artemis II mission, a crewed flight that will go around but not land on the moon. It is set to fly in early 2026. ML-1 would be used for a final time for the Artemis III mission, which aims to return humans to the surface of the moon as early as summer 2027. But after that, Trump wants to find different solutions to send crew and cargo to the moon and onto Mars. That would leave ML-2 with no purpose, and its fate could be similar to its predecessor, which sat unused at KSC for years after the end of the Constellation program. Eventually, though, the launcher was repurposed for use on the first three Artemis missions. 'NASA will close out Mobile Launcher-2 development, as ML-2 will not be needed to support SLS due to the orderly shutdown of the SLS Block 1B upgrade,' reads the budget proposal. 'NASA proposes to use previously appropriated unobligated balances to support the termination of these activities, including but not limited to, ongoing administration, oversight, and monitoring.' That would include money that would be paid out to lead contractor Bechtel National Inc., which was initially awarded a $383 million contract in 2019 with a delivery date of 2023. NASA's Office of the Inspector General released an audit in August 2024 that said the costs had already nearly tripled to more than $1 billion with the delivery date pushed to no later than November 2026. The budget also calls for an end to NASA's Exploration Ground Systems team that supports Artemis launches. NASA, which employs for now around 18,000, has not said how many people fall under EGS, but its budgets in 2024 and 2025 neared $884 million. Trump's proposed budget would drop that to $658 million for 2026, $700 million in 2027, $500 million in 2028, and then nothing beyond that. 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U.S. FDA approves third indication of darolutamide for patients with advanced prostate cancer
U.S. FDA approves third indication of darolutamide for patients with advanced prostate cancer Darolutamide is the first and only in the U.S. and FDA-approved androgen receptor inhibitor (ARi) for the treatment of patients with hormone-sensitive prostate cancer (mHSPC), in combination with androgen deprivation therapy (ADT), with or without chemotherapy. This third approval is based on positive results from the pivotal Phase III ARANOTE trial and broadens the indication profile of darolutamide in mHSPC, enabling its use in combination with ADT, with or without chemotherapy (docetaxel). Darolutamide plus ADT reinforces the established safety and tolerability profile of darolutamide for prostate cancer patients across all approved indications. Orion's collaboration partner Bayer announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the oral androgen receptor inhibitor (ARi) darolutamide in combination with androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) for use in patients with metastatic castration-sensitive prostate cancer (mCSPC), which is also known as metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer (mHSPC). The approval is based on positive results from the pivotal Phase III ARANOTE trial, which showed that darolutamide plus ADT significantly reduced the risk of radiological progression or death by 46% compared to placebo plus ADT (HR 0.54; 95% CI 0.41–0.71; P<0.0001) in patients with mHSPC. With this approval, darolutamide plus ADT is indicated in the U.S. for the treatment of adult patients with mHSPC either with or without docetaxel. In addition, darolutamide is approved for the treatment of adult patients with non-metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (nmCRPC) who are at high risk of developing metastatic disease. Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer in men and the fifth most common cause of cancer death in men worldwide.1 In 2022, an estimated 1.5 million men were diagnosed with prostate cancer, and about 397,000 died from the disease worldwide.1 Prostate cancer diagnoses are projected to increase to 2.9 million by 2040.2 Darolutamide, under the brand name Nubeqa®, is already approved in mHSPC in combination with ADT and docetaxel in over 85 markets around the world. It's also approved in combination with ADT for the treatment of patients with non-metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (nmCRPC) who are at high risk of developing metastatic disease in more than 85 countries around the world. 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Secondary endpoints include overall survival (time to death from any cause), time to first castration resistant event, time to initiation of subsequent anti-cancer therapy, time to prostate-specific antigen (PSA) progression, PSA undetectable rates, time to pain progression, and safety assessments. Results from the Phase III ARANOTE trial presented at ESMO 2024 and published in The Journal of Clinical Oncology showed that darolutamide plus ADT significantly reduced the risk of radiological progression or death by 46% compared to placebo plus ADT (HR 0.54; 95% CI 0.41–0.71; P<0.0001), in patients with mHSPC. Consistent benefits in radiological progression-free survival (rPFS) were observed across prespecified subgroups, including patients with high-volume (HR 0.60, 95% CI: 0.44-0.80) and low-volume (HR 0.30, 95% CI: 0.15-0.60) mHSPC. The incidence of adverse events in the treatment group with darolutamide plus ADT in the ARANOTE study was comparable to placebo plus ADT. Darolutamide plus ADT was generally well tolerated and showed lower discontinuation rates due to adverse events compared to placebo plus ADT. About darolutamide Darolutamide is an oral ARi with a unique chemical structure that binds with high affinity to the androgen receptor and exhibits a strong antagonistic effect against the androgen receptor inhibiting the receptor function and the growth of prostate