GLG News by Dr. Jon Strasser MD, Assistant Professor of Radiation Oncology
GLG News is now G+ Insights
-
G+ is a community for professionals, academics and entrepreneurs to connect through online discussions and in-person meetings. You will continue to see G+ Insights (formerly GLG News) here as well as on the G+ website, where you can share and discuss the G+ Insights you read.
-
Particle Beam Technology - Costly and a limited utility
October 26, 2009
Particle Beam Radiation Therapy published by AHRQ | effectivehealthcare.ahrq.gov
Over the last several years, there has been an increased interest in the US in particle beam therapy as the costs have come down and large manufacturers have become more efficient in installing these centers. In addition, private companies have made a business model of building proton centers - mostly by treating prostate cancer.Protons are incredibly useful in specific diseases - ie ocular melanoma, pediatric cancers, but are too costly without proven benefit for our health care system.
-
May 27, 2008
Look to England's example for ways to solve America's health-care problem | www.sltrib.com
A single payer, national system does work, but may not necessarily be in the best interest of all parties. Yes this type of system is 'free' to the users, but is funded through higher taxes than paid in the US.
-
Watch out Tomo....here comes some competition
November 16, 2007
Varian's New Rapid Arc Delivery | www.varian.com
Varian and Elekta's new arc treatments improve workflow, efficiency, and give radiation oncologists a better alternative to tomotherapy.
-
October 26, 2007
Pfizer Abandons Exubera, Posts 77% Earnings Decline | online.wsj.com
This is a big hit for Pfizer - a costly product they licensed due to lack of good pipeline products. Unfortunatley, I don't think they anticipated the issues surrounding the complexity of inhaled insulin, properly marketed the product, or did enough research on the patient side (ie compliane, interest), etc. As such, Pfizer, and it's share holders will pay a price for this costly investment. However, Pfizer will survive, and will keep on buying other products to develop and sell
-
Cardiovascular risks no laughing matter
October 26, 2007
More Prominence Urged for Heart Risks in Breast Cancer Treatment | www.medpagetoday.com
Cardiovascular disease in breast cancer is a real risk. As our population is aging, and breast cancer is one of the most comon cancers, it is up to us to minimize risks of treatment related morbidity.
-
Pharmaceutical greed and the fleecing of medicare
October 26, 2007
Genentech to Limit Avastin Availability | online.wsj.com
While the data between avastin and lucentis is pending, it's interesting to see Genetch trying to defending profits at the expense of patients. Genetech has impeded this trial, so that they could defend sales of Lucentis. Before lucentis was approved, avastin was used for macular degeneration with good results - however, we don't know if it's better, the same or worse than lucentis. Rather than make the products comparible in cost (mg per mg), Genetech has kept the price on Lucentis inflated compared to the cost of Avastin. Until the answer is out there, Genetech should stop fleecing the consumer (ie the patient) and the government.
-
Initial Avastin data interesting
October 25, 2007
Avastin seen as helpful against deadly brain tumor | www.reuters.com
Glioblastoma multiforme are one of the worst tumors one can have - period. Even with aggressive surgery, chemotherapy and radiation, most of these patients succumb to their disease within 1 year. Initial results of Avastin + Irinotecan look promising as a second line regimen. Look for avastin use to increase, probably off label, given the impressive results. However, phase III data will be necessary for this to become standard.
-
September 28, 2007
FDA Warns About Misuse Of Fentora Cancer Pain Drug | www.medicalnewstoday.com
Fentora is a great, but potentially dangerous product. With it's significant narcotic effect, it should only be prescirbed to appropriate patients by those with experience. The recent deaths were likely due to poor patient selection and lack of experience by the providers.
