FDA Grants Venetoclax Combination Full Approval for CLL
June 8th 2018Based on results from the phase III MURANO trial, the FDA has granted a regular approval to venetoclax (Venclexta) in combination with rituximab for the treatment of patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) or small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL), with or without 17p deletion, following at least 1 prior therapy.
FDA Approves Neulasta Biosimilar to Reduce Post-Chemo Febrile Neutropenia in Some Cancers
June 5th 2018The FDA approved pegfilgrastim-jmdb (Fulphila) as the first biosimilar to pegfilgrastim (Neulasta), a drug designed to reduce the risk of febrile neutropenia in patients treated with chemotherapy in certain types of cancer, according to a press release issued by the FDA.
Endocrine Therapy Alone Shows Benefit for Some with Early Breast Cancer
June 4th 2018Game-changing data published in the New England Journal of Medicine and presented during the 2018 ASCO Annual Meeting indicated that many women with HR+, HER2–, axillary node–negative breast cancer would see no significant benefit to having chemotherapy in addition to endocrine therapy.
FDA Grants Priority Review to Eltrombopag for Frontline Use in Severe Aplastic Anemia
May 31st 2018The FDA has granted a priority review to the oral thrombopoietin-receptor agonist eltrombopag (Promacta) in combination with standard immunosuppressive therapy as a frontline treatment for severe aplastic anemia.
Healthcare Teams Need to Learn More About Biosimilars
May 30th 2018A general lack of understanding of biosimilar drug terminology among clinicians, constantly evolving regulatory guidance, and the processes of prescribing and dispensing biosimilars is concerning, says the American Society of Clinical Oncology.
Oncology Nursing News Hosts Tweet Chat on Oncology Nursing Society's Annual Conference
May 21st 2018Oncology Nursing News® will be hosting its first tweet chat on May 23, at 1 p.m. ET, to discuss findings presented at the Oncology Nursing Society's Annual Conference, held May 17-20 in Washington, DC.
Distance Caregivers Often Experience More Distress and Anxiety Than Patients
May 19th 2018“While there is substantial research documenting the psychosocial characteristics in cancer patients and local caregivers to date, none have focused solely on the comparison of patients with their distance caregivers,” the researchers stated in an abstract presented by AnnMarie Papik, B.S.
FDA Approves Epoetin Alfa Biosimilar for Chemotherapy-Related Anemia
May 16th 2018The FDA has approved epoetin alfa-epbx (Retacrit) as a biosimilar to epoetin alfa (Epogen/Procrit) for the treatment of anemia caused by chemotherapy, chronic kidney disease, or use of zidovudine in patients with HIV infection.
Maintenance PARP Inhibitors for Ovarian Cancer Make Meaningful Impact on PFS
May 12th 2018With the approval of rucaparib in April 2018, there are now 3 PARP inhibitors approved for use in the maintenance setting for patients with ovarian cancer who are in a complete or partial response to platinum-based chemotherapy, and they are significantly improving progression-free survival.
FDA Approves Daratumumab/VMP for First-Line Treatment of Multiple Myeloma
May 8th 2018The FDA has approved the monoclonal antibody daratumumab (Darzalex), in combination with bortezomib (Velcade), melphalan, and prednisone (VMP) for the treatment of patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma who are ineligible for autologous stem cell transplant.
FDA Grants Priority Review to Atezolizumab Combo as First-Line Treatment for NSCLC
May 7th 2018The FDA has granted a priority review to atezolizumab (Tecentriq) in combination with bevacizumab (Avastin), carboplatin, and paclitaxel for the frontline treatment of patients with metastatic nonsquamous non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).