Pharmalittle: Roche reports lung cancer data; CAR-T trial death noted

Good morning, everyone, and welcome to another working week. We hope the weekend respite was relaxing and invigorating because that oh-too-familiar routine of meetings, deadlines, and the like has returned with a vengeance. But what can you do? The world, such as it is, continues to rotate. To nudge it in a better direction, we are brewing another cup of stimulation. Our choice today is butter pecan with a dash of raw honey. Feel free to join us. Remember, no prescription is required. Meanwhile, here are some tidbits to help you along. Best of luck accomplishing your goals today, and of course, do keep in touch. …

Bristol Myers Squibb reported that one patient died after receiving its investigational CAR-T therapy in an early autoimmune trial, adding to safety concerns about a growing field of research, STAT notes. In a Phase 1 trial that tested the therapy in multiple sclerosis, the patient experienced motor symptoms that did not resolve with standard autoimmune treatments. They were then given a potent immunosuppressant, but developed septic pneumonia and died, Bristol said in a press release. In a subsequent statement, Bristol said this patient was treated for a series of other complications prior to receiving the CAR-T therapy, “confounding our ability to determine the root cause of the issue.”

A Roche drug billed as a potential blockbuster helped patients with a form of lung cancer that had spread live almost six months longer than two competitive medicines, Bloomberg News says. The experimental treatment, called divarasib, fared better than similar drugs from Amgen and Bristol Myers Squibb in a late-stage study. The drug was given to patients with non-small cell lung cancer that had spread, in part because of a genetic mutation, after other treatments, including chemotherapy. The findings could help divarasib become the treatment of choice for this type of lung cancer, in which a mutation called KRAS G12C drives the tumor cell growth.

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