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''.

Celtic Pharma receives US patent for methods to treat breast, colon cancer

Celtic Pharmaceutical Holdings L.P. today announced that the U.S. Patent Office has issued U.S. patent 7,816,323, for novel methods to treat breast and colon cancers using a combination therapy of Xerecept with Avastin.

22 Oct 2010

Oral cancer linked to oral sex: Study

Swedish researchers have found that the Human papillomavirus (HPV) that causes cervical cancer in women is also a risk factor for oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) or oral and throat cancer in men even if they do not smoke or consume alcohol.

21 Oct 2010

$1 million Pfizer Fellowship awarded for melanoma research at AusBiotech 2010

Dr Mark Shackleton was last night awarded the 2011 Pfizer Australia Senior Research Fellowship grant for his research proposal at the AusBiotech 2010 Conference Dinner. Professor John Funder, chair of the selection committee, announced this year’s winner, who will use the $1 million, five-year Fellowship for research into ‘Identifying determinants of human melanoma progression’.

21 Oct 2010

Health Canada approves ULORIC to lower serum uric acid levels in patients with gout

Takeda Canada, Inc. is pleased to announce that ULORIC® (febuxostat), an innovative oral urate-lowering therapy to lower serum uric acid levels in patients with gout is now available in Canada. This medication is the first new treatment option in more than 40 years for the approximately three per cent of Canadians who have hyperuricemia associated with gout.1 ULORIC was discovered by Teijin Pharma Limited of Tokyo and licensed to Takeda for the Canada market.

21 Oct 2010

PolyMedix plans PMX-60056 Phase 2 clinical trial in interventional cardiology

PolyMedix, Inc., a biotechnology company focused on developing new therapeutic drugs to treat infectious diseases and acute cardiovascular disorders, has announced plans for a Phase 2 clinical trial of PMX-60056 in interventional cardiology, and the establishment of a focused Heptagonist Clinical Advisory Board (CAB). PMX-60056 is a synthetic small-molecule designed to reverse the anticoagulant activity of heparin and low molecular weight heparins (LMWH).

21 Oct 2010

Alexion 2010 third quarter revenue increases from $102.6 to $141.6 million

Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced financial results for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2010.

21 Oct 2010

Venn Life Sciences acquires French CRO

Venn Life Sciences a multinational Clinical Research Organisation (CRO) announced today that it has acquired French CRO, DCI.

21 Oct 2010

MEDEC urges Ontario government to develop strategy for PET scanning technology

On behalf of its Medical Imaging Sector, MEDEC, Canada's Medical Technology Companies, is calling on the Ontario government to develop a comprehensive strategy for the deployment of Positron Emission Tomography (PET) Scanning technology across the Province.

21 Oct 2010

New data from ESHO/EORTC STBSG Phase III clinical study of hyperthermia

BSD Medical Corporation announced publication in Internal Medicine News Digital Network of new data from the ESHO/EORTC Soft Tissue and Bone Sarcoma Group (STBSG) Phase III clinical study of hyperthermia.

21 Oct 2010

FDA asks manufacturers to add new warnings to labeling of prostate cancer drugs

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today asked manufacturers to add new warnings to labeling of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonists, a class of drugs primarily used to treat men with prostate cancer.

21 Oct 2010

ASTRO selects Scripps Clinic nurse for 2010 Excellence Award

The American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) recently selected Elizabeth A. Brunton, R.N., M.S.N., O.C.N., of Scripps Clinic in La Jolla, Calif., as the recipient of the 2010 ASTRO Nurse Excellence Award.

21 Oct 2010

Researchers suggest 'watch and wait' strategy for girls with germ-cell ovarian tumors

Researchers from Dana-Farber/Children's Hospital Cancer Center (DF/CHCC) have found that as many as 50 percent of young girls treated for germ-cell ovarian tumors might safely be spared chemotherapy using a "watch and wait" strategy to determine if the follow-up treatment is needed.

21 Oct 2010

Partnership between institutions in high- and low-resource areas can improve pediatric sarcoma treatment

Raising the survival rate of children with sarcoma in low-income countries will require steps to diagnose the disease sooner, train cancer pathologists, expand radiation therapy services, create multi-specialty teams to review each case, and other actions, according to an international study led by Dana-Farber/Children's Hospital Cancer Center researchers. The findings will be presented at the 42nd Congress of the International Society of Paediatric Oncology (SIOP) in Boston on Friday, Oct. 22.

21 Oct 2010

Agensys and Seattle Genetics initiate ASG-5ME phase I clinical trial for castration-resistant prostate cancer

Agensys, Inc., an affiliate of Tokyo-based Astellas Pharma Inc., and Seattle Genetics, Inc. today announced that they have initiated a phase I clinical trial of ASG-5ME for the treatment of castration-resistant prostate cancer. ASG-5ME is an antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) targeting the SLC44A4 antigen and is being co-developed by both companies for the treatment of solid tumors.

21 Oct 2010

Access submits additional patent applications for Cobalamin-mediated oral drug delivery technology

ACCESS PHARMACEUTICALS, INC., a biopharmaceutical company leveraging its proprietary drug-delivery platforms to develop treatments in areas of oncology, cancer supportive care and diabetes, announced it has submitted additional patent applications, covering its Cobalamin-mediated oral drug delivery technology formulations of many global top-100 injectable drugs, as a result of the growing interest surrounding the company's proprietary oral delivery technology.

21 Oct 2010

Researchers to study effect of reovirus on cancer cells

A common virus that can cause coughing and mild diarrhea appears to have a major redemptive quality: the ability to kill cancer. Harnessing that power, researchers at Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, part of Georgetown University Medical Center, are conducting a clinical trial to see if the virus can target and kill certain tumor types.

21 Oct 2010

Unitedhealth says it will test lump sum payments for some cancer care, reports earnings

Health insurer UnitedHealth said Tuesday that it will test a new way payment method for cancer doctors. The program pays doctors a lump sum payment for providing care during an entire course of care for the disease instead of how it's done now with a fee for each service a doctor provides.

21 Oct 2010

Study: p63 gene stifles spread of cancer

Long overshadowed by p53, its famous tumor-suppressing sibling, the p63 gene does the tougher, important job of stifling the spread of cancer to other organs, researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center report in the Oct. 21 issue of Nature.

21 Oct 2010

Genzyme third quarter revenue increases to $1.0 billion

Genzyme Corp. today reported third-quarter earnings growth driven by increased shipments of Cerezyme® (imiglucerase for injection). Patients in the United States began returning to normal dosing levels last month, and patients globally are expected to be able to do so this quarter. Earnings growth in the third quarter was also driven by strong revenue from Lumizyme™ (alglucosidase alfa) and cost reduction measures.

21 Oct 2010

Genzyme reports results of Clolar combination Phase 3 trial in adult AML

Genzyme Corporation announced results today from its CLASSIC I phase 3 trial comparing Clolar® (clofarabine) in combination with the chemotherapy agent cytarabine (ara-c) to cytarabine plus placebo in relapsed-refractory adult acute myeloid leukemia (AML).

21 Oct 2010