BLOOD CANCER: MULTIPLE MYELOMA Plasma cells are the antibody-producing cells of our immune system which happen to play a critical role in our defense against infections. In multiple myeloma, plasma cells begin to grow and divide in an uncontrolled manner, forming a cancerous mass known as a plasmacytoma. Marrow — which produces plasma — no longer functions in our defense, it simply takes … Read More
The Mechanics Of Melanoma
Spectrum Of Therapies Melanoma accounts for less than 1% of skin cancer cases yet causes the vast majority of skin cancer deaths. If detected early enough, melanoma is almost always curable. If not, its ability to metastasize makes it difficult to treat. Melanoma is more common in young adults than many other types of cancer, with 25% of new cases occurring in people under age … Read More
Unwiring The Biology Of Fibrosis
Fibrotic Disease Innovations Fibrotic diseases — organ and tissue disorders that occur as a result of the buildup of excessive scar tissue — are sounding the alarm in the biotech sector. A silent epidemic creeping up on the Western world involves non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), or liver fibrosis associated with obesity and type 2 diabetes. Left untreated, NASH can lead to liver failure. Currently, … Read More
The Molecular Cause Of Obesity
Targeting Fat Obesity is considered one of the most pressing public health issues of the day. According to the Center for Disease Control, 37% of adults and 17% of children in the U.S. are obese. The latest drug interventions work by attempting to suppress food intake, which has proven beneficial for some. However, there is still a large unmet need … Read More
Cancer Vaccines & Game Changers
The Elusive Cancer Vaccine The promise of cancer vaccines have proven to be elusive. A new crop of biotechs are hoping to change that by taking advantage of the latest advances in genomics. Scientists are working overtime trying to develop cancer vaccines that train the immune system to recognize and fight an established tumor. In this WEEKLY, we’ll break down the science … Read More
Breaking Bad With NSCLC & SCLC
BREAKING BAD The hit TV series Breaking Bad features anti-hero Walter White, who starts out as a sympathetic character: a mild-mannered high school chemistry teacher with a nagging cough that turns out to be lung cancer. Money problems precipitated by costly treatments, poor insurance, and a modest salary push him to start cooking up meth to ensure the financial security … Read More
The Medicine Machine
Modern Technology & Mother Nature For thousands of years, nature has been the best medicine cabinet around. Natural products are drugs derived from nature, typically plants or microbes, and have been especially useful in fighting cancer and infectious disease. Drugs from nature can be highly effective. Think Bristol-Myers Squibb’s (New York, NY) Taxol, the breast cancer drug derived from the sap … Read More
The ABCs Of Hepatitis
Hepatitis Viruses Explained Curing disease is serious business. Lou Reed, the infamous leader of the rock band Velvet Underground, died in 2013 of complications from hepatitis C and liver disease. Death is the most profound fear for people living with hepatitis C, but with today’s treatments patients can beat this disease. Thank you Gilead’s (Foster City, CA) Harvoni or AbbVie’s (North … Read More
Breaking Down Lung Cancer
Lung Cancer Primer The hit TV series Breaking Bad features anti-hero Walter White, who starts out as a sympathetic character: a mild-mannered high school chemistry teacher with a nagging cough that turns out to be lung cancer. Money problems precipitated by costly treatments, poor insurance, and a modest salary push him to start cooking up meth to ensure the financial security of … Read More
Immune System Checkpoint Therapies On The Case
Cancer, Meet Your Newest Opponent Immune checkpoint therapies received a lot of airtime at American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) meeting in Chicago last week. The release of promising new clinical data has everyone buzzing about more cures for more cancers as a follow-on to last year’s race to the market. The hype seems to be justified. Simply put, these … Read More
First-in-Class: 2014 Drug Approvals
The FDA ushered in six new drugs just before the close of 2014, bringing the final tally to 41– the highest rate since 1996, when the agency approved 53 drugs. 2014 drug approvals were notable not only for their quantity, but also their quality. A number of new drugs utilized first-in-class mechanisms, and new pathways always put a skip in … Read More
Biotech’s Battlefront: Monoclonal Antibodies
Since their premier on the scene, monoclonal antibodies (mAb) have demanded top billing on the biotech marquee, creating a cast of therapeutics used to treat diseases like autoimmune disorders and cancer. The first player debuted in 1986 when Janssen-Cilag’s OKT3 gained FDA approval to treat transplant rejection patients. Fast forward to 2013, where half of the top ten best selling … Read More
Sculpting A Better Life For Sickle Cell Patients
With the recent announcement of two new biologics in Phase I studies for Sickle Cell Disease (SCD), WEEKLY takes a closer look at the treatments for this autosomal recessive disease, afflicting approximately 100,000 Americans and 25 million globally. Sickle cell anemia is caused by an SNP in the beta globin gene, which codes for hemoglobin—an oxygen-binding protein in red blood … Read More
Squeezing The Juice Out Of Drug Metabolism
When popping a pill, we seldom think about what happens next—to the pill, or even to our bodies. We assume the body welcomes any extra help to fix the problem, but the reaction is quite contrary. A swallowed pill (small molecule drug) is instantly labeled by our body as foreign and the reaction of our body is to immediately get … Read More
Playing Detective With Checkpoint Therapies
PLAYING DETECTIVE WITH CHECKPOINT THERAPIES Over the past two weeks, we have discussed cancer immunotherapies that involve training T-cells (the detective warriors of our immune system) into seeking and destroying cancer cells. This week, we will take a look into another approach that has been creating a lot of recent excitement: checkpoint inhibitor drugs. Simply put, investigators believe they have … Read More