Prostate Cancer

The University of Pennsylvania, which has helped pioneer cell therapy approaches to blood cancers, has nabbed an ACGT grant to help battle solid tumors. The research team has been handed a $500,000 grant from Alliance for Cancer Gene Therapy (ACGT), and follows on from the 2004 grant it gave Penn’s Carl June, M.D., one of the predominate scientists involved in CAR-T research. His work helped pave the work for this type of cell therapy to halt a number of blood cancers, but the latest grant is geared toward its next-gen work: Solid tumors. This has proven a much harder nut to crack for CAR-T, but the Penn U. scientists are hoping this grant will help them on their way.   FREE DAILY NEWSLETTER Like this story? Subscribe to FierceBiotech! Biopharma is a fast-growing world where big ideas come along every day. Our subscribers rely on FierceBiotech as their must-read source for the latest news, analysis and data in the world of biotech and pharma R&D. Sign up today to get ...

Androgen deprivation therapy as single modality therapy was the standard management for oligometastatic prostate cancer (PCa). Current paradigm shifts toward a multimodality therapy approach, targeting all sites of disease, including treatment of the primary in the form of radical prostatectomy or radiation therapy. The objective of this article was to reveiw the literature regarding the role of surgery in oligometastatic PCa. PubMed and MEDLINE electronic databases were queried for English language articles from January 1, 1980 to March 31, 2019. Keywords use included oligometastatic PCa, metastatic prostate cancer (mPCa), radical prostatectomy, and cytoreductive prostatectomy. Preclinical, prospective, and retrospective studies were included. There is no published randomized controlled trials, evaluating the role of surgery in mPCa. Preclinical and retrospective data suggest benefit of primary tumor treatment in mPCa. Current literature supports the concept of cytoreductive surgery a...

A new drug for use in the treatment of prostate cancer is likely to be available soon in Europe ― the androgen receptor inhibitor darolutamide ( Nubeqa , Bayer). The drug received a positive opinion from the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) at its January 30 meeting, which means it has been recommended for approval. An approval from the European Medicines Agency usually follows within 67 days. Darolutamide is intended for use in the treatment of patients with nonmetastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (nmCRPC) who are at high risk of developing metastatic disease. The CHMP noted that in this patient population, the drug has been shown to delay metastatic disease. The main side effect that has been reported is fatigue, the CHMP added. The drug was approved for a similar indication in July 2019 by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). That FDA approval was based on results from the phase 3 ARAMIS trial (n = 1509), which showed a significant improvem...

“Journal Article of the Month” is a new Urology Times section in which Badar M. Mian, MD (left), offers perspective on noteworthy research in the peer-reviewed literature. Dr. Mian is professor of surgery in the division of urology at Albany Medical College, Albany, NY. Fun ctional outcomes following treatment for clinically localized prostate cancer depend not only on the type of treatment but also the severity of disease and baseline functional characteristics. The prospective, population-based, Comparative Effectiveness Analysis of Surgery and Radiation (CEASAR) study was designed to inform men of the comparative harms of contemporary prostate cancer treatment options. A recent report from this observational study analyzed functional outcomes up to 5 years after treatment of localized prostate cancer stratified by disease risk category ( JAMA 2020; 323:149-63). Men with clinically localized prostate cancer from five population-based Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Pro...

Ha will use the two-year, $200,000 award to shed light on what is known as metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer, an advanced stage of disease that has become resistant to androgen-deprivation therapy, a type of anti-hormone therapy. This type of cancer is lethal and incurable. “Abnormal changes can occur in the DNA of tumor cells and give them the ability to resist standard treatments,” Ha said. While monitoring tumor DNA over time can help uncover these changes, obtaining cancer cells via traditional biopsy from tumors that have metastasized to other organs such as the bone can be both painful and difficult. Liquid biopsies are a much less invasive way to measure the tiny amounts of DNA that are released from tumor cells into the blood. Ha and his team have developed new computational techniques, combined with whole gene sequencing, to reveal signatures of tumor DNA alterations from the blood. “These signatures could allow clinicians to track whether a patient is respon...

