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''.

Commonly used type of bone marrow stem cell may help treat sepsis, new study suggests

A new study from researchers in Ottawa and Toronto suggests that a commonly used type of bone marrow stem cell may be able to help treat sepsis, a deadly condition that can occur when an infection spreads throughout the body. The study, published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, shows that these cells can triple survival rates in an experimental model of sepsis.

1 Jul 2010

Endo responds to FDA Complete Response letter for FORTESTA NDA

Endo Pharmaceuticals has submitted a complete response to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) following the company's receipt of a Complete Response letter in October 2009 related to the New Drug Application (NDA) submission for FORTESTA™ (testosterone) 2% gel. The company's Class 2 resubmission is the next step in its intention to offer FORTESTA as a treatment option in the United States for men diagnosed with low testosterone (Low T), also known as hypogonadism. The FDA's review period for Class 2 resubmissions typically is six months.

1 Jul 2010

Eisai to commercialize lorcaserin for obesity and weight management in U.S.

Arena Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced that Eisai Inc. will market lorcaserin for obesity and weight management in the United States following U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval under the terms of a marketing and supply agreement between Arena Pharmaceuticals GmbH, a wholly owned subsidiary of Arena Pharmaceuticals, Inc., and Eisai. Lorcaserin, which Arena discovered and has developed for weight management, is intended for obese patients as well as overweight patients who have at least one weight-related co-morbid condition.

1 Jul 2010

Eisai signs agreement with Arena Pharmaceuticals GmbH to commercialize lorcaserin

Eisai Inc., the U.S. pharmaceutical operation of Tokyo-based Eisai Co., Ltd., announced today that it has entered into an agreement with Arena Pharmaceuticals GmbH, a wholly owned subsidiary of Arena Pharmaceuticals, Inc., for exclusive U.S. rights to commercialize lorcaserin, a drug candidate for potential use in the treatment of obesity, including weight loss, for patients who are obese (Body Mass Index or BMI ≥ 30) or overweight (BMI ≥ 27) with at least one weight-related co-morbid condition.

1 Jul 2010

Varian, Brainlab expand partnership to incorporate Novalis technology with TrueBeam STx system

Varian Medical Systems and Brainlab today announced the expansion of their partnership to incorporate Novalis technology and other Novalis Radiosurgery Program elements with the recently launched TrueBeam STx system. The expanded suite of products will be badged "Novalis powered by TrueBeam STx."

1 Jul 2010

Evotec commences EVT 101 proof-of-concept Phase II study in treatment-resistant depression

Evotec AG today announced the start of the proof-of-concept Phase II study in treatment-resistant depression with its NR2B subtype selective NMDA receptor antagonist EVT 101. This clinical development is part of an alliance between Evotec and Roche.

1 Jul 2010

BIDMC physician-scientist receives Young Investigator Award to research on prostate cancer

Akash Patnaik, MD, PhD, a physician-scientist in the Hematology/Oncology Divison at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Instructor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School has received a Young Investigator Award from The Prostate Cancer Foundation. The three-year $225,000 award, one of 21 made to young scientists from across the U.S. and Canada, is designed to encourage the most innovative minds in cancer research to focus their careers on prostate cancer.

1 Jul 2010

Eisai reports preliminary results from Dacogen for Injection Phase III study in AML

Eisai Inc. announced today preliminary results from a randomized Phase III clinical trial of Dacogen® (decitabine) for Injection versus either a low-dose chemotherapy agent or supportive care in elderly patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), a life-threatening cancer of the blood that generally occurs in older adults.

1 Jul 2010

Sanofi-aventis signs agreement to acquire TargeGen

TargeGen, Inc., a privately held biotechnology company focused on the development of small molecule kinase inhibitors today announced that the Company has agreed to be acquired by sanofi-aventis. Under the agreement, the ultimate purchase price will depend on the achievement of certain future milestones events and will total $560M if such milestones are fully realized. The closing of the transaction is expected to occur in the 3rd quarter of 2010.

1 Jul 2010

Roche, IBM announce agreement to develop nanopore-based sequencer for decoding human DNA

Roche and IBM announced today an agreement to develop a nanopore-based sequencer that will directly read and decode human DNA quickly and efficiently. Focused on advancing IBM's recently published "DNA Transistor" technology, the collaboration will take advantage of IBM's leadership in microelectronics, information technology and computational biology and Roche's expertise in medical diagnostics and genome sequencing.

1 Jul 2010

ResponseDX: Lung genetic test panel launched to detect EML4-ALK gene variants in lung cancer patients

Response Genetics Inc., a company focused on the development and sale of molecular diagnostic tests for cancer, today announced that it has expanded its ResponseDX: Lung genetic test panel to detect the presence of EML4-ALK gene variants in lung cancer patients. EML4-ALK fusion genes are present in about four percent of tumors from patients with non-small cell lung cancer.

1 Jul 2010

Rexahn closes sale of $10 million of securities in registered direct offering

Rexahn Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a clinical stage pharmaceutical company commercializing potential best in class oncology and CNS therapeutics, today announced the closing of a previously announced sale of an aggregate of $10 million of securities in a registered direct offering. Rexahn received net proceeds of approximately $9.28 million after deducting placement agent fees and other offering expenses.

