Cetuximab News and Research

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Cetuximab is an investigational IgG1 monoclonal antibody designed to target and block the Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR), which is expressed on the surface of certain cancer cells in multiple tumor types. Cetuximab is designed to bind to EGFR and prevent natural ligands called growth factors from binding to the receptor and inducing phosphorylation, i.e., activation of signaling to the tumor. The most common drug-related adverse events reported in clinical trials of cetuximab have been an acne-like rash and asthenia. Severe allergic reactions may occur in a small percentage of patients.

Merck, sanofi-aventis enter global cancer research and development agreement

Merck Serono, a division of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, announced today that Merck, has signed a worldwide research and development agreement with sanofi-aventis U.S. Inc., under which Merck Serono and sanofi-aventis U.S. Inc. will collaboratively investigate novel experimental combinations of agents that could block specific pathways in cancer cells. This collaboration could deliver novel targeted oncology treatments with high therapeutic potential.

17 Dec 2010

Erbitux development program featured in ASCO's Clinical Cancer Advances report for third consecutive year

For the third year in a row, the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) has included Erbitux® (cetuximab) research in its annual report, Clinical Cancer Advances, which features the most significant studies of 2010. The report cites as a notable advance this year the finding that BRAF mutation status is a prognostic, not predictive, marker for Erbitux efficacy in metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC).

23 Nov 2010

AACR announces launch of new journal, Cancer Discovery

The American Association for Cancer Research announces the launch of its newest journal, Cancer Discovery, which will publish high-impact, peer-reviewed articles describing major advances in basic and clinical research. Its unique format will feature game-changing research, review articles, perspectives and commentaries, news, and "Research Watch" summaries of important journal articles. Cancer Discovery is a new addition to the AACR's robust publication program.

30 Oct 2010

Pfizer announces publication of crizotinib data for NSCLC patients in New England Journal of Medicine

Pfizer Inc. announced today the publication of data showing that 57 percent of ALK-positive advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients treated with crizotinib (PF-02341066), an investigational oral anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) inhibitor, had either a complete (one patient) or partial (46 patients) response to treatment. Data from 82 patients in this Part 2 expansion cohort of the Phase 1 study were published in the October 28 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

28 Oct 2010

GTC 2010 third fiscal quarter net loss decreases to $4.5 million from $26.2 million

GTC Biotherapeutics, Inc. today reported its financial results for the third fiscal quarter ended September 30, 2010.

28 Oct 2010

Study finds association between KRAS p.G13D mutations and cetuximab treatment in colorectal cancer

Even though the cancer-treatment agent cetuximab is not considered effective treatment for KRAS (a gene)-mutated metastatic colorectal tumors, new research indicates that patients with colorectal cancer not responding to chemotherapy and a certain variation of this gene who were treated with cetuximab had longer overall and progression-free survival than patients with other KRAS-mutations, according to a study in the October 27 issue of JAMA.

27 Oct 2010

Imprime PGG and cetuximab increase overall response rate in metastatic colorectal cancer

A combination of Biothera's Imprime PGG and cetuximab (Erbitux) doubled the overall response rates for second- and third-line metastatic colorectal cancer patients participating in a Phase Ib/IIa clinical trial. The completed trial results were released yesterday at the 35th European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress.

13 Oct 2010

Combination of cetuximab and cisplatin chemotherapy benefits women with triple-negative breast cancer

European researchers have proven for the first time that targeting the epidermal growth factor receptor can provide substantial clinical benefit for women with hard-to-treat triple-negative breast cancer.

13 Oct 2010

Erbitux-based therapy helps in early tumor shrinkage, long-term survival in mCRC patients with KRAS wild-type tumors

Merck Serono, a division of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany has announced that new data presented today at the 35th Congress of the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) have shown that patients with KRAS wild-type metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) who experienced early tumor shrinkage (within 8 weeks) during 1st line Erbitux (cetuximab) based treatment lived a median of 28.3 months.

12 Oct 2010

Sexual issues a major concern for cancer patients taking new targeted drugs

New drugs that target specific molecular mechanisms of cancer have improved the treatment of cancer patients in recent years, but those benefits may come with a cost to the patient’s sex life, researchers have found. At the 35th Congress of the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) in Milan, Italy, French researchers reported on one of the few studies to investigate the impact of cancer therapy on the sexual functioning of patients.

11 Oct 2010

Adding Cetuximab to chemo doubles response rate in hard-to-treat breast cancer

11 Oct 2010

Merck Serono announces first results from Erbitux BALI-1 study in metastatic triple-negative breast cancer

Merck Serono, a division of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, today announced the first results from the BALI-1 study of Erbitux® (cetuximab) in the treatment of metastatic triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), an aggressive cancer in which early relapse and metastasis are common. The data, presented during the 35th Congress of the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO), demonstrate that Erbitux has the potential to improve outcomes for women with this relentlessly devastating cancer.

