Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
In Study, Cancer Drug Outperforms Chemotherapy
New data from the first of a new type of cancer drug suggest its benefits and limitations, while leaving room for other candidates seeking to enter the lucrative market. Amgen Inc.’s lung-cancer pill Lumakras beat out a common chemotherapy in a late-stage study, helping patients survive without their tumors getting worse, though it failed to prove that it reduced overall deaths, the company said. (Walker, 9/12)
Clinical trial results reported Monday by Amgen may be enough to confirm the U.S. approval of its KRAS-targeting lung cancer drug called Lumakras. But the new data also show lung cancer patients are not benefiting from Lumakras as much as previously hoped, and liver toxicity remains a safety concern. (Feuerstein, 9/12)
More on cancer research —
AstraZeneca Plc is aiming to more than double its portfolio of new cancer drugs by the end of this decade, seeking the top spot in the world’s most lucrative category of medicines. The UK drugmaker has added seven new cancer medicines since 2014, after Chief Executive Officer Pascal Soriot made a risky bet on an oncology pipeline to revive growth and ward off a hostile takeover from Pfizer Inc. (Kresge and Lyu, 9/12)
Safety net hospitals are marking up the cost of drugs they buy through the government's discount drug program by as much as 11 times the cost, according to a new report provided first to Axios by the Community Oncology Alliance (COA). (Reed, 9/13)
A single blood test that can screen for more than 50 cancers seems to work fairly well in the real world, a preliminary study reveals. Researchers found that of over 6,600 apparently healthy people aged 50 and older, the blood test detected a possible cancer "signal" in roughly 1%. When those individuals had more extensive testing, cancer was confirmed in 38%. Experts called the findings an "important first step" in seeing how the so-called multi-cancer early detection test could fit into real-world care. (9/12)
Put on your walking shoes and don’t forget your step counter: You can reduce your risk for cancer, heart disease and early death by getting up to 10,000 steps a day, but any amount of walking helps, according to a new study.
