6
Mar
2018
Tag: immuno-oncology
5
Jan
2018
Bionest
Welcome to 2018! What we are watching for JPM18 and the coming year…
Now that the holidays have wound down, we look forward to catching up with many of you in person as the Bionest team and many others from across the healthcare business world descend on San Francisco next week for the three-ring circus of conferences, one-on-one meetings and social gatherings that is JPM18. Here are some...
21
Nov
2017
Bionest
Giving Thanks in IO
The immuno-oncology (IO) field has a lot to be thankful for as the year comes to a close. Not only are PD-1/PDL-1 inhibitors being rapidly approved, their use is being extended into new indications and tumor types well beyond what people expected. From melanoma and lung cancer to bladder, gastric and liver cancer, drugs...
13
Nov
2017
Bionest
Kite Gains First Adult CAR-T Approval
Less than two weeks following the closing of Gilead’s acquisition of the company, Kite Pharma’s CAR-T immunotherapeutic, axicabtagene ciloleucel, has gained approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as the first CAR-T therapy for an adult indication. The approval, which came more than a month ahead of the expected FDA decision date, is for...
12
Oct
2017
Bionest
ESMO 2017 — Recent Developments in the Oncology Arena — Part One
We recently returned from the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) 2017 meeting, which is the major meeting for oncology professionals in Europe, attracting over 24,000 participants from 131 countries. This fall meeting saw a lot of news, notably in the areas of lung cancer, breast cancer, and melanoma as well as immuno-oncology generally, including...
27
Sep
2017
Bionest
New Big Data Initiatives in Oncology
As cancer therapy moves towards the concept of “real-time” oncology — the ability to constantly monitor changes in a patient’s disease and adjust treatment accordingly — we see big data and high powered analytical approaches increasingly playing a key role. The aim of such efforts will be to find novel biomarkers and a new understanding...
20
Sep
2017
Bionest
Advances and Set Backs for CAR-T Therapy
Late August and early September was a period of big news — both positive and negative — on the CAR-T front. On the positive side, Novartis’ received the first FDA approval of a CAR-T therapy for Kymriah (tisagenlecleucel), for the treatment of children and young adults with B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia that is refractory...
16
Aug
2017
Bionest
Recent Developments in IO – Our Take on a Couple of Key Events
On July 27, AstraZeneca (AZ) disappointed their investors and many immuno-oncology watchers with the results of their MYSTIC trial combining two immunotherapies targeting PD-L1 (durvalumab/Imfinzi) and CTLA-4 (tremelimumab) in newly diagnosed Stage-IV lung cancer patients. The AZ combination therapy failed to show a benefit compared to chemotherapy in a primary endpoint of “Progression-free Survival (PFS).”...
26
Jul
2017
Bionest
CAR-T Nears the Marketplace, with Unanimous Approval Recommendation – but Challenges Remain
On July 12, Novartis’ CAR-T therapy, CTL019 (tisagenlecleucel), received a unanimous recommendation for approval from the reviewing U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s advisory panel for use in the treatment of children and young adults with advanced acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). The FDA is now expected to make its final decision by October 3. CTL019...
5
Jul
2017