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Novartis announces data from new subgroup analysis of Phase III NATALEE trial

Novartis announces data from new subgroup analysis of Phase III NATALEE trial

Novartis (NVS) is announcing data from a new subgroup analysis of the Phase III NATALEE trial evaluating the efficacy and safety of Kisqali plus endocrine therapy in patients with stage II and III hormone receptor-positive/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative early breast cancer, EBC, at high risk of recurrence across age and menopausal status. The data will be presented at the 2025 American Society of Clinical Oncology, ASCO, Annual Meeting. Results at median follow-up of 44.2 months show that patients receiving Kisqali continued to see consistent reductions in risk of recurrence across all efficacy measures, regardless of age and menopausal status. In this one-year post-treatment analysis, pre-menopausal and younger patients, who often present with more aggressive disease characteristics, experienced greater reductions in risk of recurrence and fewer treatment discontinuations due to adverse events than post-menopausal patients. Results include: 33% reduction in relative risk of invasive disease observed in pre-menopausal early breast cancer patients receiving Kisqali in 1-year post-treatment analysis; Tolerability remained consistent, with fewer treatment discontinuations due to adverse events among pre-menopausal patients; Separate real-world analysis presented at ASCO demonstrates differences in treatment outcomes that underscore critical need to improve care for Black patients with EBC.
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Los Flamboyanes polling site relocated to Salvation Army
Los Flamboyanes polling site relocated to Salvation Army

Yahoo

time32 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Los Flamboyanes polling site relocated to Salvation Army

ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) — The polling site at Los Flamboyanes has found an alternative location after being closed due to construction. In a press conference held by Monroe County Vice President and Legislator Mercedes Vazquez Simmons on Tuesday, it was announced that voters who previously used the site formerly located at 100 Boriquen Plaza in Rochester will now be able to vote at the Salvation Army located at 915 North Clinton Avenue. The Los Flamboyanes Apartment location stood as one of the city's largest and most historic polling sites, serving District 22 and the 14605 zip code. It is also known for the largest population of Black and Latino voters. The alternative site stays within the area for an easy transition. 'The goal was to provide residents with a location they were familiar with, within close proximity to their prior polling site due to lack of transportation for many, and to make certain it is easily accessible to our aging population,' Vazquez Simmons said. Arc of Monroe event makes voter registration accessible She is encouraging Monroe County to notify residents and advertise poll site changes in advance, as many voters are left unaware of the changes and their impact on Election Day. 'I understand the polling site closure is due to construction, but the lack of communication about the poll closure is concerning. Once again, voters were not made aware of this change in a timely fashion, which would create confusion and ultimately deny many the right to vote on Election Day,' Vazquez Simmons said in a statement. The local primary election is scheduled for June 24. When voting, residents can expect to report to the site and utilize new touch-screen voting machines. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

The American Tradition of Trying to Address Anxiety with Parks
The American Tradition of Trying to Address Anxiety with Parks

