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Free Malaysia Today
6 days ago
- Business
- Free Malaysia Today
New hope for patients with less common breast cancer
Results from a new study could soon establish a new first-line therapy for people with HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer. (Envato Elements pic) WASHINGTON : A new treatment nearly halves the risk of disease progression or death from a less common form of breast cancer that hasn't seen major drug advances in over a decade, researchers reported Monday. Results from the study, presented at the annual meeting of the American Society for Clinical Oncology, are expected to be submitted to regulators and could soon establish a new first-line therapy for people with HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer – the advanced stage of a form that comprises 15–20% of all breast cancer cases. HER2-positive cancers are fuelled by an overactive HER2 gene, which makes too much of a protein called human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 that helps cancer cells grow and spread. Patients with HER2-positive breast cancer that has spread to other parts of the body live around five years. 'Seeing such a striking improvement was really impressive to us – we were taking a standard and almost doubling how long patients could have their cancer controlled for,' oncologist Sara Tolaney, chief of the breast oncology division at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, told AFP. The current standard of care, known as THP, combines chemotherapy with two antibodies that block growth signals from the HER2 protein. The new approach uses a drug called trastuzumab deruxtecan (T-DXd), an antibody attached to a chemotherapy drug. 'Smart bomb' This 'smart bomb' strategy allows the drug to target cancer cells directly. 'You can bind to the cancer cell and dump all that chemo right into the cancer cells,' explained Tolaney. 'Some people call them smart bombs because they're delivering chemo in a targeted fashion – which is how I think we're able to really increase efficacy so much.' Common side effects included nausea, diarrhea and a low white blood cell count, with a less common effect involving lung scarring. T-DXd is already approved as a 'second-line' option – used when first-line treatments stop working. But in the new trial, it was given earlier, paired with another antibody, pertuzumab. In a global trial led by Tolaney, just under 400 patients were randomly assigned to receive T-DXd in combination with pertuzumab, thought to enhance its effects. A similar number received the standard THP regimen. A third group, who received T-DXd without pertuzumab, was also enrolled — but those results haven't yet been reported. 44% risk reduction At a follow-up of 2.5 years, the T-DXd and pertuzumab combination reduced the risk of disease progression or death by 44% compared to standard care. Meanwhile, 15% of patients in the T-DXd group saw their cancer disappear entirely, compared to 8.5% in the THP group. Because this was an interim analysis, the median progression-free survival – meaning the point at which half the patients had seen their cancer return or worsen – was 40.7 months with the new treatment, compared to 26.9 months with the standard, and could rise further as more data come in. Tolaney said the results would be submitted to regulators around the world, including the US Food and Drug Administration, and that future work would focus on optimizing how long patients remain on the treatment, particularly those showing complete remission. 'This represents a new first-line standard treatment option for HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer,' said Dr. Rebecca Dent, a breast cancer specialist at the National Cancer Center Singapore who was not involved in the study
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
OmRx Oncology begins Phase II trial of oral PD-L1 inhibitor for NSCLC
Clinical-stage biopharmaceutical venture OmRx Oncology (OmRx) has commenced a randomised Phase II clinical trial for its oral programmed death ligand 1(PD-L1) inhibitor, OX-4224, targeting individuals with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). According to the company, this investigational small molecule will potentially offer a cost-effective and accessible treatment alternative to current antibody-based therapies. The open-label trial is set to enrol approximately 50 metastatic NSCLC subjects, with a focus on India. These patients will not have been treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors previously. The therapy will be evaluated as a second-line single agent. In the trial, the overall response rate will be evaluated, alongside safety and other secondary efficacy endpoints. OX-4224 is being developed by the company primarily for low and middle-income nations, where high expenses and distribution issues limit access to biologic treatments. The oral formulation of OX-4224 is claimed to eliminate the requirement for infusion centres, provide flexible dosing schedules, and allow for scalable production. OmRx stated that the therapy's size and biophysical properties could lead to enhanced penetration into tumour tissue, potentially improving efficacy in specific cancer types. In addition, the therapy's lack of immunogenicity and its shorter half-life are claimed to minimise immune-related adverse events commonly associated with antibody checkpoint inhibitors. In-licensed from Gilead Sciences, the therapy's advancement is part of OmRx's strategy to enhance immunotherapy access in regions with limited resources. The trial's positive outcomes could also help to prepare for wider development globally in wealthier nations, where the company intends to investigate potential all-oral immuno-oncology combination regimens. OmRx Oncology CEO Isy Goldwasser said: 'Launching this clinical trial is a key step toward fulfilling OmRx's mission of addressing global health disparities in cancer treatment. 'Checkpoint inhibitor antibodies have revolutionised cancer care in high-income countries, but remain largely inaccessible to many patients globally. With OX-4224, we have the opportunity to bring the benefits of immunotherapy to many more people.' "OmRx Oncology begins Phase II trial of oral PD-L1 inhibitor for NSCLC" was originally created and published by Clinical Trials Arena, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
