According to New York Times, in a small clinical trial, 18 patients took a drug called Dostarlimab for around six months, and in the end, every one of them saw their tumours disappear.
The findings concerning dostarlimab, an antibody drug, in experimental treatment of rectal cancer patients is very encouraging but there is need for long-term studies to understand the real impact, an expert in cancer treatment has said. “This new trial at MSKCC in a small number of patients, with locally advanced rectal cancer patients who had MMR (MisMatch repair) deficiency, have shown total disappearance of tumor without any additional treatment in all 100 percent of them. This is very encouraging, but we must note that long term studies are required to understand the real impact,” Dr. (Col.) R. Ranga Rao, Chairman, Oncology, of Paras Hospitals in Gurugram said.
“The drug is still investigational, and the trial is limited to patients of a specific type , that constitute about 4 to 5 per cent of rectal cancers. While this is highly encouraging, we must not prematurely jump to conclusions that we have found a cure for all cancers, all stages, and no chemotherapy, surgery is ever required,” he added.
It is well recognized that Immunotherapy with PDL 1 blockers in MMRd patients is effective. “Already immunotherapy has made a big difference in the field of cancer of all types. Several earlier trials have shown encouraging responses,” Dr Rao said.
In what appears to be a miracle and ‘first time in history’, a small clinical trial has found that every single rectal cancer patient who received an experimental treatment found that their cancer had vanished.
Dr Luis A. Diaz J. of New York’s Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) said this was “the first time this has happened in the history of cancer”.
According to experts, Dostarlimab is a drug with laboratory-produced molecules, and it acts as substitute antibodies in the human body.
Overall, dostarlimab shows tremendous promise for the treatment of surgically resectable rectal cancer and may change the current treatment landscape drastically.
A significant uptick in M&A activity in the biosimilars sector is being driven by FDA regulatory reforms, a maturing patent litigation framework and a looming patent cliff — $200 billion of branded products are facing patent expiration by 2030.
The Drewry World Container Index edged lower this week as falling Asia-Europe rates outweighed firmer pricing on the Transpacific, with carriers preparing another round of blank sailings ahead of China’s Golden Week holiday.
On 14 July 2026, the European Parliamentary Research Service (EPRS) published a comprehensive briefing on PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), also known as ‘forever chemicals’. The document is intended to serve as a technical basis for MEPs in their upcoming political decisions on PFAS regulation and summarises the current state of scientific knowledge, regulation and procedures.
Following a series of typhoon disruptions in East China during the month of August, major ports including Shanghai and Ningbo continue to experience congestion and operational recovery challenges. Industry reports indicate that vessel schedules, yard operations, and equipment circulation remain affected as terminals work through accumulated backlogs from successive storm events.
Under REACH Annex XVII Entry 78, the EU has banned the placing on the market of synthetic polymer microparticles (SPMs) unless a specific derogation applies. Derogations exist for essential uses such as:
As a result of the amendment of the CLP Regulation (Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 on the classification, labelling and packaging of substances and mixtures), new hazard classes have entered into force.
In a converging policy shift on both sides of the Atlantic, European regulators this week published a roadmap toward fully replacing animal testing for chemical safety assessments, while the US Environmental Protection Agency issued a rare update to its list of alternative test methods.
The global pharmaceutical fine chemicals sector is undergoing a profound transformation, with India emerging as a central growth engine amid sweeping changes in supply chain strategies and regulatory priorities. As drug makers and contract manufacturers adapt to stricter oversight and evolving sourcing preferences, the industry’s focus is shifting rapidly from cost efficiency to compliance, localisation and technical sophistication.
Stakeholders are being encouraged to weigh in on the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) 60-day public consultation period related to a planned ban on per-and-polyfluoroalkyl (PFAS) substances, also known as forever chemicals.