Cancers can evolve to become more aggressive without relying only on DNA mutations, two major studies have revealed. The research characterises an extra level of control of cancer gene activity within tumours, which the researchers describe as cancer’s ‘dark matter’. The two studies showed how… Read More
A study by the Qatar Genome Research Consortium, led by Dr Lotfi Chouchane from Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar, has reported the first landscape of cancer germline mutations – hereditary mutations – in the Qatari population. Since then, scientists at Qatar Foundation’s (QF) Qatar Genome Programme (QGP) have teamed… Read More
Scientists have shown how stomach cancers can develop resistance to a new class of drugs called ATR inhibitors by switching off the activity of two key genes – raising the possibility of outsmarting cancer by predicting drug resistance in advance. The findings could pave the way for… Read More
Biomedical engineers at Duke University have demonstrated the most effective treatment for pancreatic cancer ever recorded in mouse models. The new treatment completely eliminated tumours in 80% of mice across several model types, including those considered the most difficult to treat. The approach combines traditional… Read More
Under an exclusive agreement, Jazz Pharmaceuticals will acquire development and commercialisation rights to Zymeworks’ zanidatamab across all indications and all territories except for those Asia/Pacific territories previously licensed by Zymeworks. Zymeworks will receive a $50 million upfront payment, a second payment of $325 million, at Jazz’s option, and further potential… Read More
Not only is October Breast Cancer Awareness Month but October 21 is Wear it Pink 2022, Breast Cancer Now’s annual fundraising day. While advances in treatment over the last few years have resulted in good overall survival rates for patients with non-metastatic disease (90% five-year survival rate in the US1),… Read More
Listen to this article on the DDW podcast: Dr Amber Miller, Flow Cytometry Scientist, Fortis Life Sciences, says flow cytometry techniques can help our understanding of cancer associated fibroblasts but there is still work to be done. Inside any solid tumour there is high heterogeneity, and the types of tumour cells,… Read More
Merck (MSD) and Moderna have revealed plans to work together on the development and commercialisation of an investigational personalised cancer vaccine. The companies will report data from the ongoing Phase II trial of mRNA-4157/V940 in combination with KEYTRUDA in high-risk melanoma later this year. “We have been collaborating with Merck… Read More
Oncology platform company Tavros Therapeutics and biopharmaceutical company Vividion Therapeutics (a subsidiary of Bayer AG) have agreed to collaborate on four oncology targets across an initial five-year term. Tavros’ functional and computational genomics technologies are designed to uncover unique vulnerabilities within tumours to discover novel targets and biomarkers in areas… Read More
Researchers from King’s College London and The Institute of Cancer Research, London, have performed a deep dive into the different immune markers within tumour tissue and blood samples of early breast cancer patients whose cancer failed to respond to chemotherapy given to them prior to surgery. The research gives insight… Read More
Listen to this article on the DDW podcast: Earlier this year, Cancer Research UK (CRUK) launched its innovation engine, Cancer Research Horizons, to streamline drug discovery through the combination of its commercial and therapeutics teams. Reece Armstrong sits down with Cancer Research Horizons’ Chief Business Officer, Tony Hickson and CEO of… Read More
A new method of separating cancer cells from non-cancer cells has been developed by researchers at the Wellcome Sanger Institute, in a boost for those working to better understand cancer biology using single-cell mRNA sequencing. The study, published in Communications Biology, improves on existing methods to identify… Read More
Scientists from Tel Aviv University have deciphered the mechanism that enables skin cancer to metastasise to the brain and were able to delay the spread of the disease by 60-80% using existing treatments. Once melanoma, or skin cancer, spreads to the brain, it becomes extremely aggressive. Patients… Read More
A new genetically engineered herpes virus has delivered a one-two punch against advanced cancers in initial findings from a Phase I trial. Researchers have found that RP2 – a modified version of the herpes simplex virus – showed signs of effectiveness in a quarter of patients with a range of… Read More
Scientists have discovered a type of breast cancer cell that is highly efficient in invading and colonising distant organs and slow their growth once there to evade therapies. This phenomenon then leads to later metastatic breast cancer in patients who have been cancer-free for years. According to a study published… Read More
News round-up for 12-16 September by DDW Digital Content Editor Diana Spencer A slightly quieter week for news in light of national events in the UK, but the vital work of the international drug discovery community goes on and new discoveries are being made all the time. … Read More
