Oncology News and Research

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Oncology, meaning bulk, mass, or tumor, and the suffix ''-logy'', meaning "study of") is a branch of medicine that deals with tumors (cancer). A medical professional who practices oncology is an ''oncologist''.

Medivation, Astellas enroll 1,199 patients in MDV3100 Phase 3 AFFIRM study in advanced prostate cancer

Medivation, Inc. and Astellas Pharma Inc. today announced that patient enrollment was completed on November 15, 2010 in the Phase 3 AFFIRM study of the investigational drug MDV3100, a novel, triple-acting oral androgen receptor antagonist, in patients with advanced prostate cancer who have previously been treated with chemotherapy. The companies also announced that clinical development of MDV3100 in Japan has commenced, with the initiation of patient dosing in a Phase 1-2 clinical study.

30 Nov 2010

Transgenomic signs definitive agreement to acquire diagnostic business of Clinical Data

Transgenomic, Inc. announced today the signing of a definitive agreement for Transgenomic to acquire the diagnostic business of Clinical Data, Inc. This acquisition includes a suite of proprietary genetic commercial tests, certain proprietary biomarker assays, and the CLIA-certified laboratory operations of Clinical Data for a purchase price of approximately $15.4 million, primarily in cash and notes.

29 Nov 2010

Zalicus to highlight A2A agonist oncology programs at ASH Annual Meeting

Zalicus Inc. announced today that preclinical data on its discovery of novel A2A agonist oncology programs for the treatment of multiple myeloma and other B-cell malignancies will be highlighted at the 52nd Annual Meeting of the American Society of Hematology in Orlando, FL on December 4-7, 2010.

29 Nov 2010

FDA approves Merit's phase 3 clinical trial protocol to treat primary liver cancer with QuadraSphere Microspheres

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Merit Medical Systems, Inc.'s phase 3 clinical trial protocol to treat primary liver cancer with QuadraSphere™ Microspheres (hqTACE) for delivery of doxorubicin. The clinical trial will involve U.S. and international interventional radiologists who treat patients with localized, unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the most common form of liver cancer.

29 Nov 2010

Varian to launch novel X-ray tube and flat panel technology at RSNA 2010

Varian Medical Systems will introduce innovative new X-ray tube and flat panel technology at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) in Chicago from Nov 28 – Dec 02.

29 Nov 2010

Spectrum's FUSILEV sNDA accepted by FDA for review

Spectrum Pharmaceuticals, a biotechnology company with fully integrated commercial and drug development operations with a primary focus in oncology, announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted for filing and review the complete response regarding its supplemental New Drug Application (sNDA) for FUSILEV® (levoleucovorin) for Injection for treatment of patients with advanced metastatic colorectal cancer.

29 Nov 2010

3SBio acquires pegsiticase global rights from EnzymeRx for $6.25 million

3SBio Inc., a leading China-based biotechnology company focused on researching, developing, manufacturing and marketing biopharmaceutical products, announced that is has acquired worldwide rights of pegsiticase for all indications from EnzymeRx for a total consideration of US$6.25 million.

29 Nov 2010

DePuy Spine, Lanx, Medtronic, Zimmer Spine and Codman support NREF's post-residency clinical fellowships

The NREF has reached agreements with Medtronic, Lanx and Zimmer Spine to provide funding to the NREF in support of the Foundation's post-residency clinical fellowship grant program. The NREF is pleased to report that it has renewed its agreements with Codman & Shurtleff, Inc. and DePuy Spine, Inc., who supported the inaugural year of the fellowship program in 2010.

29 Nov 2010

Accentia enters strategic agreement with Baxter to purchase Cytoxan drug

Accentia Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced a strategic agreement with Baxter Healthcare Corporation to provide Accentia with the exclusive, worldwide right to purchase Baxter's cyclophosphamide, which is marketed under the brand name Cytoxan, for the treatment of designated autoimmune diseases including multiple sclerosis.

29 Nov 2010

MEDIAN Technologies receives OSEO 'Innovative Company' accreditation

MEDIAN Technologies, the leading provider of clinical applications for quantitative management of treatment responses in oncology imaging, today announced that it had obtained "Innovative Company" accreditation from OSEO (the French state innovation agency). This accreditation enables innovation-focused French investment funds (Fonds Communs de Placement dans l'Innovation) to invest in MEDIAN Technologies and enjoy a number of fiscal advantages.

29 Nov 2010

Texas Breast Specialists expands breast cancer treatment services

Texas Breast Specialists, part of Texas Oncology, has expanded its breast cancer treatment services in Dallas, McKinney, Bedford, Carrollton, and Plano, Texas to include the mobile Naviscan PEM scanner.

29 Nov 2010

Philips ushers new era in radiology science with Imaging 2.0 technology at RSNA annual meeting

This year at the 96th annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) in Chicago, Royal Philips Electronics is ushering in a new era in radiology science with Imaging 2.0, a concept fueled by integration of technology, clinician and patient.

From Philips Healthcare 29 Nov 2010

Philips Electronics showcases first-ever digital broadband MRI solution at RSNA annual meeting

Today at the 96th annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) in Chicago, Royal Philips Electronics showcased Philips Ingenia, the first-ever digital broadband magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) solution.

29 Nov 2010

JAK3 pathway highlighted as leukemia target

An intriguing study published in Expert Review of Anticancer Therapy has revealed that the signaling protein JAK3 represents a viable target in the treatment of a broad range of B-lineage cancers, including acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).

28 Nov 2010

FDA extends review period of Cladribine Tablets for MS therapy

EMD Serono, an affiliate of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has extended its review period for Cladribine Tablets as a therapy for relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS) by three months to February 28, 2011.

26 Nov 2010

Personalized oncology requires new paradigm for drug development, experts say

Millions of cancer patients worldwide may soon be able to receive more effective, personalized treatments for their disease thanks to developments in the understanding of cancer biology, experts will say at the Cancer Biology for Clinicians Symposium organized by the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) in Nice this week.

25 Nov 2010

Dendritic cell vaccine induces immune responses in patients

A new process for creating a personalized vaccine may become a crucial tool in helping patients with colorectal cancer develop an immune response against their own tumors. This dendritic cell (DC) vaccine, developed at Dartmouth and described in a research paper published this week in the journal Clinical Cancer Research, was used after surgical resection of metastatic tumors to try to prevent the growth of additional metastases.

25 Nov 2010

Response to PLX4032 drug short lived in BRAF-mutated metastatic melanoma patients

Researchers with UCLA's Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center have found that melanoma patients whose cancers are caused by mutation of the BRAF gene become resistant to a promising targeted treatment through another genetic mutation or the overexpression of a cell surface protein, both driving survival of the cancer and accounting for relapse.

25 Nov 2010

Advaxis initiates ADXS11-001 clinical trial for cervix cancer

Advaxis, Inc., the live, attenuated Listeria monocytogenes (Listeria) immunotherapy company, has begun dosing patients in its 110 patient clinical trial of ADXS11-001 for the treatment of cervix cancer in women for whom cytotoxic treatment has failed.

24 Nov 2010

Cancers detected late leading to unnecessary deaths: Report

A new report released Wednesday by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says that in spite of the widely available screening tests many cancers are not diagnosed until the disease is well-advanced and, therefore, less treatable and more fatal. The report says that half of colorectal cancers and cervical cancers and one-third of breast cancers in the United States are detected at a late stage.

24 Nov 2010