Much-awaited detailed data from Exelixis Inc.’s phase III Stellar-303 study of zanzalintinib, presented at the European Society for Medical Oncology meeting, showed the third-generation, oral tyrosine kinase inhibitor in combination with Tecentriq (atezolizumab, Roche AG) reduced the risk of death by 20% vs. Stivarga (regorafenib, Bayer AG) in patients with previously treated non-microsatellite instability (MSI)-high metastatic colorectal cancer and are expected to pave the way for an NDA filing later this year.
Grail LLC has presented data showing that when added to standard screening procedures for breast, cervical, colorectal and lung cancers, its Galleri circulating tumor DNA test led to a sevenfold increase in the number of cancers detected.
McMaster University has synthesized radiolabeled-drug conjugates comprising a glutamate carboxypeptidase 2 (FOLH1; NAALAD1; PSMA)-targeting moiety covalently linked to a DNA intercalating agent through a radiolabeling moiety reported to be useful for diagnosis and treatment of cancer.
Carbonic anhydrase IX (CAIX) is overexpressed in the hypoxic tumor environment and is thought to help drive tumor progression and metastasis by generating protons that acidify the area. Therefore, inhibiting the enzyme may be effective as an anticancer treatment.
The U.S. FDA named the first nine recipients of the recently unveiled commissioner’s national priority voucher (CNPV) program aimed at addressing unmet public health needs by shortening regulatory review times to as little as one to two months. For one of those firms, Disc Medicine Inc., which submitted an NDA for bitopertin for rare genetic disorder erythropoietic protoporphyria in September, that could mean a potential approval before the end of 2025.
A year and half from its inception, Adcytherix SAS has raised a €105 million (US$122 million) series A, enabling it to take the lead antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) program into clinical development next year.
Endometrial cancer is the most prevalent gynecological malignancy in high-income countries, and the discovery of new biomarkers may aid in earlier detection and improve the prognosis of patients.