Jimmy Carter’s Melanoma; Post-Op Osimertinib Boosts OS; $83K for Unproven Therapy

How the successful use of pembrolizumab (Keytruda) for former President Jimmy Carter’s metastatic melanoma put “immunotherapy on the map.” (Washington Post)

A study of molecular changes observed in the breast tissue of transgender men undergoing androgen therapy suggests the hormone could be used to prevent or treat future breast cancers. (Cedar-Sinai, Cell Genomics)

Three commonly used cancer drugs — methotrexate, cisplatin, and fluorouracil — are currently in short supply, according to the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists. (Endpoints News)

An interim analysis of the phase III AEGEAN trial found that durvalumab (Imfinzi)-based treatment before and after surgery significantly improved event-free survival in resectable, non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), AstraZeneca announced.

And an overall survival (OS) readout of the phase III ADAURA trial showed that adjuvant osimertinib (Tagrisso) demonstrated a “strong” OS improvement in early-stage EGFR-mutated NSCLC, the company said.

Exelixis, meanwhile, announced that cabozantinib (Cabometyx) plus atezolizumab (Tecentriq) in the phase III CONTACT-03 trial failed to improve progression-free survival in previously treated advanced kidney cancer compared with cabozantinib alone, missing the primary endpoint.

Black women in Delaware, Missouri, Louisiana, and Mississippi have the highest rates of triple-negative breast cancer in the U.S. (JAMA Oncology)

Across the pond, European cancer mortality rates are projected to have declined by 6.5% in men and 3.7% in women from 2018 to 2023. (Annals of Oncology)

Texas lawmakers are trying to pass legislation requiring insurers to cover fertility preservation for cancer patients. (Texas Monthly)

The Jaime Leandro Foundation for Therapeutic Cancer Vaccines is charging a patient with advanced ovarian cancer $83,000 for an unproven — yet promising — investigational cancer vaccine. (STAT)

A blood test using DNA sequencing can identify acute myeloid leukemia patients at greater risk for relapse following a bone marrow transplant. (JAMA)

Shorla Oncology said the FDA approved nelarabine injection for the treatment of T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia and T-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma.

The FDA updated its safety communication regarding reports of cancers, including squamous cell carcinoma and various lymphomas (unrelated to the previously described breast-implant associated lymphomas), in the capsule that forms around breast implants.

An independent data monitoring committee said the phase III LIMBER-304 study of parsaclisib and ruxolitinib (Jakafi) in myelofibrosis was unlikely to meet its primary endpoint, Incyte announced.

Following a phase II flop in advanced biliary tract cancer, Redx Pharma said it would no longer develop its porcupine inhibitor RXC004 as a monotherapy and will instead focus on testing the drug in combination therapies.