ArriVent BioPharma announced that firmonertinib, an EGFR inhibitor in development for lung cancer, did not meet its primary endpoints in a Phase 3 clinical trial, representing a significant setback for the company's lead…
#Cancer research
This week in Cancer research · updated Tue Oct 06 2026
Cancer research this week saw notable progress across multiple treatment modalities. The FDA approved two new first-line therapies for chronic lymphocytic leukemia, marking a shift toward targeted approaches over traditional chemotherapy, with one demonstrating an 80% reduction in disease progression. Immunotherapy and cellular treatments gained momentum, highlighted by Novartis's $575 million acquisition of mRNA-based T cell engager technology and clinical advances in ovarian cancer therapeutics. Meanwhile, researchers continue refining established approaches—fractionated radiation therapy improved brain cancer outcomes compared to single-dose treatment—while also confronting diagnostic challenges, as young patients with colorectal cancer frequently present with advanced disease due to delayed recognition of warning symptoms.
AI-written weekly briefing drawn from this topic's recent stories.
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Firmonertinib misses efficacy endpoints in Phase 3 lung cancer trial, triggering market decline
AI-Powered Platform Provides Personalized Cancer Risk Evaluation Across Multiple Malignancies
YD Bio and EG BioMed launched an online AI-driven cancer risk assessment tool that evaluates personal risk across ten cancer types including breast, colorectal, lung, and pancreatic cancers based on health history and li…
Nurix Advances Leukemia Treatment With First Patient in Combination Therapy Study
Nurix Therapeutics has enrolled its first patient in a Phase 1b/2 trial combining bexobrutideg, an investigational BTK degrader, with venetoclax for treating chronic lymphocytic leukemia. The study will evaluate the safe…
Researcher argues against FDA approval of multicancer screening with limited clinical benefit
A prominent epidemiologist contends that approving a multicancer screening test with unproven effectiveness would not serve public health interests. Identifying more cancer cases through screening does not constitute pro…
Triple Drug Combination Shows Promise for Treatment-Resistant Lung Cancer
A phase II study found that a combination of three targeted drugs—amivantamab, lazertinib, and bevacizumab—achieved a 39% overall response rate in patients with EGFR-mutant lung cancer that had become resistant to standa…
Rare But Aggressive Colorectal Cancer in Young Patients Often Diagnosed at Advanced Stages
A study of pediatric colorectal cancer cases presented at the American Academy of Pediatrics annual meeting found that 80% of young patients presented with stage III or IV disease, with a median diagnostic delay of 12 we…
Exploring the potential and limitations of cancer vaccines across different tumor types
Researchers are investigating which cancer types may be vulnerable to vaccine-based approaches and which may require alternative therapeutic strategies. While vaccine technology has shown promise for certain cancers, the…
Eli Lilly wins FDA approval for Jaypirca in untreated chronic lymphocytic leukemia
Eli Lilly has received FDA approval for Jaypirca as a first-line treatment for previously untreated chronic lymphocytic leukemia and small lymphocytic lymphoma. This marks an expansion of the drug's use to earlier stages…
Ovarian cancer treatment shows promising response rates; immunotherapy receives expanded approval
Genmab presented clinical data for its ovarian cancer therapeutic Rina-S, which demonstrated a 45.9% objective response rate in patients with platinum-resistant disease. Separately, Eli Lilly's Jaypirca received an expan…
Novartis acquires global rights to mRNA-based T cell engager from Abogen for $575 million
Novartis has secured exclusive worldwide rights to Abogen Biosciences' lead asset, a CD19xCD3 mRNA-based T cell engager, for an upfront payment of $575 million with potential milestone payments totaling approximately $7.…
Summit Therapeutics advances Trop-2 antibody-drug conjugate through AstraZeneca partnership
Summit Therapeutics has entered into a clinical trial collaboration with AstraZeneca and Daiichi Sankyo to evaluate its Trop-2-directed antibody-drug conjugate for cancer treatment. The partnership represents a significa…
FDA Expands Leukemia Drug Approval to First-Line Treatment Based on Superior Trial Outcomes
The FDA approved pirtobrutinib for first-line treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia and small lymphocytic lymphoma in patients without specific genetic markers, based on clinical trial data showing an 80% reduction i…