-
September 17, 2007
FDA approves Lilly's Evista for breast cancer | www.marketwatch.com
The STAR trial was a follow-up to the P1 trial, evaluating whether raloxifene (Evista) could be used as a preventive agent. The results were supportive of this agent in this role, and hence the FDA has approved it. There is a black box warning on stroke risk, though the results did not show a significantly higher rate of stroke. I'm not sure Evista will be a blockbuster drug, but in women who are high risk for breast cancer (family history, estrogen exposure, etc), this is a new, safer option to hopefully reduce the risk of invasive breast cancer.
-
September 11, 2007
J&J Ends Plan to Seek Wider Procrit Use | online.wsj.com
Given the recent data on erythropoietin, this study further demonstrates the significant potential adverse events seen. Expect sales to continue to decrease, as erythropoietin drugs in the future will be used in renal failure and oncology patients to keep hematocrits in a reasonable range.
-
September 11, 2007
Study Shows IRESSA(TM) (Gefitinib) Is As Effective As Docetaxel In Pre-Treated Advanced NSCLC | www.pipelinereview.com
Previous data on Iressa has shown no survival benefit. This phase III trial comparing Iressa to Taxotere in locally advanced phase III NSCLC seems to show equivalence. And, clearly the Iressa was more favorable than taxotere. If the data is true, this will reignite the question on the role of Iressa in NSCLC.
-
September 11, 2007
Positive survival data from ASA404 trial presented at World Conference on Lung Cancer | www.pipelinereview.com
I've previously posted on the early news of this data. We now have more information, including the response rate and median survival in this trial - and the good news is that it parallels the prior phase II data. This is promising information, but we'll still need to see the upcoming phase III trial data (supposedly the trial opens in 2008) before seeing this become integrated into our arsenal of treatments.
-
It's better to be paid something than nothing
September 5, 2007
Doctors Offering No-Interest Loans to Patients | www.nytimes.com
Financing of health care by physicians is a relatively new phenomenon. While this practice is most aggressively being used in the arena of non-covered services (plastic surgery, Lasik, etc), it has some relevance to general medicine as well. In the covered services arena, it's pretty simple - if you have a patient who can barely afford to pay, it's better to arrange some form of interest free financing (where they will pay) vs. having them not pay at all. Pretty simple concept.
-
Simple, straightforward, and possibly clinically useful.
September 5, 2007
YM BioSciences USA Cleared By US FDA To Initiate Phase II Clinical Trial Of Nimotuzumab In Children With Inoperable, Recurrent Brain Cancer | www.medicalnewstoday.com
Nimotuzumab is a humanized monoclonal antibody against EGFR. Initial results showed some response in patients with GBM and recurrent pediatric gliomas (ASCO 2007). High grade gliomas have many genetic aberrations including amplification of EGFR, loss of the tumor-suppressor protein PTEN, overexpression of PDGF alpha, and mutations in p53. Prior attempts to block the constitutatively active tyrosine kinase of EGFR using Iressa or Tarceva have shown some response in small subsets of patients, but most patients do not respond at all (see Mellinghoff, et al NEJM, 353, 2005. This phase II will be larger than the prior German trial. If results are confirmatory and positive, look for Nimotuzumab to be integrated into our algorithm for treatment of DIPG.
-
Great technology, but there is competition
September 5, 2007
Varian Medical Systems Receives FDA 510(k) Clearance for Smart Segmentation™ Tool That Dramatically Speeds Up Radiotherapy Treatment Planning | varian.mediaroom.com
Varian's new Smart Segmentation Tool is an addition to their Eclipse planning system which aims to shorten planning time in intesity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) cases. Typically, IMRT cases require the planning physician to spend several hourse identifying target structures and avoidance structures so that the planning system can get appropriate radiation dose to the target, while not overdosing critical structures. This software aims to reduce the physician time, and therefore increase efficiency. However, IKOE Medical has a strong competitive product that will replicate the Varian Smart Segmentation Tool. So look for strong competition in this market.