Time​ Magazine

time2 hours ago

  • Time​ Magazine

The American Tradition of Trying to Address Anxiety with Parks

As summer approaches, America's national parks are bracing for an influx of visitors, even as deep federal cuts to park services likely mean fewer camp employees, closed campgrounds, long lines, and cancelled programs. Travelers have been warned away from some national parks by experts, urged to reschedule for next year. But millions are still opting to go. Last summer, a record 332 million people visited America's 63 national parks. Based on yearly upward trends, the estimates for this summer are even higher. In a 'hold-your-breath year' for national park tourism, Americans are still turning en masse to the natural environment as respite from the stresses of modern life. The frenzy shouldn't surprise us. With festering worries related to economic uncertainty, inflated costs, and federal policy whiplash, the popularity of park vacations is no coincidence. Rather, the rush to escape to these beautiful sanctuaries echoes a long history of Americans turning to nature for relief from anxiety, particularly during moments of sudden and widely felt changes. In the 1870s, the United States was in the midst of the most spectacular transformations yet in its history. The end of the American Civil War brought an end to slavery and the emancipation of some 4 million Black people, while a slew of new innovations brought irreversible changes to the day-to-day lives of all Americans. New machinery brought advanced manufacturing, jobs, speedier production of goods, and lower costs for consumers. Hundreds of thousands of miles of telegraph cable delivered information at break-neck speed, forever reshaping how Americans accessed news, communicated, conducted business, and envisioned the world. And the completion of a continent-crossing railroad in 1869 revolutionized travel, making it possible to move people and cargo across vast distances in hours, rather than weeks or months. Spurred by monumental developments in technology, industry, and travel, more Americans than ever before—including new immigrants—made their way to growing cities, seeking work, education, entertainment, and exposure to new people, ideas, and possibilities. Sudden and rapid change fired up excitement about the future. But it also stirred anxieties. During this time, American doctors noticed more and more seemingly healthy patients with a range of complaints about hard-to-explain medical issues, including digestive problems, hair loss, sexual dysfunction, aches and pains without identifiable injuries, and profound exhaustion without obvious cause. In response, a widely respected neurologist named George Miller Beard offered a theory. Americans, he said, were suffering from a malady called 'neurasthenia.' Writing in The Boston Medical and Surgical Journal, Beard borrowed an old term used to describe 'weakness of the nerves' and reintroduced it to the medical community as a 'morbid condition' afflicting Americans at a worrisome rate. In his 1881 book American Nervousness, Beard also pinpointed the key culprit: modern change. For instance, new communication technology delivered shocking news of faraway crime, disaster, and war; mechanization in industry brought extreme economic volatility and labor strife; speedy railroad travel introduced the real possibility of horrific accidents involving ' wholesale killings.' Even the invention of the pocket watch, a simple hand-held timepiece, fostered a maniacal obsession with punctuality. Americans were 'under constant strain,' Beard warned, 'to get somewhere or to do something at some definite moment.' Constant strain was a big problem, according to Beard and his contemporaries. Victorian-era neurologists theorized that the body functioned like an electrical machine, powered by energy distributed through the nervous system. When Americans spent too much energy navigating the extreme shifts and new worries in their modern lives, they experienced aches, pains, exhaustion, irritability, and malaise. Doctors also theorized that urban life only made such conditions worse by further taxing and weakening the body. In response, a range of popular remedies and medical treatments for neurasthenia emerged. Some doctors recommended that women suffering symptoms should halt all physical and intellectual activity. Colloquially known as the 'rest cure,' this treatment—famously recounted in 'The Yellow Wallpaper,' a horror novella written by Charlotte Perkins Gilman—involved isolation in the home, bed rest for weeks, and an embargo on reading, writing, drawing, socializing, and exercising. Women patients and doctors, including New York City physician Grace Peckham, successfully argued that the rest cure was not only quack medicine but more harmful to patients than the nervous sickness itself. Thus, it didn't stick. What did catch on was the ' West cure,' a different kind of treatment originally reserved for men. Neurologists worried that the urban environment, factory work and office jobs, and other modern pressures were making men tired, indecisive, and physically weak. On doctor's orders, male patients ventured into the western wilderness, where, it was thought, the natural environment would inspire the mind and reinvigorate the body. Prescriptions emphasized physical exercise, including hiking and horseback riding. The legacies of this are notable. In the 1880s, Theodore Roosevelt, a young, well-to-do New Yorker at the time, suffered from a range of neurasthenic conditions including asthma, and he sought treatment. Roosevelt was so inspired by his own privileged experience of the West cure, and its restorative outcomes, that later, as president, he built upon state park preservation and forest protection acts to dramatically expand federal support for public access to park lands, including National Parks. Most famously, in 1903, Roosevelt partnered with naturalist John Muir —also diagnosed as neurasthenic—to expand federal protection for Yosemite in the Sierra Nevada mountain range in California. Initially, it was urban elite white men, like Roosevelt, who were most likely to have the means to travel and to pay for the therapy of riding horses, hunting game, and sleeping under the stars. But the notion of the natural world as an antidote for the stresses of modern life appealed broadly, across lines of class, race, and gender. Although few Americans had access to medical care in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the idea that the body could be recharged through outdoor physical activity caught on thanks to the low-cost medical pamphlets, ads for over-the-counter remedies, advice columns, and simple word of mouth. The media-fueled desire to fend off neurasthenia drove a booming market in exercise equipment, including bicycles, and participation in cheap outdoor sports, like baseball and pedestrianism, a competitive walking trend. By the end of the 19th century, city planners, imagining more healthful, walkable, livable urban environments, also incorporated green spaces for urban residents to enjoy for free. From small picnic areas and playgrounds to sprawling urban parks designed to feel like the bucolic countryside, American cities began providing West cure benefits without the steep price tag or the need to travel. Camping became another popular, and more affordable, option for vacations from modernity. Working people could purchase a simple tent, one-burner stove, and a few other provisions, load up the horse and buggy and head to a park or campground just outside the city. This cheap and accessible alternative to West cure travel ballooned in popularity in the early 20th century, with the proliferation of camping guides and camping clubs, the growth of the National Park Service, and the introduction of the car. Enthusiasm for camping and national park tourism as affordable restorative activities endured through the 20th century. And they remain as popular as ever today. Neurasthenia as a diagnostic category, has not endured. It disappeared in the early 20th century, thanks mainly to the rise of psychoanalysis and expanding knowledge about mental health and conditions like chronic fatigue, anxiety disorders, phobias, and depression. But its most popular remedy—particularly exercise, outdoor recreation, and reflection in nature—has proved truly beneficial for both mental and physical health. Amid unsettling changes, Americans touted the curative powers of the natural world, fueling the call for outdoor exercise and recreation, and laying the groundwork for the astounding growth of national and state park tourism. Today, with so much to worry about, it is important to remember how national and state parks, and the workers who run and sustain them, have long played a healing role in American society. As we head off to America's many majestic park destinations—our favorite 'mental health escapes' and ' calmcation ' getaways—may this history reinforce the need to preserve, protect, and invest in them, especially in uncertain times. Felicia Angeja Viator is associate professor of history at San Francisco State University, a culture writer, and curator for the GRAMMY Museum.