Inside the anxious limbo of Nobel Prize contenders
Geneticist Mary-Claire King, who identified the BRCA cancer mutations that revolutionized breast cancer prevention and treatment, reflects on the uncertainty of awaiting word from the Nobel Prize committee as a frequentl…
Cullinan Therapeutics Submits FDA Application for Zipalertinib Combination Therapy in Lung Cancer
Cullinan Therapeutics has initiated submission of a new drug application to the FDA for zipalertinib combined with chemotherapy to treat patients with untreated advanced lung cancer carrying specific EGFR mutations. The …
Biotech Company Reduces Workforce Following Failed Cancer Drug Partnership
Foghorn Therapeutics ended its oncology collaboration with Eli Lilly after clinical trial data showed their SMARCA2-targeting cancer candidate did not achieve sufficient efficacy to warrant continued development. The ter…
Former NCI Director Ned Sharpless Joins Hatteras Venture Partners as Leadership Team Restructures
Hatteras Venture Partners, a venture capital firm focused on life sciences startups, announced that former National Cancer Institute Director Norman Sharpless has joined as a managing partner. The announcement coincided …
Multi-Dose Radiation Therapy Outperforms Single Treatment for Brain Cancer Surgery Recovery
A randomized clinical trial demonstrated that fractionated stereotactic radiosurgery delivered over multiple sessions significantly improved local tumor control compared to single-dose treatment following brain metastasi…
Oncology News Central Homepage
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Weekly Podcast Examines Exercise, COVID Vaccination, and Cancer Outcomes
This weekly podcast reviews several recent medical studies, including structured exercise after cancer treatment and its association with improved survival. It also discusses COVID vaccination in patients receiving immun…
Misako Nagasaka, MD, PhD: Hematology-Oncology Faculty Profile
Dr. Misako Nagasaka is identified as a hematology and oncology faculty member at UC Irvine School of Medicine. She holds an associate professor position in the Department of Medicine.
Estelamari Rodriguez, MD: Thoracic Oncology Outreach Leader
Dr. Estelamari Rodriguez is identified as a thoracic oncology leader who oversees community outreach at Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center. Her health system affiliation is the University of Miami.
Sign-Up Confirmed for Early-Stage NSCLC Perioperative Session
The page confirms a user's registration for an educational session on managing early-stage non-small cell lung cancer around surgery. The event is scheduled for September 30, 2026, at 6:30 p.m. ET, and dinner will be pro…
Key DLBCL Findings Highlighted From SOHO 2026
Joshua Brody, MD, reviews notable diffuse large B-cell lymphoma data from the 2026 SOHO Annual Meeting. The findings cover frontline therapy, CAR T-cell treatment, and biomarkers.
Perioperative NSCLC Approaches Reviewed at WCLC 2026
A video features Jessica Donington, MD, discussing research presented at the 2026 WCLC meeting. The studies examined neoadjuvant and adjuvant approaches for resectable non-small cell lung cancer.
Preclinical Study Suggests Annamycin May Make Pancreatic Tumors More Immune-Visible
New preclinical data presented at an AACR pancreatic cancer conference indicate that Annamycin’s antitumor activity is partly mediated by CD8+ T cells. The findings suggest the drug may help convert immunologically 'cold…
U.S. Cancer Deaths Drop While New Cases Increase, Roundup Reports
CDC data show U.S. cancer deaths fell from 2019 to 2023, largely because of fewer lung cancer fatalities, even as new cancer diagnoses increased. The roundup also covers a dissolving microneedle patch for chemotherapy de…
Long-Lived Mammals Show Stronger Conservation at Cancer-Linked Genomic Sites
Researchers compared cancer-associated genomic regions across 58 mammalian species with varying lifespans. Long-lived species showed greater evolutionary conservation at these sites than at cancer-unrelated regions, whil…
Weekly Medical News Quiz Includes Cancer Blood Test and Dementia Vaccine Questions
This MedPage Today weekly quiz tests readers on recent medical news, including an FDA advisory panel question about a cancer early-detection blood test. Other topics in the quiz include interest in a dementia-risk vaccin…
Stipple Bio pushes precision medicine further as Endpoints 11 honoree
Stipple Bio, named an Endpoints 11 2026 winner, is advancing precision medicine approaches. Its work centers on treating pancreatic cancer.
