News round-up for 22-26 January by DDW Digital Content Editor Diana Spencer.

In the same week that it was revealed that breast cancer was the most studied disease area in 2023 for the third year running, there were a number of promising developments in the treatment of colorectal, pancreatic and lung cancer and leukaemia.

The top stories:

Breast cancer most researched disease area for third year running

Breast cancer was the most studied disease in 2023 for the third consecutive year, followed by solid tumours, stroke, Covid-19 and prostate cancer.

Promising data for onvansertib in combination with standard-of-care

Findings from Cardiff Oncology’s Phase Ib portion of the Phase Ib/II study for the second-line treatment of patients with KRAS-mutated metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) have been published in Clinical Cancer Research.

Phase IIa trial launches in advanced pancreatic cancer

The Phase IIa ACCENT trial has launched to explore the activity of focal adhesion kinase (FAK) inhibitor narmafotinib in combination with standard-of-care chemotherapy in advanced pancreatic cancer patients.

Results for microbiome-based cancer drug expected H1 2024

Biomica has completed enrolment in its Phase I trial evaluating the safety and tolerability of its microbiome-based immuno-oncology drug, BMC128.

Novel leukaemia drug receives FDA Orphan Drug Designation

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Orphan Drug Designation to Pleco Therapeutics’s lead compound PTX-252 for the treatment of acute myeloid leukaemia (AML).