Oncology

The collaboration between the 2 drug giants will prove a big boost to Merck's cancer immunotherapy MSB0010718C, and will also improve it's global oncology business.

At its third annual conference, Patient-Centered Oncology Care 2014, The American Journal of Managed Care addressed new challenges in cancer care: more patients have coverage, but they may be "underinsured" or barred from academic centers. Amid rising drug costs and regulations that threaten community practices, the head of the largest oncology organization outlined a path toward value-based reimbursement.

In a press release based off-of results presented at the Society for Melanoma Research 2014 International Congress in Zurich, Switzerland, BMS announced results from phase 3 of the CheckMate-066 trial.

Following encouraging results from a second phase of a phase 1 trial, the researchers have planned a second phase, to be initiated in January 2015. The vaccine will be administered to glioblastoma patients just before they begin chemotherapy.

Final safety and efficacy results for vismodegib were reported at the Society for Melanoma Research, 2014 International Congress, for the 30-month mark of the ERIVANCE trial. The Congress is meeting November 13-16 in Zurich, Switzerland.

Despite the various treatment advances in melanoma, advanced stages of the disease remain a significant challenge for oncologists. Novel methods of attacking disease vulnerabilities continue to be developed-one such technique is the use of oncolytic viruses to destroy cancer cells. A couple of studies presented an update on preclinical and clinical progress with CAVATAK, formulated using the common cold Coxsackievirus Type A21 (CVA21), during the Society for Melanoma Research, 2014 International Congress in Zurich, Switzerland, November 13—16.

Patients with metastatic melanoma receiving vemurafenib following disease progression showed similar or better overall response to patients without progressive disease, according to findings from an analysis reported at the 11th International Congress of the Society for Melanoma Research on November 15, 2014.

Results of a head-to-head comparison of pembrolizumab and standard chemotherapy in patients with advanced melanoma, including those who had experienced disease progression following ipilimumab, showed superior clinical response with pembrolizumab that was durable.

Much of the news at the Society of Melanoma Research, 2014 International Congress, involves breakthrough therapies for treating metastatic melanoma in its later stages. But the year has brought developments in diagnostics, too. Tools to determine which patients need aggressive treatment and which ones do not are becoming important. As awareness of melanoma grows, more patients arrive at doctors' offices with suspicious skin marks at earlier stages.

During the first plenary session on the second day of the Society for Melanoma Research, 2014 International Congress in Zurich, Switzerland, November 13-16, Targeted Therapies: Genetics and Biology, several researchers presented their thoughts on where they see the future of melanoma research.

Yesterday, speakers opened Patient-Centered Oncology Care, sponsored by The American Journal of Managed Care, with a discussion of how to bring palliative care into the mainstream in cancer care. While progress has been made, a cultural bias against discussion end-of-life issue remains an obstacle.

Genentech announced that Avastin has been approved to treated platinum-resistant ovarian cancer, inc combination with chemotherapy, which now expands Avastin's use to 6 tumor types.

Peter Yu, MD, president of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, (ASCO) discussed the organization's efforts throughout 2014 to reform reimbursement and take on issues of value and quality in cancer care during Patient-Centered Oncology Care, the annual gathering sponsored by The American Journal of Managed Care.

A Kaiser Permanante study surveyed bladder cancer patients and found that current and former smokers were aware of a connection between smoking and their disease.

The cost-value discussion in oncology continues in Europe as NICE lists 40 drugs that it plans to reassess in terms of cost versus patient benefit.

A national survey published in JAMA Surgery identified too many repeat surgeries in women with breast cancer.

At an ongoing AACR meeting on Health Disparities in cancer, researchers from the Gillings School of Global Public Health presented data showing HPV vaccine uptake among girls is lowest in states with the highest rates of cervical cancer.

The recommendations by the International Society of Geriatric Oncology, emphasize personalized treatment and assigning a multidisciplinary care team for optimal treatment.

A research group at the Roswell Park Cancer Institute employed 2 different approaches on data generated by The Cancer Genome Atlas, to identify prognostic genes in ovarian cancer.

A collaboration between CHOP oncologists and researchers at UPenn aims to provide targeted therapy to children with neuroblastoma, based on their ALK mutation status.

At the annual meeting of the Heart Failure Society of America, cardiologists called for a more broader definition of cancer treatment—related cardiotoxicity.

A Phase 3 trial for the drug, TH-302, is currently ongoing.

CMS announced today that low-dose computed tomography screening will now be reimbursed once a year by Medicare as a preventive service benefit, despite an advisory panel recommending against the screening back in April 2014.