PALM BEACH, Fla., June 20, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- FN Media Group News Commentary - The National Cancer Institute’s (NCI) funding of research projects is predicted to empower the Pancreatic Cancer Market to grow. A report from Future Market Insights said that: “… the increasing adoption of therapeutic strategies is catapulting the pancreatic cancer market forward. Unlike traditional therapeutic methods such as chemotherapy, targeted therapy isolates receptor sites in cancer cells while causing no harm to the body's healthy peripheral cells. The industry is being influenced by the increasing prevalence of pancreatic cancer and the requirement for targeted therapy.” It continued: “The National Cancer Institute has sponsored several research programs dedicated to developing treatments and medications for pancreatic cancer. The Pancreatic Cancer Cohort Consortium, Pancreatic Cancer Cancer Detection Consortium (PCDC), Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma (PDAC) Stromal Reprogramming Consortium (PSRC), Pancreatic Cancer Microenvironment Network (PaCMEN), RAS Initiative, Pancreatic Specialized Programs of Research Excellence (Pancreatic SPOREs), and others are instances of financed projects. These programs each have their mission and targets, and they each seek to find novel solutions to the ailment. The Pancreatic Specialized Programs of Research Excellence (Pancreatic SPOREs), for instance, is an intervention designed to quickly implement principal scientific discoveries into medical settings. The Pancreatic SPORE grants promote novel and diverse methods of prevention and treatment.” Active biotech and pharma companies in the markets this week include Oncolytics Biotech^® Inc. (NASDAQ: ONCY) (TSX: ONC), GeoVax Labs, Inc. (NASDAQ: GOVX), GSK plc (NYSE: GSK), AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ: AZN), Merck (NYSE: MRK).

Future Market Insights continued: “The elevated cost of drug advancement and treatment may stifle future growth. During the projected timeframe, the market will also face obstacles from stringent government laws and regulations. Inventions and comprehensive authorization methods can assist in overcoming these challenges and propelling the global pancreatic cancer market forward. The rapid rise of pancreatic cancer patients and, increased investment in healthcare infrastructure will propel the market. In North America, the USA of America leads the pancreatic cancer market. Based on the American Cancer Society's National Survey, approximately 3% of cancers in the USA were pancreatic by 2021. Moreover, pancreatic cancers account for 9% of all cancer deaths. The rising number of pancreatic cancer patients is accompanied by higher investment in medical infrastructure. The simplification of regulatory approval processes has resulted in the safe and prompt approval of clinical drugs and treatments in the USA, contributing to the rising demand for pancreatic cancer treatment options in the country.”

Oncolytics Biotech^® Inc. (NASDAQ: ONCY) (TSX: ONC) Doses First Patient in Study of Pelareorep/FOLFIRINOX Combination Therapy in Pancreatic Cancer -

• Demonstrating pelareorep’s synergy with modified FOLFIRINOX +/- atezolizumab in pancreatic cancer could expand the number of patients it may benefit
• Funding for the study comes from the US$5 million Therapeutic Accelerator Award from PanCAN –

Oncolytics Biotech^® Inc., ($ONCY $ONC), a leading clinical-stage company specializing in immunotherapy for oncology, presented two abstracts at the 2024 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting. One is a trial-in-progress abstract discussing cohort 5 of the GOBLET study, which will evaluate the combination of pelareorep and modified FOLFIRINOX (mFOLFIRINOX) with and without atezolizumab in newly diagnosed metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) patients. The second describes pelareorep’s ability to induce the expansion of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) across multiple cancers and the correlation between TIL expansion and tumor response. The ASCO annual meeting will take place from May 31 – June 4, 2024, in Chicago, Illinois.

“The two abstracts that we are sharing at ASCO this year are in synch with our mission of advancing pelareorep towards registrational trials. The first abstract outlines the design of a new GOBLET PDAC cohort that could significantly expand the potential of the company’s pancreatic cancer program,” said Dr. Matt Coffey, President and Chief Executive Officer of Oncolytics. “The chemotherapy regimens of mFOLFIRINOX and gemcitabine/nab-paclitaxel are the two most common standards of care in metastatic pancreatic cancer. We previously reported that the combination of pelareorep, gemcitabine, nab-paclitaxel, and atezolizumab yielded tumor response rates nearly triple historical results. Should the combination of pelareorep and mFOLFIRINOX produce a similarly positive outcome, an even broader range of metastatic PDAC patients may benefit from pelareorep-based therapy. This cohort is being funded by a US$5 million grant in the form of the Therapeutic Accelerator Award from the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (PanCAN). We anticipate enrollment in this cohort will begin this quarter.”

