Too Few Women in Clinical Trials; High Cost of ‘Free’ Care; Deaths Fall, Cases Rise

Women continue to be underrepresented in clinical trials for key disease areas, including oncology. (Brigham & Women’s Hospital, Contemporary Clinical Trials)

AbbVie and Genmab announced that a phase II trial of epcoritamab (DuoBody-CD3xCD20) showed an overall response rate of 63% and complete response rate of 39% in patients with previously treated large B-cell lymphoma.

Quizartinib, combined with standard induction therapy and consolidation and then continued as single-agent maintenance, led to clinically meaningful and statistically significant improvement in overall survival in newly diagnosed FLT3-ITD-positive acute myeloid leukemia as compared with standard chemotherapy, Daiichi Sankyo announced.

Many types of preventive healthcare services are free, but the high cost of follow-up testing to clarify or confirm preliminary findings often catches patients unaware. (Kaiser Health News)

Although the risk of dying of cancer continues to decrease, the number of new cases of cancer in the U.S. will approach two million in 2022. (American Cancer Society)

Benefiting from recent advances in cancer immunotherapy, scientists edge closer to the reality of vaccines to treat and prevent cancer. (Washington Post)

Oncopeptides announced a recommendation for full approval of melflufen (Pepaxto) by the European Medicines Agency’s Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use, which follows the company’s recent decision to rescind its voluntary withdrawal of FDA approval of the drug for refractory multiple myeloma.

Studies involving laboratory animals showed that direct injection of an anticancer drug into milk ducts of the breast eliminated all cancer cells with a pharmacokinetic profile suggesting limited toxicity risk. (Hopkins Medicine, Proceedings of the National Academy of Science USA)

A newly discovered small molecule inhibitor suppressed leukemia stem cells while sparing normal cells the toxic effects of chemotherapy in laboratory studies. (Science Translational Medicine)

Checkpoint Therapeutics announced positive interim results, including a 54.8% response rate, in a registration-enabling trial of the anti-PD-L1 antibody cosibelimab in advanced cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma considered unsuitable for surgery or radiation.

The accuracy of diagnostic mammograms varied across racial and ethnic groups, achieving lower rates of cancer detection in non-Hispanic Blacks and Hispanic patients. (American Association for Cancer Research)

Day One Biopharmaceuticals announced positive initial results, including an overall response rate of 64% and a clinical benefit rate of 91%, from a pivotal trial of tovorafenib in relapsed/refractory pediatric low-grated glioma.