SLS009 Shows Promise Against Resistant Pancreatic Cancer in Lab Study
SELLAS Life Sciences presented preclinical results for SLS009, a CDK9 inhibitor, in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma organoid models. In a MYC-amplified model resistant to daraxonrasib, SLS009 raised apoptosis more than …
Azalea combines gene editing with CAR-T cell therapy
Azalea, an Endpoints 11 2026 winner, is developing a platform that integrates gene editing with CAR-T cell therapy. The approach aims to enhance the effectiveness of engineered T cells. Further details were not disclosed…
Carvykti shows durable remissions in multiple myeloma patients after five years
New data from Legend Biotech and Johnson & Johnson indicate that half of a small group of relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma patients treated with Carvykti remain in remission after five years. The findings strength…
FDA clears Elevar's bile duct cancer drug as second-line therapy
The FDA approved Elevar Therapeutics' Lyrfigtu for certain patients with bile duct cancer as a second-line treatment. The decision was based on clinical trial results. Bile duct cancer is diagnosed in about 8,000 America…
Nanobiotix Reports Encouraging Early Data and Funding for Cancer Therapy
Nanobiotix reported H1 2026 results, including promising early data from a Phase 1 study of JNJ-1900 in non-small cell lung cancer, with a 79% one-year locoregional control rate. The company raised approximately €86 mill…
Experts Debate EGFR-Mutant NSCLC Monotherapy vs Combination
At WCLC 2026, thoracic oncologists discussed whether any patients with EGFR-mutant non-small cell lung cancer still need single-agent therapy, weighing toxicity and data from the PALOMA-2 trial.
BRCA Carriers Face High Ovarian Cancer Risk Even at Older Ages
A study in JAMA Surgery found that BRCA1 carriers who delay preventive surgery to age 50 still have a 23.9% lifetime risk of ovarian cancer. Residual risk declines with age but remains substantial, especially for BRCA1. …
FDA panel casts doubt on Grail's multi-cancer screening accuracy
An FDA advisory committee and agency officials expressed concerns about the performance of Grail's next-generation sequencing test for early cancer detection in adults over 50. The questions raised during the Wednesday m…
AACR Report: U.S. Cancer Death Rate Down 35% Since 1991
A new American Association for Cancer Research report shows the U.S. cancer mortality rate fell 35% from 1991 to 2024, averting nearly 5 million deaths. The decline was largely driven by reduced smoking and subsequent dr…
Zanidatamab Combinations Outperform Trastuzumab in HER2-Positive Gastroesophageal Cancer
A phase III trial found that the bispecific antibody zanidatamab combined with chemotherapy improved progression-free and overall survival compared with trastuzumab plus chemotherapy as first-line treatment for metastati…
Genetic Precision in Cancer Care Outpaces Insurer Policies
Advances in tumor genetics are prompting some oncologists to reclassify cancers by their molecular mutations rather than their anatomical origin. This shift could improve treatment targeting, but insurance coverage has n…
FDA Reviewers See No Red Flags in Grail's Blood-Based Cancer Screening Test
Ahead of an advisory committee meeting, FDA staff issued a briefing document that raised no significant safety or accuracy concerns about Grail's Galleri test, a blood-based screening tool for multiple cancer types in ad…
FDA stays quiet on Grail's cancer screening test before advisory panel
The FDA has released minimal commentary on Grail's cancer detection test ahead of an advisory committee meeting scheduled for Wednesday. Typically, the agency provides briefing documents with its assessment of a product'…
FDA greenlights Lilly's oral therapy pairing for certain breast cancer patients
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved a new combination therapy from Eli Lilly for patients with metastatic breast cancer. The regimen includes Lilly's oral selective estrogen receptor degrader, Inluriyo, an…
HHS Seeks Public Input on Wireless Radiation; Cancer News Roundup
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has requested public comments on potential health effects of electromagnetic fields and wireless radiation. Other cancer-related developments include an expressio…
Fallopian Tube Removal Shows Promise in Cutting Ovarian Cancer Risk, Yet Access Lags
Recent evidence suggests many ovarian cancers originate in the fallopian tubes, and removing them during other abdominal surgeries could slash risk by up to 80%. However, the procedure, known as opportunistic salpingecto…