Ha will use the two-year, $200,000 award to shed light on what is known as metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer, an advanced stage of disease that has become resistant to androgen-deprivation therapy, a type of anti-hormone therapy. This type of cancer is lethal and incurable. “Abnormal changes can occur in the DNA of tumor cells and give them the ability to resist standard treatments,” Ha said. While monitoring tumor DNA over time can help uncover these changes, obtaining cancer cells via traditional biopsy from tumors that have metastasized to other organs such as the bone can be both painful and difficult. Liquid biopsies are a much less invasive way to measure the tiny amounts of DNA that are released from tumor cells into the blood. Ha and his team have developed new computational techniques, combined with whole gene sequencing, to reveal signatures of tumor DNA alterations from the blood. “These signatures could allow clinicians to track whether a patient is respon...

Bayer and Orion’s joint drug Nubeqa (darolutamide) has been found to significantly improve overall survival rates in men with non-metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer. Last year the drug also garnered US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval based on the ARAMIS trial, a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multi-center Phase III study. In the trial, Nubeqa plus androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) demonstrated a statistically significant improvement in metastatis-free survival, with a median metastatis-free survival of 40.4 months versus 18.4 months with placebo plus ADT. More results from the oral androgen receptor inhibitor (ARi) are set to be announced at an upcoming scientific meeting, however the companies previously indicated that "a positive trend in overall survival" had also been seen, with an interim analysis demonstrating a 29% reduction in the risk of death for Nubeqa. The compound, which is developed jointly by Bayer and Orion, has a ...

Bayer and Orion’s Nubeqa may have been late to the prostate cancer market, but a new gold-standard clinical win could give it a better chance at challenging Pfizer and Astellas’ Xtandi and Johnson & Johnson’s Erleada. After winning a quick FDA nod in July 2019 based on data showng it could delay tumor metastasis or death in patients with non-metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (nmCRPC), Nubeqa has turned up new results showing that when used on top of androgen deprivation therapy (ADT), it can prolong patients’ lives as well. For Bayer, which is under pressure to ramp up sales from new drugs before its top-selling Xarelto and Eylea fall off the patent cliff, it’s a much-needed win. But how important that win is remains a question. Detailed data from the phase 3 Aramis trial won't roll out until a future medical meeting, so how long Nubeqa can extend lives isn't yet known. But Bayer says the overall survival improvement is significant—and it’s the first...

Schember announced the diagnosis during his weekly news conference on Jan. 16. Erie Mayor Joe Schember was scheduled this morning to undergo a procedure for prostate cancer at Saint Vincent Hospital. The procedure to remove a portion of Schember’s prostate was scheduled to be performed by Peter Lund, M.D. Lund is the Saint Vincent urologist who is treating Schember, 69. Schember announced his cancer diagnosis publicly during his weekly news conference on Jan. 16. Schember is expected to stay at Saint Vincent overnight. After he recovers, he will undergo six to eight weeks of radiation treatments to treat the cancer. Lund is expected to provide an update on Schember’s procedure at 1 p.m., Saint Vincent officials said. The prostate is a small walnut-shaped gland in men that produces seminal fluid. Prostate cancer is a common cancer in men and the second-leading cause of cancer deaths among men. But the five-year survival rate for prostate cancer is nearly 100 percent when it is ca...

IMAGE:  Leaders of the collaborative research team developing new potential drugs to fight prostate cancer at the Stony Brook Cancer Center, from left: Martin Kaczocha, Robert Rizzo, Iwao Ojima and Lloyd... view more  Credit: Stony Brook University STONY BROOK, NY, January 29, 2020 - When prostate cancer spreads it is often a deadly disease, but now a Stony Brook University-led research team believes a new approach that inhibits a specific fatty acid binding protein (FABP) may be the key to halting disease progression. Their research results on FABP5 inhibitors as promising therapeutic agents against metastatic prostate cancer led to a new five-year grant from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) totaling $4.2 million to advance the research to 2025. Lead investigator Iwao Ojima, PhD, Distinguished Professor of Chemistry and Director of the Institute of Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery (ICB&DD), along with colleagues at Stony Brook and Cold Spring Harbor Laborat...