Thomas Heineman, MD, PhD, Chief Medical Officer of Oncolytics stated, “Pelareorep stimulates a proinflammatory response that primes tumors for immunologic killing and also activates both innate and adaptive immune responses. Our second ASCO abstract provides additional support for pelareorep’s immunotherapeutic mechanism of action by describing its ability to stimulate the expansion of pre-existing and new TIL clones in the blood, which correlate with treatment response. These results build upon previously reported data from the AWARE-1 study in breast cancer to expand our understanding of pelareorep’s immune-based mechanism of action, and it supports further investigation of TIL expansion as a potential biomarker of clinical activity in patients treated with pelareorep.”   CONTINUED… Read these full press releases and more news for ONCY at: https://www.financialnewsmedia.com/news-oncy/

Other recent developments in the biotech industry of note for cancer events include:

GeoVax Labs, Inc. (NASDAQ: GOVX), a biotechnology company developing immunotherapies and vaccines against cancers and infectious diseases, recently announced that its Chief Scientific Officer, Mark Newman, PhD, presented data on GEO-CM04S1, the Company’s next-generation Covid-19 vaccine candidate, during the 24th Annual World Vaccine Congress in Washington, DC.

During his presentation, titled “Vaccine Induction of Broadly-Specific Antibody and T Cell Responses to Combat SARS-CoV-2 Variation”, Dr. Newman described GeoVax’s development program for GEO-CM04S1. The data presented were generated in collaboration with scientists at Georgia State University using the human ACE2 transgenic mice, one of the “gold standard” small animal models used for studying Covid vaccines. GEO-CM04S1 incorporates both the spike (S) and nucleocapsid (N) antigens of SARS-CoV-2 and is specifically designed to induce broadly specific antibody and T cell responses. The animal studies were designed to characterize the contributions of immune responses to both the S and N and documented the additive effects, which were most evident in the control of disease and the associated lung inflammation and damage. The central message was that vaccine-induced immunity protects against infections, serious disease symptoms and death against the original Wuhan variant as well as the Omicron XBB.1.5 variant, which is the basis of the currently approved mRNA booster vaccines.

GSK plc (NYSE: GSK) recently announced that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved AREXVY (Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) Vaccine, Adjuvanted) for the prevention of RSV lower respiratory tract disease (LRTD) in adults 50 through 59 years of age who are at increased risk. In the US, the vaccine is currently approved for use in adults aged 60 and older and recommended by CDC/ACIP using shared clinical decision-making.   A systematic review of studies in the US showed that RSV is estimated to cause 42,000 hospitalizations each year in adults aged 50-64 years old.   Adults with underlying medical conditions, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma, heart failure and diabetes are at increased risk for severe consequences from an RSV infection compared to those without these conditions. RSV can exacerbate these conditions and lead to pneumonia, hospitalization or death.

Tony Wood, Chief Scientific Officer, GSK, said: “Today's approval reflects the importance of broadening the benefits of RSV immunization to adults aged 50-59 who are at increased risk. For those with underlying medical conditions, RSV can have serious consequences, so we are proud to be the first to help protect them from RSV-LRTD.”

AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ: AZN) AstraZeneca’s IMFINZI^® (durvalumab) in combination with carboplatin and paclitaxel followed by IMFINZI monotherapy has recently been approved in the US as treatment for adult patients with primary advanced or recurrent endometrial cancer that is mismatch repair deficient (dMMR).

The approval by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) was based on the results of a prespecified exploratory subgroup analysis by MMR status in the DUO-E Phase III trial. Results from DUO-E were published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

In the trial, IMFINZI plus carboplatin and paclitaxel followed by IMFINZI monotherapy (IMFINZI arm) reduced the risk of disease progression or death by 58% in patients with dMMR endometrial cancer versus chemotherapy alone (hazard ratio 0.42; 95% confidence interval 0.22-0.80).

Merck (NYSE: MRK), known as MSD outside of the United States and Canada, recently announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved CAPVAXIVE™ (Pneumococcal 21-valent Conjugate Vaccine) for: Active immunization for the prevention of invasive disease caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae serotypes 3, 6A, 7F, 8, 9N, 10A, 11A, 12F, 15A, 15B, 15C, 16F, 17F, 19A, 20A, 22F, 23A, 23B, 24F, 31, 33F and 35B in individuals 18 years of age and older; and Active immunization for the prevention of pneumonia caused by S. pneumoniae serotypes 3, 6A, 7F, 8, 9N, 10A, 11A, 12F, 15A, 15C, 16F, 17F, 19A, 20A, 22F, 23A, 23B, 24F, 31, 33F and 35B in individuals 18 years of age and older.

CAPVAXIVE is specifically designed to help protect adults against the serotypes that cause the majority of invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) cases. The approval follows the FDA’s Priority Review of Merck’s application. Do not administer CAPVAXIVE to individuals with a history of a severe allergic reaction (e.g., anaphylaxis) to any component of CAPVAXIVE or to diphtheria toxoid; see additional Select Safety Information below.

This indication for the prevention of pneumonia caused by S. pneumoniaeserotypes 3, 6A, 7F, 8, 9N, 10A, 11A, 12F, 15A, 15C, 16F, 17F, 19A, 20A, 22F, 23A, 23B, 24F, 31, 33F and 35B is approved under accelerated approval based on immune responses as measured by opsonophagocytic activity (OPA). Continued approval for this indication may be contingent upon verification and description of clinical benefit in a confirmatory trial.

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