Noted

The FDA will allow the distribution of 10 more lots of cisplatin from China—made by Qilu Pharmaceutical—amid a nationwide shortage of the chemotherapeutic in the United States. In June, the agency approved the importation of four lots of cisplatin from the company, as well as carboplatin, which has also been in short supply. The shortages have led to rationing.

The European Union fined Illumina $475 million for finalizing its acquisition of GRAIL, a cancer diagnostics company, without clearing it with regulators. Illumina, a giant in the genetic sequencing market, has also been ordered by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission to divest itself of GRAIL, a ruling the company is appealing. Regulators have argued that the $8 billion acquisition could strangle competition.

Novartis and BeiGene terminated their agreement to develop the TIGIT inhibitor ociperlimab, with BeiGene regaining glo­bal rights to the drug. Novartis said the decision was based on phase II trial data, risks and potential benefits, and other factors. Studies of ociperlimab in non–small cell lung cancer and triple-negative breast cancer have been nixed.

Based on the phase I/II BRUIN study in adults with chronic lymphocytic leukemia and small lymphocytic lymphoma, those who develop resistance to covalent BTK inhibitors respond to the noncovalent BTK inhibitor pirtobrutinib (Jaypirca; Loxo@Lilly; N Engl J Med 2023;389:33–44). Among 247 patients who had previously received a covalent BTK inhibitor, 73.3% responded to pirtobrutinib; progression-free survival was 19.6 months.

According to a study by the U.S. Geo­logical Survey, water from about 45% of public and private faucets contains “forever chemicals,” known as PFAS, which have been associated with kidney and testicular cancers. The largest concentrations of PFAS were found in cities and near companies that use the compounds, which are found in nonstick cookware, packaging, and waterproof clothing. PFAS remain in the body for years and do not break down in the environment.

For more news on cancer research, visit Cancer Discovery online at http://cancerdiscovery.aacrjournals.org/CDNews.