Drugs & Targets

The European Commission approved Keytruda (pembrolizumab), an anti-PD-1 therapy, in combination with chemotherapy for the first-line treatment of locally recurrent unresectable or metastatic triple-negative breast cancer in adults whose tumors express PD-L1 (CPS ≥10) and who have not received prior chemotherapy for metastatic disease. 

The European Commission approved Opdivo (nivolumab) in combination with fluoropyrimidine- and platinum-based combination chemotherapy for the first-line treatment of adult patients with HER2-negative advanced or metastatic gastric, gastroesophageal junction, or esophageal adenocarcinoma whose tumors express PD-L1 with a combined positive score ≥ 5.

Point32Health and Takeda Pharmaceuticals America, Inc. signed a risk-sharing agreement around Takeda’s Alunbrig (brigatinib), a potent and selective tyrosine kinase inhibitor that is approved for adult patients with anaplastic lymphoma kinase-positive metastatic non-small cell lung cancer as detected by an FDA-approved test.

FDA has approved Genentech’s Tecentriq (atezolizumab) as an adjuvant treatment following resection and platinum-based chemotherapy in patients with stage 2 to 3A non-small cell lung cancer whose tumors have PD-L1 expression on ≥ 1% of tumor cells, as determined by an FDA-approved test. 

Verzenio (abemaciclib) with endocrine therapy (tamoxifen or an aromatase inhibitor) received FDA approval for adjuvant treatment of adult patients with HR-positive, HER2-negative, node-positive, early breast cancer at high risk of recurrence and a Ki-67 score ≥20%, as determined by an FDA approved test. 

Keytruda (pembrolizumab) in combination with chemotherapy, with or without bevacizumab, received FDA approval for patients with persistent, recurrent or metastatic cervical cancer whose tumors express PD-L1 (CPS ≥1), as determined by an FDA-approved test. 

The FDA issued marketing orders for the first e-cigarette products authorized by the agency. 

The Swiss Agency for Therapeutic Products (Swissmedic) has granted approval for Qinlock (ripretinib) for the treatment of adult patients with advanced gastrointestinal stromal tumor who have received prior treatment with three or more kinase inhibitors, including imatinib1. 

Mayo Clinic Cancer Center, Mayo Clinic’s Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, and Mayo Clinic’s Center for Individualized Medicine and Personalis Inc. have formed a collaboration to expand cancer genomic testing.

The Innovative Medicines Initiative, a joint undertaking of the European Union and the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations, launched OPTIMA, a €21.3 million public-private research program that will seek to use artificial intelligence to improve care for patients with prostate, breast, and lung cancer.