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June 04, 2018


Today's Rundown



Featured Story

Merck clamps down on lung cancer lead with another solo Keytruda win


Merck’s Keytruda already boasts a standalone approval for lung cancer patients who haven't been treated before, so long as their tumors bear high levels of the PD-L1 biomarker. But it could soon reach beyond that group, thanks to new data presented Sunday.


Top Stories

Mixed reaction to BMS, Nektar’s high-stakes ‘confusing’ I-O trial


Nektar Therapeutics’ much-anticipated data from a study pairing its immuno-oncology prospect NKTR-214 with Bristol-Myers Squibb’s checkpoint inhibitor Opdivo seem to have resulted in a lot of head-scratching.

Bristol-Myers racks up Opdivo combo data to sell its new biomarker, but will doctors buy it?


Bristol-Myers Squibb’s strategy in lung cancer relies on showing how its new biomarker can help predict who benefits most from specific immunotherapy combinations, and its latest data supports that notion. Turning tumor mutational burden into a routine diagnostic test could be a tougher get.

Roche punts taselisib after weak data, severe side effects


Roche’s experimental PI3K hopeful taselisib is to be ditched after coming up short at this year’s ASCO cancer conference.

Merck shows Roche up with big survival numbers in squamous lung cancer


At this year's ASCO meeting, squamous lung cancer has elbowed non-squamous disease off center stage—but once again, it's Merck & Co. stealing the spotlight. Sunday, the drugmaker's PD-1 med Keytruda showed it could cut the risk of disease worsening or death by 44%, easily topping similar data from Roche's Tecentriq.

Bluebird & Celgene’s CAR-T nears 1 year of PFS in multiple myeloma


Bluebird Bio and Celgene have built upon their already impressive early-stage clinical responses in advanced multiple myeloma, now confirming that their bb2121 CAR-T therapy extended progression-free survival to just shy of one year in a new set of phase 1 data.

Loxo sees boosted response rates with LOXO-292


Loxo made a big splash with its larotrectinib data at last year’s ASCO Annual Meeting, and in 2018 it’s hoping to make waves with its earlier-stage RET inhibitor LOXO-292.

Merck and its new multibillion-dollar partners hone plans for marketing onslaught


Merck, arguably the belle of the ASCO ball, spent its on-stage time with major new data for its star med Keytruda. But behind the scenes, it huddled up with new partners AstraZeneca and Eisai. The aim? Get the most out of the $14 billion-plus it shelled out on deals with the two companies.

Zymeworks posts early responses to bispecific antibody in HER2+ cancers


Zymeworks unveiled new phase 1 clinical data from its lead bispecific antibody, ZW25, demonstrating an overall response rate of just 36%, the result of 12 partial responses, as a single-agent treatment in a variety of heavily pretreated, HER2-expressing cancers.

Novartis makes a case for earlier Kisqali use. Will 'conservative' doctors run with it?


The Novartis breast cancer drug Kisqali so far hasn’t lived up to expectations, and the drugmaker’s hoping some strong new data in metastatic patients will help. Whether the results can boost the drug depends on how doctors decide to use them.


Enrollment Showcase

SBMI Now Offering an Online Graduate Program in Bioinformatics


UTHealth SBMI now offers a M.S. track in clinical and translational bioinformatics.


Resources

[Whitepaper] Novel Uses for Oral Solid Doses Driving Lifecycle Management Strategies


Expanding an existing portfolio with lifecycle management strategies does involve some expense, but it’s not nearly as expensive as developing an entirely new drug. Learn about some new areas of exploration, including novel drug combinations and more.

[Whitepaper] Getting to First-in-Human Clinical Trials: A Make-or-Break Milestone for Small Biopharmas


“Faster and better” has become the mantra for biopharmaceutical companies as they face intense pressure to get therapies to market faster. Quickly proving efficacy in first-in-human (FIH) trials is a make-or-break milestone for these cash-strapped companies whose hopes hinge upon one or two molecules. Read how CDMOs are responding to this pressure.

[Whitepaper] Balancing payers, patients and physicians: An integrated, multi-stakeholder approach


While every stakeholder is important, their impact on patient access varies. The power of some is waning, while the clout of other, newer influencers is increasing every day. How do you ensure patients, HCPs and payers are all supported?

[Whitepaper] New Directive to Revolutionize HTA in Europe: How Will It Affect You?


The new EU HTA Directive requires consistent comparative clinical efficacy assessment of EMA assessed treatments.

[Marketplace] Compliance Certificate and Training for Life Sciences Professionals


4-day interactive educational program trusted by multi-national companies as part of their compliance training for employees. Explore legal, regulatory and ethical issues faced by pharmaceutical, biotech and medical device manufacturers operating globally. Visit event homepage for session topics.

[Whitepaper] Digitizing the Global Life Sciences Supply Chain: The Critical Role of Digital Transaction Management


Life science companies are experiencing a significant transformation in how they bring new products to market.


Events

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