-
Topical treatment for metastatic disease....not likely
September 5, 2007
Advanced Life Sciences Announces ALS-357 Granted FDA Orphan Drug Designation for Metastatic Melanoma | www.pipelinereview.com
ALS-357 has shown pre-clinical success both in-vitro and in-vivo, and is now slated for phase I/II trials. Unfotunately this drug is targeting metastitic melanoma using a topical delivery vehicle. While this has worked in a mouse, I'm not sure this will really work effectively in humans for disease that is often not cutaneous in the metastatic setting. However, let's wait for the early clinical data prior to making any definitive recommendations.
-
August 30, 2007
Brain cancer therapy.(Therapeutic vaccine) | www.therapeuticsdaily.com
Vaccines are an interesting concept in cancer therapeutics. However, other than Guardasil, which prevents HPV infection and subsequent risk of cervical cancer, NO other vaccine has shown a true benefit in patients with active cancers. Look at all the data in melanoma, which has been far from a panacea - most patients with metastatic melanoma are still dying. An interesting concept by the Swiss, but wouldn't trust the numbers in this article without seeing the published data.
-
New breast radiation fractionation not standard
August 30, 2007
Study Supports Simultaneous Technique for Breast-Conserving Radiotherapy | www.medscape.com
Standard breast conserving therapy consists of breast conserving surgery followed by whole breast radiotherapy (to a dose of 45-50.4Gy), followed by a boost to the lumpectomy site of 10-16Gy for a total dose of 61-66Gy. The boost is typically done after the completion of whole breast RT. This study looks at incorporating the boost into the whole breat treatment, giving the lumpectomy site a higher dose per day (up to 2.3Gy/day). Standard daily fractionation is 1.8-2Gy/day, and this fractionation has been shown to have the least affect on long term cosmesis. While interesting results, it's too early to know if this is really a good idea. Long term cosmesis data will be necessary before one should really consider this a standard regimen.
-
CMS policies - Not what the doctor ordered
August 27, 2007
New Medicare Regulations Adopted To Reduce Certain Hospital Infections And Medical Errors | www.medicalnewstoday.com
CMS's latests decision to not reimburse hospitals for medical errors and hospital acquired infections has been widely discussed on these newsgroups. Simpy put, while medical errors and infections are unfortunate and can have adverse consequences, the key here is which of these events could have been preventable. Cutting reimbursements to hospitals for some infections (which CMS deems completely preventable) will only make the situation worse. Many of these patients have underlying medical comorbidities such as diabetes, obesity, etc., which make them more susceptible to infections, that even standard precautions could never prevent. If CMS wants to save money, there are better approaches - ie targeting hospitals that exceed averages with errors, etc, forcing administrative changes. Where does this end - perhaps CMS should begin to charge higher premiums for those who are less healthy, rather than penalize the hospitals.
-
August 23, 2007
Antisoma's ASA404 1800 mg/m2 lung cancer trial will report positive survival data | www.therapeuticsdaily.com
ASA404 is a small-molecule vascular disrupting agent that selectively disrupts established tumour blood vessels, in theory allowing chemotherapy to reach tumor cells. The data to date in NSCLC is quite promising, with significant increases in overall and medial survival when combined with a traditional platinum doublets. Look for the phase III trial to get underway in 2008. The result of this trial (if they reproduce the phase II results) will lead to likely approval of this drug into standard management of NSCLC if the toxicity remains reasonable.
- Subscribe to Updates
-
Leading institutions connect with Jon Strasser through GLG
Most Popular Healthcare News
-
February 7, 2012
-
What do the cloud, collaboration and virtualization have in common?
January 27, 2012
-
Clinical diagnostic acquisitions dominate 2011 top ten list
January 12, 2012
-
Gene therapy success threatens drugs for hemophilia and rare diseases
December 13, 2011
-
Medtech M&A activity accelerates in 2011
November 30, 2011
Gerson Lehrman Group, Inc. connects communities with knowledge through two distinct, yet complementary offerings: GLG Research and G+.