Latest news with #bloodcancer
Reuters
16 hours ago
- Business
- Reuters
US FDA extends review of GSK's blood cancer drug
July 23 (Reuters) - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has extended its review of GSK's (GSK.L), opens new tab blood cancer drug Blenrep as a combination treatment, the company said on Wednesday. The health regulator has set an action date of October 23 which provides the FDA with time to review additional information provided in support of the application.
The Sun
18 hours ago
- Health
- The Sun
Drink-driving style breathalyser could help detect blood cancer in just minutes
DRINK-DRIVING style breathalysers could help detect when users have blood cancer, scientists claim. They say the test could spot the disease earlier, giving patients a better shot at beating it. 2 Study author Dr John Riches, from Queen Mary University of London, said: "Doctors may be able to conduct a quick breath test in their clinic room and potentially have the results within a few seconds." The gadget works by analysing chemicals in exhaled breath, just like a roadside breath test for booze. The experts from Queen Mary University of London found people with blood cancer breathe out different molecules to healthy people. They used Breath Biopsy® technology, developed by Owlstone Medical, to test 46 patients with blood cancer and 28 healthy people. Previous studies have found that similar devices can detect lung cancer. This is the first time breathalyser-like devices have been found to also spot blood cancer. Blood cancer is the UK's fifth most common cancer and the third biggest cancer killer. Over 40,000 people are diagnosed with the disease each year while around 16,000 die. It is also the most common type of childhood cancer. Every year, more than 500 children under the age of 15 are diagnosed with blood cancer in the UK. The study, published in HemaSphere, showed those with high-grade lymphoma - an aggressive form of blood cancer - had significantly increased levels of certain molecules in their breath. These included signs of oxidative stress, a type of cell damage linked to cancer development. Blood cancer symptoms and signs Diagnosis of blood cancers often relies on scans or biopsies, which can be costly or difficult to access, especially in rural or low-resource settings. The researchers reckon the breathalyser offers a simpler, cheaper alternative that could eventually be used in GP surgeries or clinics without specialist equipment. Their new aim is to develop the test further, improving its accuracy and reducing the time it takes, from ten minutes to just a few seconds. They also hope to find out which types of blood cancer are most reliably detected this way, to develop a more targeted and sensitive version of the test. 2 What is lymphoma? Lymphoma is type of blood cancer that affects the lymphatic system. The lymphatic system is part of the body's germ-fighting and disease-fighting immune system. Lymphoma begins when healthy cells in the lymphatic system change and grow out of control. Signs and symptoms of lymphoma may include:
South China Morning Post
5 days ago
- Health
- South China Morning Post
Chinese scientists develop low-cost cell therapy for cancer, asthma, autoimmune diseases
Chinese researchers have come up with a cheaper and easier way of delivering a highly specialised, personalised cell therapy to treat blood cancers and other serious diseases. This new method is much easier to programme than the conventional approach and is available at a fraction of the cost, according to experts in the field. The treatment, known as CAR-T, is a type of immunotherapy that has taken off in recent years and has also shown promise in treating other conditions such as asthma and autoimmune diseases. However, these cell therapies are difficult to produce and deliver to patients, and they are expensive A group of Chinese medical experts has now proposed a solution to these drawbacks, using gene therapy tools. They reported that they had managed to produce anticancer cells directly inside the human body and, for the first time, had used them to treat four patients with multiple myeloma – the second most common form of blood cancer. Currently, the cost of a single treatment is estimated to exceed one million yuan (US$139,200). The study, led by researchers from the Institute of Haematology at Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology in Wuhan, was published in the peer-reviewed journal The Lancet earlier this month.
Daily Mail
5 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
Cancer drug snub wipes £3bn off GSK value
Shares in GSK tumbled after a key blood cancer drug failed to win over US regulators – wiping more than £3billion off its value. In a setback for chief executive Emma Walmsley, a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) committee recommended against approving Blenrep amid concerns over side effects. GSK was trying to revive a product pulled from US markets in 2022. Its shares fell 4.6 per cent, or 65p, to 1348p yesterday. The pharma firm hoped two trials showed Blenrep helped reduce the risk of death and delayed cancer progression as it seeks newer drug approvals to offset declining sales from top medicines and vaccines. GSK is also bracing for HIV patents to expire from 2028. The FDA is due to give its formal decision next week, but bank analysts say that gaining approval is unlikely. Side effects cited by the FDA advisory panel included blurred vision and dry eyes.
Wall Street Journal
6 days ago
- Business
- Wall Street Journal
GSK Shares Drop After FDA Committee Vote Leaves Cancer-Drug Comeback in Doubt
GSK shares fell after a Food and Drug Administration advisory committee voted against approval of the company's Blenrep drug, a setback for its bid to reintroduce the blood-cancer treatment in the U.S. London-listed shares in GSK fell as much as 6.9% in European morning trade Friday, taking the stock down for the year to date.