Ivonescimab Shows Overall Survival Benefit in Advanced NSCLC
Updated results from the HARMONi-2 trial showed that the investigational bispecific antibody ivonescimab improved overall survival in PD-L1-positive advanced non-small cell lung cancer compared with pembrolizumab, with m…
Longer Surveillance Interval After Polyp Removal May Be Safe for High-Risk Patients
A trial found that beginning surveillance colonoscopy five years after removal of high-risk adenomas was as effective as a three-year interval for detecting colorectal cancer. The cumulative incidence of colorectal cance…
First-Line T-DXd Nearly Doubles Progression-Free Survival in HER2-Mutant NSCLC
A phase III trial showed that starting treatment with trastuzumab deruxtecan instead of pembrolizumab plus chemotherapy extended median progression-free survival from 8.3 to 14.3 months in advanced HER2-mutant non-small …
Investigational Immunotherapy Shows Survival Benefit in Advanced Squamous Lung Cancer
In the phase III PRESERVE-003 trial, the anti-CTLA-4 agent gotistobart improved median overall survival to 18.5 months versus 10 months with docetaxel in patients with metastatic squamous non-small cell lung cancer who h…
Early Trial Shows Up to 92% Response Rate for Novel Lung Cancer Combination
In a preliminary trial, a PD-L1/VEGF bispecific antibody combined with an antibody-drug conjugate produced response rates ranging from 52.4% in third-line therapy to 92.3% in first-line treatment of advanced small cell l…
Zidesamtinib Shows High Response Rate in ROS1-Positive Lung Cancer
Updated trial data showed a 94% objective response rate with zidesamtinib in TKI-naive patients with advanced ROS1-positive non-small cell lung cancer. Complete responses occurred in 15% of patients, and all 10 evaluable…
MRI Monitoring Alone Preserves Cognitive Function Better Than Preventive Brain Radiation in Lung Cancer
A phase III trial found that patients with small cell lung cancer who underwent only MRI surveillance had better cognitive failure-free survival than those who also received prophylactic cranial irradiation, with 6-month…
BioNTech's checkpoint inhibitor shows survival boost in advanced lung cancer
BioNTech presented new data on its CTLA-4 antibody gotistobart in previously treated lung cancer patients. The treatment extended median survival by 8.5 months compared to a control group. The results strengthen the case…
Sanofi-backed Electra seeks ~$300M IPO as Enhertu hits lung cancer endpoint
Electra Therapeutics, a Sanofi-backed biotech, is pursuing an initial public offering of nearly $300 million. Separately, Enhertu demonstrated success in a Phase 3 trial for lung cancer. The roundup also includes updates…
AstraZeneca's breast cancer pill fails pivotal first-line trial
AstraZeneca disclosed that its breast cancer pill missed its primary endpoint in a pivotal trial evaluating it as first-line therapy for advanced tumors. The failure adds to recent setbacks in the company's oncology pipe…
GSK highlights positive late-stage results for two lung cancer therapies
GSK reported encouraging efficacy data from two investigational lung cancer drugs in late-stage trials. The announcement was part of a broader biotech news roundup that also covered a failed AstraZeneca breast cancer tri…
AstraZeneca's breast cancer drug fails late-stage trial for earlier use
AstraZeneca reported that its recently approved breast cancer drug Etcamah did not meet its goals in a Phase 3 trial for untreated advanced disease. The failure blocks a potential label expansion. The drug had received F…
Two Experimental ADCs Significantly Extend Survival in Relapsed Small-Cell Lung Cancer
Two Chinese trials found that the anti-B7-H3 antibody-drug conjugates tambotatug pelitecan and risvutatug rezetecan each reduced the risk of death by 54% compared with standard chemotherapy in relapsed small-cell lung ca…
Metastatic Lung Cancer Trial Misses Survival Endpoint with ADC Combo
In a large randomized trial, adding sacituzumab govitecan to pembrolizumab did not significantly improve progression-free survival or overall survival in patients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer selected for P…
Akeso and Summit unveil survival data showing their bispecific antibody outperforms Merck's Keytruda
Akeso and Summit Therapeutics have released detailed survival results from a trial comparing their PD-1xVEGF bispecific antibody to Keytruda, following an earlier announcement of a significant win. The data, presented in…