Drug Updates

Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) represents a group of heterogeneous cancers that originate in the bile ducts that connect the liver and gallbladder to the small intestine. Although the exact prevalence of CCA is unknown, CCA is a rare cancer; approximately 8000 new cases of CCA are diagnosed annually in the United States.
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Atlanta, GA—Single-agent daratum­umab (Darzalex) shows significant activity in smoldering multiple myeloma (SMM). The 12-month progression-free survival (PFS) rate with a long dosing schedule of daratumumab was 95%, and the median PFS was not yet reached in any of the 3 dosing schedules studied, announced Craig C. Hofmeister, MD, MPH, Associate Professor, Division of Hematology, the Ohio State University, Columbus, at ASH 2017.
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Of the potential side effects of chemotherapy, nausea and vomiting remain among the most fear-inducing events. If appropriate prophylaxis were not provided, more than 70% of patients with cancer who receive chemotherapy would have nausea and/or vomiting.
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On April 11, 2016, the FDA approved venetoclax (Venclexta; Janssen) tablets, a first-in-class BCL-2 inhibitor for the treatment of patients with CLL plus chromosome 17p deletion, as detected by an FDA-approved test (Vysis CLL FISH probe kit), who have received at least 1 previous therapy.
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Hepatic veno-occlusive disease (VOD), also known as sinusoidal obstruction syndrome, is a rare and life-threatening liver condition that is characterized by rapid weight gain, ascites, painful hepatomegaly, and jaundice. It is often observed in patients after allogeneic or autologous hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation (HSCT), and has also been reported during the treatment of Wilms tumor, rhabdomyosarcoma associated with actinomycin D, and acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
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On November 16, 2015, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the first monoclonal antibody, daratumumab (Darzalex; Janssen Biotech), for the treatment of patients with multiple myeloma who have received at least 3 previous lines of therapy, including a proteasome inhibitor and an IMiD, or for the treatment of patients whose disease is double-refractory to proteasome inhibitors and IMiDs.
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On November 20, 2015, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved ixazomib (Ninlaro; Takeda Oncology) capsules in combination with lenalidomide and dexamethasone for the treatment of patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma who received at least 1 previous therapy.
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There is an urgent unmet need for more effective therapies in pancreatic cancer. The American Cancer Society estimated that approximately 49,000 new cases of pancreatic cancer will be diagnosed in the United States in 2015, and more than 40,500 people will die from this cancer.1 Pancreatic cancer is the fourth most common cause of cancer deaths in the United States.
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