Pushback on Price Negotiation; Genetic Testing Lags; More Foreign Help for Shortages

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has filed a lawsuit to block implementation of Medicare drug-price negotiations included in the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), following the lead of drug company Merck. (The Hill)

During a meeting of financial analysts, Eli Lilly CEO David Ricks said drug companies may skip Medicare altogether for some new drugs in response to the IRA drug-price negotiation provisions. (Endpoints News)

A survey by the Community Oncology Alliance suggests that a majority of its members do not plan to participate in the Enhancing Oncology Model developed by CMS to improve oncology care and reduce spending.

Only a minority of patients with cancer undergo recommended genetic testing after diagnosis. (Stanford Medicine, JAMA)

Investigational cancer vaccine SurVaxM has shown potential for slowing recurrence of glioblastoma, now a randomized trial is underway. (NBC News)

The FDA will turn to foreign drug manufacturers for help in alleviating a critical shortage of the widely used oncology drug methotrexate. (Reuters)

Bipartisan members of Congress, with support from the American Society for Radiation Oncology and the American Society of Clinical Oncology, sent a letter to HHS and the FDA, requesting more detailed information about the ongoing cancer drug shortages and potential solutions to the problem. (ASTRO)

Almost all patients with early-stage classical Hodgkin lymphoma responded to brentuximab vedotin (Adcetris) plus nivolumab (Opdivo) and chemotherapy, including a 93% complete response rate, Seagen announced.

Certainty versus probability: Words matter during cancer-related discussions with patients. (Ludwig Maximilians University, PLoS One)

A phase I trial of the CD33-targeted CAR T-cell therapy SC-DARIC33 in pediatric acute myeloid leukemia has paused, pending an investigation into the death of a patient, according to a statement from 2seventy bio.

Mersana Therapeutics also announced a hold on patient enrollment in a study of its antibody-drug conjugate upifitamab rilsodotin in platinum-sensitive ovarian cancer, following several deaths.

A phase II trial of the HPV-targeted immunotherapy PDS0101 in head and neck cancer met the prespecified endpoint of objective response, PDS Biotechnology announced.

The field of oncology needs to “innovate more rapidly” to take advantage of modern technology and data to accelerate progress in diagnosis, cancer, and overall care. (Becker’s Hospital Review)

Taking body mass index and breast density into account, instead of just breast density, provided better guidance for identifying women who need additional imaging beyond mammography for breast cancer screening. (Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention; University of California San Francisco)

Fecal microbiome transplants alleviated colitis in patients with cancer treated with immunotherapy. (Science Translational Medicine)