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immunotherapy
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New MD Anderson Research Uncovers Drug Combo That Could Eliminate Pancreatic Cancer Tumors
Researchers at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center published two studies this week on a new approach that could improve treatment for patients with pancreatic cancer. The preclinical studies showed that combining immunotherapy with a KRAS inhibitor can lead to long-lasting tumor elimination.
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MedCity Pivot Podcast: Season 3 Launches With A Conversation On the Potential Toxicity of Immunotherapy
Transformations in the Life Sciences is the focus of the second season of the MedCity Pivot Podcast. My personal journey as a caregiver of a cancer patient made me choose Dr. Sumanta Pal, co-director of the City of Hope’s Liver Cancer program as a guest after he co-authored an interesting study on immunotherapy that was published in the Lancet.
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Payer’s Place: Dawn Maroney
Dawn Maroney, President, Markets of Alignment Health and CEO of Alignment Health Plan, to discuss how they are using technology to provide better service and care to consumers.
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Orbital Therapeutics Raises $270M to Bring RNA-Based Medicines to New Heights
ARCH Venture Partners-backed Orbital Therapeutics’ is researching next-generation RNA medicines that offer advantages over currently available therapies. The startup’s three areas of focus are vaccines, protein replacement, and immunomodulation.
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AstraZeneca Puts Up $200M in Solid Bet on Startup’s Take on Cancer Cell Therapy
AstraZeneca is jumping into the chase for cell therapies that address solid tumors by acquiring Neogene Therapeutics. The startup’s technology can be used to discover and develop novel targets that may be able to broaden the scope of cell therapies for cancer.
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FDA delay means BeiGene, Novartis must wait longer for cancer drug decision
The FDA has deferred a regulatory decision on an esophageal cancer drug from partners BeiGene and Novartis, citing the need to complete inspections of the China-based facilities where the drug is made. The agency said Covid-19 travel restrictions have prevented it from conducting those inspections.
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Already allied with Takeda, Egle raises €40M for its ‘starving’ immunotherapy
In less than two years, Egle Therapeutics launched, partnered with Takeda Pharmaceutical, and found its first cancer targets. Now the startup has €40M in Series A financing to further develop its new approach to modulating regulatory T cells as a way of treating autoimmune diseases and cancer.
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Asher Bio’s encouraging early data against rival cancer drug sparks $108M financing
Five months after raising $55 million to back a new technology and a promising lead cancer immunotherapy, Asher Biotherapeutics has reeled in $108 million more. CEO Craig Gibbs said investors were enticed by encouraging new data suggesting Asher Bio’s lead program is superior to a competitor’s.
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UPMC launches cancer drug discovery company
Called Novasenta, the company is focused on the tumor microenvironment and will leverage its machine-learning platform to pinpoint targets for drug development. It aims to launch its first clinical trial by the end of 2023.
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Pfizer makes big move in blood cancers with $2.3B Trillium acquisition
Though Gilead Sciences leads the group of companies developing immunotherapies that target the cancer protein CD47, Pfizer contends that molecules it is getting through the Trillium Therapeutics acquisition have safety and efficacy advantages that could make them the best in this emerging drug class.
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Applying Remote Patient Monitoring to Surgery Prep and Recovery, Oncology and Women’s Health
Join us to learn about the latest trends in remote monitoring and how to extend its benefits beyond chronic conditions to more patients – all while using fewer staff resources.
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FDA decision for GSK drug opens door to treatment of more cancer patients
GlaxoSmithKline drug Jemperli is now FDA approved for treating solid tumors throughout the body as long as they have a particular genetic signature. Expanding the drug’s approval means the drug can treat more patients who have more types of cancer, and it also gives GSK a way to grow revenue in its thin oncology portfolio.
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Arch Oncology adds $105M for better way to get immune cells to gobble up tumors
Several companies are developing immunotherapies targeting the “don’t eat me” cancer protein CD47. Arch Oncology, which is developing drugs with features that could set them apart from this field, now has $105 million for multiple clinical trials.
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China’s Junshi hits immuno-oncology milestone with breakthrough designation from FDA
The designation, for the PD-1 inhibitor toripalimab in nasopharyngeal carcinoma, makes the Shanghai-based company the latest of several Chinese biotech firms to make headway in the U.S. market.
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Pfizer places $25M bet on CD47 player Trillium Therapeutics
The drugmaker’s equity investment is just the latest in a string of large biopharma companies making moves into the emerging space of cancer immunotherapy drugs targeting CD47. AbbVie announced a $2 billion deal with I-Mab last week, while Gilead spent $4.9 billion to buy Forty Seven in March.
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Gilead inks $805M in-licensing deal with Jounce for preclinical immuno-oncology drug
The drug, JTX-1811, is designed to work by depleting certain T cells that suppress the immune system’s response to tumors. A regulatory filing to begin clinical trials is expected in the first half of next year.
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Triumvira Immunologics raises $55M in Series A funding round for new form of cancer cell therapy
The company hopes to use the money to bring its T-cell antigen coupler cell therapy technology – currently in preclinical development – into human clinical trials. German drugmaker Bayer’s venture capital arm led the round.