Novel CAR-T for Glioblastoma Induced ‘Dramatic’ Responses in Early Trial
A new approach to chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy showed promise in treating recurrent glioblastoma, according to a small phase I study. In the first-in-human trial, three patients with recurrent glioblastoma who were treated with CARv3-TEAM-E T cells experienced “dramatic and rapid” tumor regression within days of receiving a single intraventricular infusion, reported Marcela […]
Two Pembrolizumab Trials in Head and Neck Cancer Yield Divergent Results
Two first-line trials involving pembrolizumab (Keytruda)-based combinations for the treatment of recurrent or metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) delivered mixed results. While first-line pembrolizumab plus lenvatinib (Lenvima) significantly improved progression-free survival (PFS) and overall response rate (ORR) compared with pembrolizumab alone in patients with recurrent or metastatic HNSCC with PD-L1 combined positive […]
AGA Backs Fecal Microbiota-Based Therapies for Recurrent C. Diff
The American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) endorsed the use of fecal microbiota-based therapies for recurrent Clostridioides difficile infections (CDIs) in new guideline recommendations, but advised against such therapies for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). The guideline panel first noted that immunocompetent adults with recurrent CDIs should receive fecal microbiota-based therapies upon completion […]
Thalidomide Reduced Episodes of Recurrent GI Bleeding
Treatment with thalidomide led to a reduction in bleeding among patients with recurrent bleeding due to small-intestinal angiodysplasia (SIA), a randomized trial showed. In 150 patients, 68.6% of those who received 100-mg thalidomide daily for 4 months experienced a reduction of 50% or more in bleeding episodes in the year after treatment compared with 51% […]
Sublingual Vaccine Shows Promise in Women With Recurrent UTIs
CHICAGO — A sublingual vaccine not only reduced the risk of recurrent urinary tract infections (UTIs) in women, it also appeared to enable a significant number of these women to be completely UTI-free, according to a North American study. Among 67 women with three or more UTIs per year, 40.6% of those receiving a 3-month […]
CDK4/6 Inhibition Active in Recurrent Low-Grade Serous Ovarian Cancer
TAMPA, Fla. — About a fourth of patients with recurrent low-grade serous ovarian cancer (LGSOC) obtained durable responses to the combination of CDK4/6 inhibitor ribociclib (Kisqali) and letrozole, a small single-arm trial showed. Overall, 23% of 48 patients had partial responses, increasing to 26% in those who had baseline and confirmatory CT scans. Almost 80% […]
Daily Thiazide No Help in Preventing Recurrent Kidney Stones
A common diuretic wasn’t much help for staving off recurrent kidney stones, the NOSTONE trial showed. Over a median follow-up of 2.9 years, symptomatic or radiologic recurrence of kidney stones occurred in 59% of patients who received hydrochlorothiazide (12.5 mg once daily) and 59% of those assigned placebo (rate ratio [RR] 1.33, 95% CI 0.92-1.93), […]
OS Benefit Eludes Second-Line Niraparib Maintenance in Ovarian Cancer
For women with platinum-sensitive recurrent ovarian cancer, maintenance therapy using an individualized starting dose of niraparib (Zejula) did not improve overall survival (OS) despite producing a statistically and clinically significant progression-free survival (PFS) benefit in the phase III NORA study. An interim analysis of the key secondary endpoint showed a median OS of 46.3 months […]
Metastasis-Directed Therapy May Delay ADT in Advanced Prostate Cancer
Metastasis-directed therapy (MDT) in selected patients with recurrent oligometastatic prostate cancer led to PSA responses in a majority of patients and delayed initiation of hormonal therapy by 18 months, a retrospective study showed. Overall, 77 of 124 patients had PSA declines of more than 50% with surgery or stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT). In particular, […]
FDA Advisors Back Fecal Microbiome Treatment for Recurrent C. Diff
An FDA advisory board recommended the agency approve a fecal microbiota transfer (FMT) product for recurrent Clostridium difficile infections. By a vote of 13-4 on Thursday, the Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC), said RBX2660 was effective for treating patients with recurrent C. diff infections who failed first-line antimicrobial therapy. Safety landed in […]