Data from a Phase I study published last week in the Journal of Clinical Oncology showed that Bayer’s investigational compound anetumab ravtansine (BAY 94-9343), an antibody-drug conjugate comprising an anti-mesothelin antibody linked to maytansinoid DM4, was well tolerated in patients with advanced, metastatic, or recurrent solid tumors … [Read more...]
Telomerase reverse transcriptase promoter mutations identify a genomically defined and highly aggressive human pleural mesothelioma subgroup
Purpose: Human malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is characterized by dismal prognosis. Consequently, dissection of molecular mechanisms driving malignancy is of key importance. Here we investigate, whether activating mutations in the telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) gene promoter are present in MPM and associated with disease progression, … [Read more...]
Chemical Firm BASF and Its Law Firm to Pay $72.5M to Close Talcum-Asbestos Claims
BASF SE, the world’s biggest chemical maker, and a law firm agreed to pay a combined $72.5 million to resolve claims they hid evidence that certain talc products contained asbestos in an effort to scuttle thousands of lawsuits. Executives of BASF, along with lawyers from the New York-based Cahill Gordon & Reindel LLP, agreed to the joint … [Read more...]
Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Management of Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma
Clinical practice guidelines for the management of malignant pleural mesothelioma were released in May 2020 by the EuropeanRespiratory Society, European Society of Thoracic Surgeons, European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery, and European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology. Epidemiology Research Priorities The task force recommends … [Read more...]
Nivolumab/Ipilimumab Demonstrates Durable OS Benefit in Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma
[ An Opdivo plus Yervoy combination ] significantly improved overall survival (OS) versus chemotherapy in the first-line treatment of patients with unresectable malignant pleural mesothelioma, according to findings from a prespecified analysis of the phase 3 CheckMate-743 trial (NCT02899299) that were presented during the 2020 International … [Read more...]
Private Settlement Reached in Mesothelioma Case
A private settlement was reached in a mass litigation asbestos case [on July 28, 2020] in Ohio County [(West Virginia)] Circuit Court, meaning a trial set to take place at The Highlands Event Center next week won’t be necessary. Both Ohio County Clerk of Courts Brenda Miller and court employees for Judge Ronald Wilson said details of the … [Read more...]
Questioning the prognostic role of BAP-1 immunohistochemistry in malignant pleural mesothelioma: A single center experience with systematic review and meta-analysis
Introduction: The prognostic role of BRCA1 associated protein-1 (BAP1) expression in malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is a matter of debate. We aimed to clarify whether MPM patients with loss of BAP1 expression have better overall survival (OS) compared to BAP1 positive patients. Methods: [ BRCA1 associated protein-1 (BAP1) ] … [Read more...]
Study finds drug beneficial for shrinking mesothelioma tumors
A drug that is designed to boost the immune system against mesothelioma, when combined with immunotherapy, was found to be beneficial in a small study involving ten patients. The results, which appeared July 1, 2020, in Science Translational Medicine, suggest that the drug LMB-100 could prolong the life of some patients with advanced … [Read more...]
[Transforming Growth Factor Alpha] Promotes Chemoresistance of Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma
Background: There is no standard chemotherapy for refractory or relapsing malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM). Our previous reports nevertheless indicated that a combination of an anthracycline (doxorubicin) and a lysine deacetylase inhibitor (valproic acid, VPA) synergize to induce the apoptosis of MPM cells and reduce tumor growth in mouse … [Read more...]
Johnson & Johnson to stop selling talc baby powder in U.S. and Canada
Johnson & Johnson will stop selling its talc Baby Powder in the United States and Canada, it announced on Tuesday, saying demand had fallen in the wake of what it called “misinformation” about the product’s safety amid a barrage of legal challenges. J&J faces more than 19,000 lawsuits from consumers and their survivors claiming its talc … [Read more...]