cancer cells. Additionally, preclinical models and neuroimaging data in healthy humans support darolutamide's low potential for blood-brain barrier penetration. Darolutamide (plus ADT or plus ADT and docetaxel) demonstrated a side effect profile in both registrational studies in mHSPC where the incidences of adverse events were roughly similar to the respective comparator arm. Darolutamide is a treatment option for doctors and patients, considering its tolerability and low risk of drug interaction. A robust clinical development program is underway investigating darolutamide across various stages of prostate cancer. The program includes the Phase III ARASTEP trial evaluating darolutamide plus ADT compared to ADT alone in hormone-sensitive high-risk biochemical recurrence (BCR) prostate cancer, who have no evidence of metastatic disease by conventional imaging and a positive PSMA PET/CT at baseline. Furthermore, darolutamide is also being investigated by Bayer in the collaborative Phase III DASL-HiCaP (ANZUP1801) trial led by the Australian and New Zealand Urogenital and Prostate Cancer Trials Group (ANZUP). The study evaluates darolutamide as an adjuvant treatment for localized prostate cancer with very high risk of recurrence. About metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer At the time of diagnosis, most men have localized prostate cancer, meaning their cancer is confined to the prostate gland and can be treated with curative surgery or radiotherapy. mHSPC is a stage in the disease where the cancer has spread outside of the prostate to other parts of the body. Up to 10% of men will present with mHSPC when first diagnosed.3,4,5 For patients with mHSPC, ADT is the cornerstone of treatment, in combination with chemotherapy docetaxel and/or an androgen receptor inhibitor (ARi). Despite treatment, most men with mHSPC will eventually progress to castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC), a condition with limited survival. Contact person: Tuukka Hirvonen, Investor Relations tel. +358 10 426 2721 References Bray F et al. Global cancer statistics 2022: GLOBOCAN estimates of incidence and mortality worldwide for 36 cancers in 185 countries. Accessed: September 2024. James ND et al. Lancet 2024; 403: 1683–722. Piombino C et al. Cancers (Basel). 2023 Oct 11;15(20):4945. Helgstrand JT et al. Cancer. 2018;124(14):2931-2938. Buzzoni C et al. Eur. Urol. 2015;68:885–890. Publisher:Orion CorporationCommunicationsOrionintie 1A, FI-02200 Espoo, Finland Orion is a globally operating Nordic pharmaceutical company – a builder of well-being for over a hundred years. We develop, manufacture and market human and veterinary pharmaceuticals and active pharmaceutical ingredients. Orion has an extensive portfolio of proprietary and generic medicines and consumer health products. The core therapy areas of our pharmaceutical R&D are oncology and pain. Proprietary products developed by Orion are used to treat cancer, neurological diseases and respiratory diseases, among others. In 2024 Orion's net sales amounted to EUR 1,542 million and the company employed about 3,700 professionals worldwide, dedicated to building well-being. Orion's A and B shares are listed on Nasdaq Helsinki. Disclaimer: The above press release comes to you under an arrangement with GlobeNewswire. Business Upturn takes no editorial responsibility for the same. GlobeNewswire provides press release distribution services globally, with substantial operations in North America and Europe.
Yahoo
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U.S. FDA approves third indication of darolutamide for patients with advanced prostate cancer
ORION CORPORATION PRESS RELEASE 3 JUNE 2025 at 23.30 EEST U.S. FDA approves third indication of darolutamide for patients with advanced prostate cancer Darolutamide is the first and only in the U.S. and FDA-approved androgen receptor inhibitor (ARi) for the treatment of patients with hormone-sensitive prostate cancer (mHSPC), in combination with androgen deprivation therapy (ADT), with or without chemotherapy. This third approval is based on positive results from the pivotal Phase III ARANOTE trial and broadens the indication profile of darolutamide in mHSPC, enabling its use in combination with ADT, with or without chemotherapy (docetaxel). Darolutamide plus ADT reinforces the established safety and tolerability profile of darolutamide for prostate cancer patients across all approved indications. Orion's collaboration partner Bayer announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the oral androgen receptor inhibitor (ARi) darolutamide in combination with androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) for use in patients with metastatic castration-sensitive prostate cancer (mCSPC), which is also known as metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer (mHSPC). The approval is based on positive results from the pivotal Phase III ARANOTE trial, which showed that darolutamide plus ADT significantly reduced the risk of radiological progression or death by 46% compared to placebo plus ADT (HR 0.54; 95% CI 0.41–0.71; P<0.0001) in patients with mHSPC. With this approval, darolutamide plus ADT is indicated in the U.S. for the treatment of adult patients with mHSPC either with or without docetaxel. In addition, darolutamide is approved for the treatment of adult patients with non-metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (nmCRPC) who are at high risk of developing metastatic disease. Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer in men and the fifth most common cause of cancer death in men worldwide.1 In 2022, an estimated 1.5 million men were diagnosed with prostate cancer, and about 397,000 died from the disease worldwide.1 Prostate cancer diagnoses are projected to increase to 2.9 million by 2040.2 Darolutamide, under the brand name Nubeqa®, is already approved in mHSPC in combination with ADT and docetaxel in over 85 markets around the world. It's also approved in combination with ADT for the treatment of patients with non-metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (nmCRPC) who are at high risk of developing metastatic disease in more than 85 countries around the world. An approval process in the EU for the treatment of mHSPC in combination with ADT (without docetaxel) is already underway by Bayer. Nubeqa achieved blockbuster status in September 2024, with annual sales reported by Bayer reaching EUR 1.52 billion for the full year of 2024. Darolutamide is developed jointly by Orion and Bayer. About the ARANOTE trial The ARANOTE trial is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase III study designed to assess the efficacy and safety of darolutamide plus ADT in patients with mHSPC. 669 patients were randomized 2:1 to receive 600 mg of darolutamide twice daily or matching placebo in addition to ADT. The primary endpoint of this study is rPFS, measured as time from randomization to date of first documented radiological progressive disease or death due to any cause, whichever occurs first. Secondary endpoints include overall survival (time to death from any cause), time to first castration resistant event, time to initiation of subsequent anti-cancer therapy, time to prostate-specific antigen (PSA) progression, PSA undetectable rates, time to pain progression, and safety assessments. Results from the Phase III ARANOTE trial presented at ESMO 2024 and published in The Journal of Clinical Oncology showed that darolutamide plus ADT significantly reduced the risk of radiological progression or death by 46% compared to placebo plus ADT (HR 0.54; 95% CI 0.41–0.71; P<0.0001), in patients with mHSPC. Consistent benefits in radiological progression-free survival (rPFS) were observed across prespecified subgroups, including patients with high-volume (HR 0.60, 95% CI: 0.44-0.80) and low-volume (HR 0.30, 95% CI: 0.15-0.60) mHSPC. The incidence of adverse events in the treatment group with darolutamide plus ADT in the ARANOTE study was comparable to placebo plus ADT. Darolutamide plus ADT was generally well tolerated and showed lower discontinuation rates due to adverse events compared to placebo plus ADT. About darolutamide Darolutamide is an oral ARi with a unique chemical structure that binds with high affinity to the androgen receptor and exhibits a strong antagonistic effect against the androgen receptor inhibiting the receptor function and the growth of prostate cancer cells. Additionally, preclinical models and neuroimaging data in healthy humans support darolutamide's low potential for blood-brain barrier penetration. Darolutamide (plus ADT or plus ADT and docetaxel) demonstrated a side effect profile in both registrational studies in mHSPC where the incidences of adverse events were roughly similar to the respective comparator arm. Darolutamide is a treatment option for doctors and patients, considering its tolerability and low risk of drug interaction. A robust clinical development program is underway investigating darolutamide across various stages of prostate cancer. The program includes the Phase III ARASTEP trial evaluating darolutamide plus ADT compared to ADT alone in hormone-sensitive high-risk biochemical recurrence (BCR) prostate cancer, who have no evidence of metastatic disease by conventional imaging and a positive PSMA PET/CT at baseline. Furthermore, darolutamide is also being investigated by Bayer in the collaborative Phase III DASL-HiCaP (ANZUP1801) trial led by the Australian and New Zealand Urogenital and Prostate Cancer Trials Group (ANZUP). The study evaluates darolutamide as an adjuvant treatment for localized prostate cancer with very high risk of recurrence. About metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer At the time of diagnosis, most men have localized prostate cancer, meaning their cancer is confined to the prostate gland and can be treated with curative surgery or radiotherapy. mHSPC is a stage in the disease where the cancer has spread outside of the prostate to other parts of the body. Up to 10% of men will present with mHSPC when first diagnosed.3,4,5 For patients with mHSPC, ADT is the cornerstone of treatment, in combination with chemotherapy docetaxel and/or an androgen receptor inhibitor (ARi). Despite treatment, most men with mHSPC will eventually progress to castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC), a condition with limited survival. Contact person: Tuukka Hirvonen, Investor Relations tel. +358 10 426 2721 References Bray F et al. Global cancer statistics 2022: GLOBOCAN estimates of incidence and mortality worldwide for 36 cancers in 185 countries. Accessed: September 2024. James ND et al. Lancet 2024; 403: 1683–722. Piombino C et al. Cancers (Basel). 2023 Oct 11;15(20):4945. Helgstrand JT et al. Cancer. 2018;124(14):2931-2938. Buzzoni C et al. Eur. Urol. 2015;68:885–890. Publisher:Orion CorporationCommunicationsOrionintie 1A, FI-02200 Espoo, Orion is a globally operating Nordic pharmaceutical company – a builder of well-being for over a hundred years. We develop, manufacture and market human and veterinary pharmaceuticals and active pharmaceutical ingredients. Orion has an extensive portfolio of proprietary and generic medicines and consumer health products. The core therapy areas of our pharmaceutical R&D are oncology and pain. Proprietary products developed by Orion are used to treat cancer, neurological diseases and respiratory diseases, among others. In 2024 Orion's net sales amounted to EUR 1,542 million and the company employed about 3,700 professionals worldwide, dedicated to building well-being. Orion's A and B shares are listed on Nasdaq while retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data
