Starting with a study of how mutations affect sensitivity to 10 molecularly targeted drugs, researchers have laid the foundations for a prospective, systematic approach to understanding the genetic mechanisms behind cancer drug resistance.

During an Innovation Ignited webinar sponsored by Johnson & Johnson, experts talked about how precision medicine has helped advance the field of oncology and how those lessons can be applied to immunology. Advancements in precision medicine have helped oncologists know which drugs are most likely to help patients as their tumors advance and mutate.

Novocure GmbH secured U.S. FDA approval for Optune Lua, a wearable device that delivers alternating electric fields or tumor treating fields that kill cancer cells. Indicated for use with PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors or docetaxel in the second or subsequent line for the treatment of metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer following the failure of platinum-based regimens, the approval was driven by the significant improvement in overall survival rates seen in the LUNAR pivotal study for Optune Lua.

Qnovia Inc. received U.S. FDA clearance to start its clinical trial for Respirx, a nicotine inhaler designed as a replacement therapy for smoking.

The $15.3 million Mindpeak GmbH recently raised in its series A funding round will allow the company to be able to accelerate the development and deployment of its AI-based solutions, Felix Faber, CEO of Mindpeak, told BioWorld.

Breast cancer cells, when disseminated to other secondary organs such as the lungs, may stay in a dormant state for years, even decades. But the mechanisms that limit their expansion are not well understood. This is what researchers call a dormant mesenchymal-like phenotype (M-like) before metastasis to the lungs. Now, scientists have shown in a study published Oct. 7, 2024, in Cell, that the limiting of disseminated breast cancer cells (DCCs) to metastasize in the lungs is due to alveolar macrophages (AMs), which activate signals that make DCCs stay dormant.

The U.K. government recently unveiled £148.4 million (US$193.7 million) in funding for a raft of initiatives to tackle cancer. Backed by public and private sector investment, the projects will deliver new technologies to speed up cancer diagnosis and new methods to transform treatment.

GE Healthcare Technologies Inc. is participating in the €25.3 million (US$27.8 million) Thera4care project that aims to expand the use of theranostics in Europe. The 29 partners involved in the project will develop new cancer treatment tools, strengthen the manufacture and supply of radiotheranostic, and optimize the clinical use of radiotheranostics.

Certis Oncology Solutions Inc. filed for protection of its artificial intelligence platform that utilizes big data, statistical algorithms, and machine learning to predict drug efficacy based on gene expression biomarkers.