Healthy Returns: AstraZeneca, Pfizer, Gilead and other drugmakers release promising cancer drug data at ASCO
Healthy Returns: AstraZeneca, Pfizer, Gilead and other drugmakers release promising cancer drug data at ASCO

CNBC

time3 hours ago

  • CNBC

Healthy Returns: AstraZeneca, Pfizer, Gilead and other drugmakers release promising cancer drug data at ASCO

I'm back in New York City after spending the last weekend in Chicago for the American Society of Clinical Oncology annual meeting. More than 5,000 research abstracts were presented or published at ASCO by pharmaceutical giants, biotech companies, researchers and oncologists. They included studies on existing drugs, experimental treatments, AI tools and ideas for improving patient care. Here are some data highlights and executive commentary from the larger companies I follow: AstraZeneca wins big (again) – The blockbuster drug Enhertu from AstraZeneca and Japanese drugmaker Daiichi Sankyo stalled the growth of a common type of breast cancer by more than a year in a large late-stage trial when used as an initial treatment. The results could expand the use of the drug and change the way the disease is treated for the first time in a decade. The study evaluated Enhertu in combination with a standard medicine called pertuzumab as a frontline treatment, meaning it was used in patients newly diagnosed with what's known as HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer. Patients who got the Enhertu combination lived for almost 41 months before their disease spread, while a group who received a standard three-drug treatment lived for about 27 months before the cancer advanced. David Fredrickson, executive vice president of AstraZeneca's oncology business, told CNBC that one in three patients who start treatment for this type of cancer are not able to receive a second type of therapy because their health worsened or they died. But the results show that the Enhertu combination could give "another third of patients a chance to potentially have a longer progression-free survival time and to benefit from a more effective frontline therapy than if you wait till a second one." Pfizer impresses in colorectal cancer – The company's pill Braftovi, combined with two other cancer treatments, doubled survival time for patients with an aggressive form of colorectal cancer compared to a standard treatment in a late-stage trial. It's good news for Pfizer, which has submitted the data to the Food and Drug Administration to expand Braftovi's approval label. The three-treatment combination included a standard chemotherapy, an antibody drug called cetuximab and Braftovi, which targets a cancer mutation called BRAF V600E. That combination also cut deaths by 51% and slashed the risk that the cancer would progress by 47% compared to a standard treatment during the trial. Pfizer's Chief Scientific Officer Chris Boshoff told CNBC that 10% to 15% of colorectal cancer patients have that specific mutation, and noted their survival rates are "particularly poor." "We're very proud of [the data] because for the first time, it really shows a true impact on survival for a disease that's very challenging to treat," he said. Gilead and Merck combo's breast cancer win — The popular drug Trodelvy from Gilead in combination with Merck's blockbuster immunotherapy Keytruda lowered the risk of an aggressive type of breast cancer worsening by 35% when used as an initial treatment in a late-stage trial. Gilead could benefit from higher sales of Trodelvy as it competes with Enhertu. The study examined patients with advanced triple-negative breast cancer whose tumors express PD-L1, the protein targeted by drugs like Keytruda. Around 15% of breast cancer cases are triple negative, making them more aggressive and difficult to treat, according to Gilead. The findings suggest that the combination of Trodelvy and Keytruda "will likely become a new front-line standard of care in this setting," Dr. Jane Lowe Meisel, co-director of breast oncology at Emory University School of Medicine and a designated ASCO expert, said in a statement. A Merck, Daiichi Sankyo drug disappoints in lung cancer – Merck and Daiichi Sankyo on Thursday said they have withdrawn their U.S. application for an experimental treatment after it failed to prolong the lives of lung cancer patients in a late-stage trial. The drug, patritumab deruxtecan, is one of three so-called antibody drug conjugates that Merck has been working on with Daiichi Sankyo as it races to offset Keytruda's upcoming loss of exclusivity. The medication failed the trial's secondary goal of extending overall survival, which is defined as the length of time patients lived from the start of treatment. Those results, along with subsequent discussions with the FDA, led the companies to withdraw the application. But last year, the drug met the study's main goal