Abstract
A collection of recently published news items.
Pharmaceutical giant Pfizer announced that it will acquire Medivation for about $14 billion. Medivation's drug portfolio includes enzalutamide (Xtandi), which blocks multiple steps in the androgen receptor signaling pathway and is approved for the treatment of advanced metastatic prostate cancer. Two other Medivation drugs—talazoparib and pidilizumab—are in development for BRCA-mutated breast cancer and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, respectively.
When the FDA recommended against the use of power morcellators in 2014 due to their potential to spread undetected uterine cancer in women undergoing minimally invasive hysterectomy, some experts expressed concern that abdominal procedures would cause more surgical complications. However, despite an increase in abdominal hysterectomy, “no increase in the rate of major perioperative complications was found,” researchers reported (JAMA 2016;316:877–8).
San Diego, CA–based Scripps Health and The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston have reached a partnership agreement to create Scripps MD Anderson Cancer Center, which will provide cancer care to adults throughout southern California.
The FDA approved the human mAb ofatumumab (Arzerra) for the treatment of relapsed chronic lymphocytic leukemia, when given in combination with fludarabine and cyclophosphamide.
Higher health care spending in the United States doesn't necessarily lead to improved outcomes or to lower mortality rates in patients with cancer, a study concluded. The only cancer type in which high spending led to lower incidence and mortality was breast cancer, researchers found (J Natl Compr Canc Netw 2016;14:972–8).
A majority of 2,601 survey respondents said they'd be willing to participate in the Precision Medicine Initiative Cohort Program, which aims to enroll 1 million people to improve the prevention and treatment of disease based on questionnaires and data from individuals' medical records (PLoS ONE 2016;11:e0160461). Seventy-nine percent expressed support for the program, and 54% said they would definitely or probably participate if asked.
For more news on cancer research, visit Cancer Discovery online at http://cancerdiscovery.aacrjournals.org/content/early/by/section.