AAV Therapy: A Successful 1-Patient SPG50 Gene Therapy Trial
July 1st 2024An adeno-associated virus (AAV) gene therapy for hereditary spastic paraplegia type 50 (SPG50)—funded by a young patient’s family—gives hope not only to a 4-year-old, but to researchers working on similar projects for other rare diseases.
ViPOR: Novel Targeted Therapy Combination Shows Potential in Relapsed DLBCL
July 1st 2024The 5 agents in ViPOR—including venetoclax and lenalidomide—worked better together in a phase 1b/2 trial than they previously have, individually, in treating patients with certain diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) subtypes.
Thymectomy in Children With Myasthenia Gravis: An Option to Consider
June 26th 2024Results of a recent database analysis reveal that patients with juvenile myasthenia gravis—particularly prepubescent girls—might benefit from early thymectomy to cut production of autoreactive AChR B cells. Usually, though, it’s not done.
Polatuzumab Vedotin: Review Spotlights Its Use, Promise in DLBCL
June 17th 2024With its recent approvals around the world to treat newly diagnosed and relapsed/refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), the antibody-drug conjugate polatuzumab vedotin is changing regimens for current and future patients, with manageable adverse effects.
Patients With T1D and HCPs Talk Social Media and Self-Management
June 7th 2024Synthesizing 11 qualitative studies, authors present a nuanced picture of how patients with type 1 diabetes (T1D), and the health care professionals (HCPs) who treat them, feel about using social media platforms as a self-management tool—and where improvements can be made.
Inotuzumab Ozogamicin Plus Dose-Adjusted EPOCH: Promise in R/R B-ALL
June 5th 2024Phase 1 trial results indicate that combining inotuzumab ozogamicin with dose-adjusted EPOCH chemotherapy could offer a safe, well-tolerated, and effective treatment option for patients with relapsed or refractory CD22+ B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia or lymphoma (R/R B-ALL).
Same Hypertension, Different Levels of Portal Engagement, Disparities Research Shows
June 4th 2024When patients are treated in primary care for high blood pressure, sociodemographic factors sway the rates at which they access patient portals, investigators found. This could influence their hypertension outcomes.
TB Vaccine Shows Protection Against COVID-19 in People With T1D
June 3rd 2024In the course of investigating the use of Bacillus Calmette-Guérin for high-risk individuals who have type 1 diabetes (T1D), researchers hoped—and found—that BCG could substantially reduce the chance of those with T1D contracting COVID-19; BCG has historically been used to prevent tuberculosis (TB).
Ponatinib, Imatinib Face Off, but Still Room for TKI Improvement in Ph+ ALL
May 26th 2024Interim results of the randomized, phase 3 PhALLCON trial indicate ponatinib’s benefit over imatinib in frontline treatment of Philadelphia chromosome–positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia (Ph+ ALL), but questions linger about ponatinib’s long-term safety.
Unique Case: HCC With No Cirrhosis—and “Hidden” CLL/SLL
May 21st 2024A 77-year-old man had no risk factors for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), but he was nonetheless found to have it. Along the way, he was also diagnosed with previously undetected chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma (CLL/SLL).
Persistence Pays Off With Zanubrutinib: A Challenging CLL Case With a Prior BTK Inhibitor Failure
May 10th 2024The case of a 77-year-old woman with a long chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) history illustrates the novel use of zanubrutinib as a potential option for some patients who have failed first-generation Bruton tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitors and venetoclax.
Diagnostic Oversights Limit Luspatercept Benefits in MDS
May 8th 2024Investigators of a retrospective study encourage colleagues to utilize molecular testing for patients with an established diagnosis of lower-risk myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), to be sure they don’t miss out on treatments, like luspatercept, for which they qualify.
Review: One-Shot Etranacogene Dezaparvovec Represents Game-Changing Gene Therapy for Hemophilia B
May 3rd 2024More than 20 years of gene therapy clinical research have led to etranacogene dezaparvovec’s use in hemophilia B, according to authors of a recent review—and it takes its place in a line of current and potentially many future genomic medicines for a range of diseases.
Data Back Neoadjuvant Combo vs Chemo Alone for Early-Stage NSCLC
April 24th 2024For patients with early-stage non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), combining neoadjuvant immune checkpoint inhibitors and platinum-based chemotherapy improves 2-year outcomes over chemotherapy alone, suggest findings of an extensive literature review and meta-analysis.
Age Alone Is No Barrier to Allo-HCT for AML, Data Indicate
April 17th 2024A new study is among the largest real-world analyses to date to assess trends over time and predictive factors for older patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) who received allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (allo-HCT).