of helping delay tumor progression compared to chemotherapy in patients who have been previously treated for non-small cell lung cancer with a mutation in a gene called EGFR. Marjorie Greene, Merck's head of oncology global clinical development, told CNBC that the "totality of the data couldn't support" the drug's application for approval. She called it a disappointment but noted that the company is learning from "what worked and what didn't work" and is still "fully investing" in refining the drug. Merck and Daiichi Sankyo plan on advancing the treatment into a late-stage development for breast cancer. Amgen's positive lung cancer data: The company's drug, Imdelltra, reduced the risk of death by 40% compared to chemotherapy for small cell lung cancer patients whose disease had worsened after an initial round of chemotherapy, according to data from a late-stage trial. Imdelltra also extended median overall survival by more than five months compared to the standard-of-care chemotherapy. Amgen said the trial results are intended to support last year's accelerated approval of Imdelltra by the FDA. BONUS: Bristol Myers Squibb inks deal with BioNTech – Bristol Myers Squibb on Monday said it has agreed to pay up to $11.1 billion to partner with BioNTech and develop its next-generation cancer immunotherapy. The drug could take on Keytruda and new treatments in development by Summit Therapeutics and Pfizer. BioNTech is running late-stage studies on the drug in lung cancer and plans to start a phase three trial in triple-negative breast cancer this year. Feel free to send any tips, suggestions, story ideas and data to Annika at The FDA this week approved the first-ever AI platform for breast cancer prediction from Boston-based Clairity, marking a big milestone for women's health tech and potentially for women's health screening. I profiled Clairity's founder Dr. Connie Lehman three years ago, as part of a story on investment in Femtech. At the time, she told CNBC the accuracy of technology can help reduce over-screening for women who are presumed to be at risk, while helping to identify women who might otherwise not be monitored until they've already developed cancer. "By delivering validated, equitable risk assessments, we can help expand access to life-saving early detection and prevention for women everywhere," she said in the company's announcement of the approval. But to save lives, the next big step is to ensure women have access to the breakthrough technology as a preventive screening. The American Medical Association will first need to issue a billing code, which for some AI-driven tools has been slow to come. That code will be crucial to securing insurance coverage. Feel free to send any tips, suggestions, story ideas and data to Bertha at Amazon Pharmacy on Tuesday announced new updates for caregivers and more than 50 million Medicare Part D beneficiaries. Launched in 2020, Amazon Pharmacy was formed out of the company's 2018 acquisition of the online pharmacy PillPack. The offering is now a full-service, digital pharmacy that can help support patients with both one-off and recurring prescriptions. Prime members in cities like Los Angeles and New York City are eligible for same-day medication deliveries. Amazon said that customers with Medicare insurance can now directly access PillPack's services, which means those with two or more prescriptions can have their medications sorted into individual tear-away packets labeled with the date and time. The company said these monthly shipments will reduce the need for patients to keep track of multiple pill bottles and help them stick to their routines, according to a release. Patients interested in accessing pre-sorted medications through PillPack can sign up by logging into Amazon Pharmacy. Amazon Pharmacy also introduced a new way for verified caregivers to help manage medications on behalf of their loved ones. Around one in every five adults in the U.S. are caring for an aging family member, according to AARP. Patients can invite trusted caregivers to help oversee their medications by submitting their phone number. The caregiver will receive a text with a link, have to confirm details about the patient in question, and then can begin managing the patient's medications through their own account. "These updates deliver what our customers have been asking for—simpler medication management for themselves and their loved ones," John Love, vice president of Amazon Pharmacy, said in a statement on Tuesday. Amazon's online pharmacy is a part of the company's multi-year effort to push into the health-care industry. The company acquired primary care provider One Medical for roughly $3.9 billion in July 2022. Read the full announcement here. Feel free to send any tips, suggestions, story ideas and data to Ashley at

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