Regeneron’s COVID-19 Antibody “Cocktail” Granted Emergency Use Authorization by FDA
Before patients can be treated with REGEN-COV2 under the EUA, they must weigh at least 40 kilograms (about 88 pounds) and be deemed at high risk for progressing to severe COVID-19 and/or hospitalization. That high-risk category includes adults who are ages 65 or older, or who have chronic medical conditions.
Leprosy Drug Shows Potential as At-Home Treatment for COVID-19
Clofazimine, which was discovered in 1954, is FDA approved and on the World Health Organization’s List of Essential Medicines. The drug’s utility for COVID-19 was initially identified by screening more than 12,000 drugs from the ReFRAME drug library.
Immunocore’s T-Cell Receptor Therapy Succeeds in Phase III
Immunocore's tebentafusp is the first T-cell receptor and the first systemic therapy that shows a significant survival benefit for patients with metastatic uveal melanoma, according to results from a Phase III trial.
WHO Gaffe Releases Data Showing Remdesivir not Effective Against COVID-19
According to the draft, remdesivir had not reduced the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in the bloodstream of 158 patients treated with the antiviral candidate in the 237-patient trial and 18 patients were taken off the drug due to side effects.
More Precise NSCLC Treatment Selection Boosted by Using EGFR Mutation Structure and Function
Researchers from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center say that grouping epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations by structure and function can help to better match non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients to the most promising treatments.
Blood-Brain Barrier Disruption Promotes Tumor Lethality
Researchers found that blocking the activity of IL-6 at the blood-brain barrier increased the lifespan of fruit flies with cancer by 45% and also found that after 21 days, 75% of cancer-carrying lab mice treated with an IL-6 receptor blocker were alive, versus only 25% of untreated mice.
GWAS Reveals Multiple Host Genes Linked to Severe COVID-19 Symptoms
Of the 13 loci identified so far by the team, two had higher frequencies among patients of East Asian or South Asian ancestry than in those of European ancestry, underscoring the importance of diversity in genetic datasets.
Small Sequencer Developer GenapSys Completes $90M Series C Financing
GenapSys’ sequencing system is about the size of an iPad, costs under $10,000, and is based on a proprietary direct electronic sequencing chip, which is intended to eliminate the need for cumbersome equipment.
ESMO 2021: Cancer Research and Drug Development Highlights
Research highlights from ESMO21 included results from Phase III DESTINY-Breast03 trial (AZ, Daiichi Sankyo), Phase II KRYSTAL-1 lung cancer study (Mirati Therapeutics), Phase III CheckMate 649 (Bristol Myers Squibb), and the Phase III KEYNOTE-826 trial.
New Potential “Double Target” Immunotherapy in Neuroblastoma Uncovered
A new immunotherapy using modified cells targeting two different antigens was highly effective in a mouse model of human neuroblastoma, according to a study led by researchers from the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center and the UNC School of Medicine.
Prime Time for the Microbiome
With some positive results in the clinic, there are other encouraging signs the field is maturing and branching into other therapeutic areas such as oncology.
RNA for Medical Analysis
From Mendelian disorders to COVID-19, academic and industrial scientists use these nucleic acids to help diagnose diseases.
Top Women in Precision Medicine
In our second installment of women making their mark in the field, Clinical OMICs interviews Bonnie Anderson of Veracyte, Tina Hambuch of Invitae, and Cindy Perettie of Foundation Medicine.
Saving Baby Nathan
California Medicaid’s pilot program Project Baby Bear delivers better outcomes at lower cost via rapid whole-genome sequencing of critically ill newborns.
Payer Policies not Sole Reason for Inconsistent Utilization of Genomic Testing
A report from the Personalized Medicine Coalition found significant variability in the use of genomic testing for patients not only from state to state, but also within states.