Janssen Announces European Commission Approval for Expanded Use of Erleada®▼ (apalutamide) for Treatment of Patients with Metastatic Hormone-Sensitive Prostate Cancer Details Category: Small Molecules Published on Thursday, 30 January 2020 09:31 Hits: 180 Latest approval for apalutamide could benefit a population of more than 100,000 people living with mHSPC across Europe 1 BEERSE, Belgium I January 29, 2020 I The Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson today announced that the European Commission (EC) has granted marketing authorisation for the expanded use of Erleada ® ▼ (apalutamide) to include the treatment of adult men with metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer (mHSPC) in combination with androgen deprivation therapy (ADT). “Prostate cancer is the most prevalent form of cancer in men throughout Europe, and the expanded approval of apalutamide marks a significant advancement for those living with mHSPC,” said Prof. Dr. med. Axel S. Merseburger...

Jan 29, 2020 12:00 AM The prostate is a unique organ—one that only males have, but one that most people don’t see, feel, or think about until it becomes a problem. This is not to say that the prostate does not have a function. It creates a special fluid that protects and enhances the viability of sperm, making it critical for reproduction. However, as a man ages, the prostate can cause problems that may require medical intervention. To better understand these problems and how to resolve them, it helps to know the basics of prostate health. Location, Location, Location “The prostate surrounds the urethra and is connected to the bladder,” says Brock O’Neil, MD, “So when it creates problems, it becomes immediately obvious.” Usually this is in the form of men having trouble urinating, finding blood in their urine, feeling like they are not able to fully empty their bladders, or having to strain to begin urination. A Visit to the Doctor A man who experiences any of those symptoms sh...

Authors and Disclosures Author(s) Daniel S. Schwartz, MD, MBA Medical Director of Thoracic Oncology, St Catherine of Siena Medical Center, Catholic Health Services, Smithtown, New York Disclosure: Daniel S. Schwartz, MD, MBA, has disclosed no relevant financial relationships.

New Inhibitor Shows Promise Against Metastatic Prostate Cancer Stony Brook-led team receives $4.2 million NCI grant to advance research STONY BROOK, NY, January 29, 2020 – When prostate cancer spreads it is often a deadly disease, but now a Stony Brook University-led research team believes a new approach that inhibits a specific fatty acid binding protein (FABP) may be the key to halting disease progression. Their research results on FABP5 inhibitors as promising therapeutic agents against metastatic prostate cancer led to a new five-year grant from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) totaling $4.2 million to advance the research to 2025. Lead investigator Iwao Ojima, PhD, Distinguished Professor of Chemistry and Director of the Institute of Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery (ICB&DD), along with colleagues at Stony Brook and Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, in collaboration with Artelo Biosciences, are investigating FABPs in the treatment of inflammation, pain and against cert...

Authors and Disclosures Author(s) Daniel S. Schwartz, MD, MBA Medical Director of Thoracic Oncology, St Catherine of Siena Medical Center, Catholic Health Services, Smithtown, New York Disclosure: Daniel S. Schwartz, MD, MBA, has disclosed no relevant financial relationships.

Men 50 years and above or those with a family history of prostate cancer need to know the early symptoms of the disease so that they can present themselves early for treatment, a health expert, Musliu Tolani has said. He said early detection of the disease is often the difference between cure in the early stage of the disease and costly management or even death in the late stages. Mr Tolani, a urologist with Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Zaria, said most of the prostate cancer cases attended to in Nigeria are often presented at the late stages. This, he said, affects treatment as the disease would have spread to other organs in the body and only palliative treatments can then be done. But if the disease is detected and presented early, it can be contained before it becomes cancerous. Prostate cancer is one of the leading causes of death among male cancer patients, especially of black descent. "It has become necessary for men in Nigeria to have knowledge of the sym...

