Gilead Sciences Inc.’s recent decision to acquire Immunomedics Inc. looks even smarter now in light of the full data in a phase III study of Trodelvy (sacituzumab govitecan-hziy) released at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) over the weekend.
Gastric cancers were the focus of the final plenary session of the European Society for Medical Oncology’s Virtual Congress 2020. Results from the Checkmate-649, ATTRACTION-4, and Keynote-590 studies showed that advanced gastroesophageal tumors can benefit from first-line treatment with PD-1 checkpoint blockers in addition to chemotherapy, staving off progression and death by a few months.
One of the highlights of the first presidential program at this year’s European Society for Medical Oncology 2020 Virtual Congress were results from the Checkmate 9ER study by Toni Choueiri, who is the director of the Lank Center for Genitourinary Oncology at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Checkmate 9ER tested the use of a combination of checkpoint blocker Opdivo (nivolumab, Bristol Myers Squibb Co.) and receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor Cabometyx (cabozantinib, Exelixis Inc.) as first-line treatment for advanced renal cell carcinoma.
CDK 4/6 inhibitor Verzenio (abemaciclib, Eli Lilly and Co.) reduced the risk of recurrence in women with high-risk hormone receptor driven and HER2-negative breast cancer when added to endocrine therapy in the monarchE phase III trial.
New and updated preclinical and clinical data presented by biopharma firms at the European Society for Medical Oncology Virtual Congress 2020, including: Amgen, Astrazeneca, Bayer, Blueprint, BMS, Chi-Med, Eisai, Exelixis, Genentech, Genmab, Immunomedics, Innovent, Ipsen, Janssen, Lilly, Macrogenics, Merck, Novartis, Oncternal, Ose, Pieris, Regeneron, Roche, Sanofi, Seattle Genetics, Veru.
Shares of Marseilles, France-based Innate Pharma SA took a hit recently after making known the adjustment of its lucrative deal with Astrazeneca plc for monalizumab in recurrent or metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN), but opinions are divided on what it means.
New and updated preclinical and clinical data to be presented by biopharma firms at the European Society for Medical Oncology Virtual Congress 2020, including: Agenus, Alkermes, Astrazeneca, Autolus, Ayala, Beigene, Daiichi, Deciphera, Eisai, Essa, Faron, Helsinn, Immunomedics, Immutep, Incyte, IO, Ipsen, Italfarmaco, Menarini, Mirati, Regeneron, Sanofi, Sensei, Spectrum, Sumitomo, Takeda.
LONDON – Lava Therapeutics BV has raised $83 million in a series C round, enabling it to begin clinical trials of its bispecific gamma-delta T-cell engager technology, in both a hematologic and a solid tumor indication in 2021.
Synthekine Inc., a California startup developing new medicines for cancer and autoimmune disorders, has closed an $82 million series A financing. The funds will help the company move its two lead programs into the clinic, expand its discovery pipeline and hone its cytokine engineering platforms.
Palleon Pharmaceuticals Inc. CEO and founder Jim Broderick told BioWorld that the just-raised $100 million in series B money leaves the firm well positioned to push its lead oncology compound into the clinic next year, bolstered by a widely gathered team of experts – “almost a consortium” – in glycan mediation.