AstraZeneca and MSD’s Lynparza (olaparib) has shown efficacy in preventing cancer recurrence in patients with germline BRCA-mutated (gBRCAm) high-risk human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-negative early breast cancer.
According to results from the OlympiA Phase III trial, published in The New England Journal of Medicine and in line for presentation at the 2021 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting on June 6, the drug demonstrated a statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvement in invasive disease-free survival (iDFS) versus placebo in the adjuvant treatment setting.
In the overall trial population of patients who had completed local treatment and standard neoadjuvant or adjuvant chemotherapy, data showed Lynparza cut the risk of invasive breast cancer recurrences, second cancers or death by 42%.
At three years, 85.9% of patients treated with Lynparza remained alive and free of invasive breast cancer and second cancers versus 77.1% on placebo.
“While there have been great strides in the early treatment of breast cancer, the fear of cancer returning is still at the forefront of patients’ minds,” commented Sue Friedman, executive director, Facing Our Risk of Cancer Empowered (FORCE) and member of the OlympiA trial steering committee. “New targeted treatment approaches are needed in the adjuvant setting that can help keep cancer and that fear at bay.”
Dave Fredrickson, executive vice president, Oncology Business Unit, at AZ, said: “This is the first time that any medicine targeting a BRCA mutation has demonstrated the potential to change the course of early-stage breast cancer and offer hope for a cure. By providing a treatment which significantly reduces the risk of breast cancer returning in these high-risk patients, we hope Lynparza will set a new benchmark demonstrating sustained clinical benefit. “We are working with regulatory authorities to bring Lynparza to these patients as quickly as possible.”
Roy Baynes, senior vice president and head of Global Clinical Development, chief medical officer, MSD Research Laboratories, also noted that the data “support the importance of testing at diagnosis for BRCA1/2 mutations, which are actionable biomarkers that can help identify patients with early breast cancer who may be eligible for adjuvant treatment with Lynparza.”
An estimated 2.3 million people were diagnosed with breast cancer worldwide in 2020 and BRCA mutations are found in approximately 5% of breast cancer patients.
Reference:
https://www.pharmatimes.com/news/lynparza_shows_promise_in_preventing_cancer_recurrence_1371212
Disruptions in the Red Sea, Suez Canal, and Panama Canal have driven up shipping costs, sending shockwaves through the global economy.
It was truly heartwarming to see so many clients and associates visiting our stand, even as late as at the end of the show, sharing drinks and engaging in conversations.
Ocean freight rates on key global container routes have fallen again. Despite the upcoming Golden Week in China, which usually drives demand, the situation this year is slightly different, and the expected rate increase may not happen.
Highly potent active pharmaceutical ingredients (HPAPIs) are at the dangers of cross-contamination with other product forefront of pharmaceutical manufacturing. They are particularly common in targeted therapies and personalized medicines. This is primarily due to their potent therapeutic effects at low dosage forms.
The floating traffic jams off ports. The multiplying costs of moving freight. The resulting shortages of goods. All of this had seemed like an unpleasant memory confined to the COVID-19 pandemic. But no such luck!
An ocean container capacity crunch has hit global trade just as peak shipping season starts, with freight spot rates up some 30% over the past few weeks and heading higher.
The first joint Europe-wide assessment of the drivers and impact of chemical pollution by the European Environment Agency (EEA) and the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) has concluded that, despite progress in some areas, “more work is still needed to reduce the impact of harmful substances on human health and the environment”. Key findings include:
The severe drought which has forced the Panama Canal, one of the world’s busiest trade passages, to limit daily crossings could impact global supply chains during a period of high demand.
In the early hours of March 26, the Singapore-flagged ship Dali, loaded with 5,000 containers, slammed into Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge, causing the 1.6-mile (2.5-kilometer) bridge to collapse in a matter of seconds. The Dali was departing for Colombo when the disaster struck. Initial fears were confirmed that half a dozen people lost their lives in the accident.