New Inhibitor Shows Promise Against Metastatic Prostate Cancer Stony Brook-led team receives $4.2 million NCI grant to advance research STONY BROOK, NY, January 29, 2020 – When prostate cancer spreads it is often a deadly disease, but now a Stony Brook University-led research team believes a new approach that inhibits a specific fatty acid binding protein (FABP) may be the key to halting disease progression. Their research results on FABP5 inhibitors as promising therapeutic agents against metastatic prostate cancer led to a new five-year grant from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) totaling $4.2 million to advance the research to 2025. Lead investigator Iwao Ojima, PhD, Distinguished Professor of Chemistry and Director of the Institute of Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery (ICB&DD), along with colleagues at Stony Brook and Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, in collaboration with Artelo Biosciences, are investigating FABPs in the treatment of inflammation, pain and against cert...

Despite national trends suggesting otherwise, a recent study found that African American men in the Veteran Affairs (VA) health system did not present with more advanced prostate cancer or experience worse outcomes, compared with their non-Hispanic white counterparts. “African American men in the general US population are more than twice as likely to die of prostate cancer as non-Hispanic white men due to both increased incidence and poorer survival after diagnosis,” the researcher wrote. “Epidemiological evidence has suggested that genetic and/or biologic factors may be an important component of the increased incidence and younger age at diagnosis noted among (African American) men, but there are numerous studies demonstrating differences in patterns of care and socioeconomic factors that may contribute to the remarkable difference in prostate cancer–specific mortality between (African American) and (non-Hispanic white) men.” However, they added, the racial gap in cancer mortality ...

A. Oliver Sartor, MD Radiopharmaceuticals could be part of the next wave of progress in prostate cancer treatment, pending a phase III trial evaluating efficacy with lutetium-177 PSMA-617 (Lu-PSMA-617) in patients with progressive prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA)-positive metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC), explained A. Oliver Sartor, MD. ... to read the full story

Latest approval for apalutamide could benefit a population of more than 100,000 people living with mHSPC across Europe 1 BEERSE, Belgium--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson today announced that the European Commission (EC) has granted marketing authorisation for the expanded use of Erleada ® ▼ (apalutamide) to include the treatment of adult men with metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer (mHSPC) in combination with androgen deprivation therapy (ADT). “Prostate cancer is the most prevalent form of cancer in men throughout Europe, and the expanded approval of apalutamide marks a significant advancement for those living with mHSPC,” said Prof. Dr. med. Axel S. Merseburger, Chairman of the Department of Urology, Campus Lübeck, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel, Germany. “In prostate cancer treatment, our primary goal is always to delay progression of disease and prolong survival, to ensure the best possible outcomes for pa...

KEY POINTS Prostate cancer is one of those diseases that affects a lot of men nowadays Health experts: Being able to detect the symptoms early will help in treating it One of the symptoms of the disease can be detected during urination One of the most common types of cancer to affect men is prostate cancer. For the first time, it has overtaken the number of cases of breast cancer. The deadly ailment oftentimes affects men who are over 50 years old, with the risk of developing this disease increases with age. The prostate is a gland the size of a walnut situated between the penis and the bladder. The urethra goes through the center of the prostate. It also secretes fluids that nourish and protect the sperm. The Cause of Prostate Cancer The exact cause of this deadly disease is not known. Risk factors that increase the chance of developing prostate cancer have, however, been identified. Aside from age, these risk factors include ethnicity, family history, and eating habits. It...

KEY POINTS Prostate cancer is one of those diseases that affects a lot of men nowadays Health experts: Being able to detect the symptoms early will help in treating it One of the symptoms of the disease can be detected during urination One of the most common types of cancer to affect men is prostate cancer. For the first time, it has overtaken the number of cases of breast cancer. The deadly ailment oftentimes affects men who are over 50 years old, with the risk of developing this disease increases with age. The prostate is a gland the size of a walnut situated between the penis and the bladder. The urethra goes through the center of the prostate. It also secretes fluids that nourish and protect the sperm. The Cause of Prostate Cancer The exact cause of this deadly disease is not known. Risk factors that increase the chance of developing prostate cancer have, however, been identified. Aside from age, these risk factors include ethnicity, family history, and eating habits. It...