11 Oct 2010

Merck Serono to present Erbitux data at ESMO Congress

Merck Serono, a division of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany announces today that it will be presenting new data from several studies of Erbitux (cetuximab) in a range of solid tumor types including the first Phase II data in breast and prostate cancers. These data will be presented at the forthcoming 35th European Society for Medical Oncology Congress (ESMO) in Milan, October 8-12, 2010.

5 Oct 2010

AVEO regains global rights for development, commercialization of AV-299 anti-HGF antibody candidate

AVEO Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering, developing and commercializing cancer therapeutics, today announced that AVEO has regained worldwide rights from Merck (through its subsidiary, Schering Corporation) to develop and commercialize AV-299 (also known as SCH 900105), its anti-hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) antibody candidate.

30 Sep 2010

Micro-RNAs programmed cells can lead to malignant growth

Cancer becomes life threatening when tumor cells start leaving their primary site. They travel through the lymph and blood streams to other tissues where they grow into metastases. This transition to malignancy is associated with characteristic changes in the cancer cells. The activity of several genes is reprogrammed and, thus, the production of proteins anchoring cells to a tissue is reduced. On the other hand, the amount of surface markers which make a cancer cell mobile increases.

9 Sep 2010

Asuragen launches KRAS, BRAF mutational testing in CLIA laboratory

Asuragen, Inc., a leader in molecular diagnostics and nucleic acid-based pharmacogenomics services, announced today that it has launched KRAS and BRAF mutational testing services in its CAP-accredited CLIA laboratory.

2 Sep 2010

Merck's initiation of IMO-2055 Phase 1b clinical trial in SCCHN triggers €3.0M milestone payment to Idera

Idera Pharmaceuticals, Inc., today announced that it has achieved a milestone under its worldwide licensing and collaboration agreement with Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany. The milestone was achieved upon Merck KGaA's initiation of a Phase 1b clinical trial of IMO-2055 (EMD 1201081), an agonist of Toll-like Receptor 9 (TLR9), in combination with cisplatin, fluorouracil and cetuximab (Erbitux®) in first-line treatment of patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN).

27 Aug 2010

NICE draft guidance rejects cancer drug bevacizumab

The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has released draft guidance for cancer drug bevacizumab (Avastin).

25 Aug 2010

SIR-Spheres safe, effective for patients with colorectal cancer liver metastases who have failed chemotherapy

Radioactive yttrium-90 labelled resin microspheres (SIR-Spheres; Sirtex Medical, Sydney, Australia) appear to be a safe and effective treatment for patients with colorectal cancer liver metastases who have failed available chemotherapy options, according to the final results of a prospective clinical multi-centre phase II trial conducted by the Italian Society of Locoregional Therapies in Oncology (SITILO) and published in the British Journal of Cancer.

20 Aug 2010

Paperwork for reimbursement prevents PCTs access to high-cost cancer drugs

The amount of paperwork that primary care trusts (PCTs) have to fill out in order to be reimbursed for cancer drugs is so great that they may be missing out on millions of pounds, a report suggests.

30 Jul 2010

Cetuximab News and Research

Further Reading

Merck, sanofi-aventis enter global cancer research and development agreement

Erbitux development program featured in ASCO's Clinical Cancer Advances report for third consecutive year

AACR announces launch of new journal, Cancer Discovery

Pfizer announces publication of crizotinib data for NSCLC patients in New England Journal of Medicine

GTC 2010 third fiscal quarter net loss decreases to $4.5 million from $26.2 million

Study finds association between KRAS p.G13D mutations and cetuximab treatment in colorectal cancer

Imprime PGG and cetuximab increase overall response rate in metastatic colorectal cancer

Combination of cetuximab and cisplatin chemotherapy benefits women with triple-negative breast cancer

Erbitux-based therapy helps in early tumor shrinkage, long-term survival in mCRC patients with KRAS wild-type tumors

Sexual issues a major concern for cancer patients taking new targeted drugs

Adding Cetuximab to chemo doubles response rate in hard-to-treat breast cancer

Merck Serono announces first results from Erbitux BALI-1 study in metastatic triple-negative breast cancer

Merck Serono to present Erbitux data at ESMO Congress

AVEO regains global rights for development, commercialization of AV-299 anti-HGF antibody candidate

Micro-RNAs programmed cells can lead to malignant growth

Asuragen launches KRAS, BRAF mutational testing in CLIA laboratory

Merck's initiation of IMO-2055 Phase 1b clinical trial in SCCHN triggers €3.0M milestone payment to Idera

NICE draft guidance rejects cancer drug bevacizumab

SIR-Spheres safe, effective for patients with colorectal cancer liver metastases who have failed chemotherapy

Paperwork for reimbursement prevents PCTs access to high-cost cancer drugs

Achieving and maintaining ISO/IEC 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

Examining how pain could play a direct protective role in the gut

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