1 Jul 2010

USPTO issues Notice of Allowance for patent application related to Neogenix Oncology's 16C3 antibody

Neogenix Oncology announced today that the U.S. Patent and Trade Mark Office has issued a Notice of Allowance for a patent application related to its 16C3 antibody. Discovered and developed by Neogenix Oncology, this antibody appears to have anti-tumor activity for both pancreatic and colorectal tumors, and may have both therapeutic and diagnostic utility. The antibody may have activity in other tumors as well, which the company will explore at such time as it prepares a pre-IND package for FDA review and designs a clinical trial for the 16C3 antibody.

1 Jul 2010

Calistoga Pharmaceuticals closes $40 million Series C financing

Calistoga Pharmaceuticals, Inc., the leader in the development of isoform-selective phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase (PI3K) inhibitors for the treatment of cancer and inflammatory diseases, today announced it has closed a $40 million Series C financing. The financing was led by Quogue Capital, LLC along with existing investors Alta Partners, Amgen Ventures, Frazier Healthcare and Three Arch Partners and new investor Latterell Venture Partners.

30 Jun 2010

BioSante reports positive results from Phase II study of Pill-Plus "triple hormone" oral contraceptive

BioSante Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced today positive results in a Phase II study of the Pill-Plus "triple hormone" oral contraceptive (OC). Results showed an increase in the frequency of sexual activity (p< 0.05) and reduced frequency of rejection of initiation of sexual activity by partner (p< 0.05).

30 Jun 2010

Celgene signs definitive merger agreement to acquire Abraxis BioScience

Celgene Corporation and Abraxis BioScience Inc. today jointly announced the signing of a definitive merger agreement in which Celgene has agreed to acquire Abraxis BioScience. Under the terms of the merger agreement, each share of Abraxis BioScience common stock will be converted into the right to receive an upfront payment of $58.00 in cash and 0.2617 shares of Celgene common stock.

30 Jun 2010

EMA grants Scientific Advice to Aeterna Zentaris for Phase 3 trial of anticancer compound perifosine

Aeterna Zentaris Inc., a late-stage drug development company specialized in oncology and endocrine therapy, today announced that it has received positive Scientific Advice from the European Medicines Agency (EMA) regarding the Phase 3 trial initiated last April for the development of its lead anticancer proprietary compound, perifosine, in refractory advanced colorectal cancer.

30 Jun 2010

Repeated viral screening for ART patients unnecessary with each donation

European legislation that requires all couples undergoing assisted reproduction treatment (ART) to be screened for HIV and hepatitis at the time of every sperm or egg donation is unnecessary, expensive, and potentially distressing for patients, the 26th annual meeting of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology heard today (Monday).

30 Jun 2010

Study highlights importance of individualized, patient-centered therapies

In an analysis from the Action to Control Cardiovascular Risk in Diabetes (ACCORD) trial, one of the largest studies of its kind to determine whether intensive blood glucose (sugar) control worked better than standard blood sugar control among diabetics, results show that the benefits of intensive therapy need to be balanced against the increase in total and cardiovascular disease-related death, increased weight gain, and high risk for severe low blood sugar.

30 Jun 2010

Mayo Clinic biostatistician become director of CALGB

In a move that will improve efficiency and collaboration in cancer research, Mayo biostatistician Daniel Sargent, Ph.D., will become director of the Statistical Center for the Cancer and Leukemia Group B (CALGB), a national association of cancer researchers funded primarily by the National Cancer Institute (NCI).

30 Jun 2010

Oncology News and Research

Further Reading

Commonly used type of bone marrow stem cell may help treat sepsis, new study suggests

Endo responds to FDA Complete Response letter for FORTESTA NDA

Eisai to commercialize lorcaserin for obesity and weight management in U.S.

Eisai signs agreement with Arena Pharmaceuticals GmbH to commercialize lorcaserin

Varian, Brainlab expand partnership to incorporate Novalis technology with TrueBeam STx system

Evotec commences EVT 101 proof-of-concept Phase II study in treatment-resistant depression

BIDMC physician-scientist receives Young Investigator Award to research on prostate cancer

Eisai reports preliminary results from Dacogen for Injection Phase III study in AML

Sanofi-aventis signs agreement to acquire TargeGen

Roche, IBM announce agreement to develop nanopore-based sequencer for decoding human DNA

ResponseDX: Lung genetic test panel launched to detect EML4-ALK gene variants in lung cancer patients

Rexahn closes sale of $10 million of securities in registered direct offering

USPTO issues Notice of Allowance for patent application related to Neogenix Oncology's 16C3 antibody

Calistoga Pharmaceuticals closes $40 million Series C financing

BioSante reports positive results from Phase II study of Pill-Plus "triple hormone" oral contraceptive

Celgene signs definitive merger agreement to acquire Abraxis BioScience

EMA grants Scientific Advice to Aeterna Zentaris for Phase 3 trial of anticancer compound perifosine

Repeated viral screening for ART patients unnecessary with each donation

Study highlights importance of individualized, patient-centered therapies

Mayo Clinic biostatistician become director of CALGB

Cancer Research eBook

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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