A pharmaceutical company executive is sentenced for his role in the opioid crisis; the CDC confirms the second US case of the Chinese coronavirus; the FDA issues accelerated approval of Tazverik for epithelioid sarcoma.
The founder of Insys Therapeutics, John Kapoor, was sentenced to 5 and a half years in prison for his role in fueling the opioid epidemic, NPR reports. This marks the first successful prosecution of a pharmaceutical executive since the crisis began. Insys was found to have aggressively marketed Subsys (fentanyl), a potent opioid painkiller, and orchestrated a conspiracy to bribe doctors into prescribing the painkiller even when patients did not need it. Kapoor was convicted in a bribery and kickback scheme, but his sentence is significantly less than the 15 years federal prosecutors were aiming for.A woman in Chicago was confirmed today by the CDC as having the second case of the Chinese coronavirus, according to The Hill. She recently returned from Wuhan, the epicenter of this recent outbreak, and remains in isolation. An additional 63 cases in 22 states are being monitored for possible coronavirus infection. So far in China, 26 people have died from coronavirus and cases top 800. Travel is severly restricted, and 3 US airports are implementing screening measures: John F. Kennedy International, San Francisco International, and Los Angeles International.
Tazverik (tazemetostat) is the first approved treatment specifically for patients with epithelioid sarcoma, a rare soft tissue cancer that often occurs in young adults, according to an FDA news release. The treatment has been approved for adults and pediatric patients aged 16 or older. Epithelioid sarcoma oly accounts for less than 1% of soft tissue sarcoma, but until now there were no approved treatment s The treatment works by blocking activity of the EZH2 methyltransferase, which may help in stopping cancer cells from growing, according to the release.
POSITIVE Trial Update on Patients With Breast Cancer Attempting Pregnancy
December 8th 2023At last year’s San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, POSITIVE trial primary outcome data were presented on breast cancer–free interval, with women who paused endocrine therapy to attempt pregnancy having a similarly small rate of recurrence vs external controls from the SOFT and TEXT trials: 8.9% vs 9.2%.
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California Aims for Equity by Redefining Cancer Care
December 8th 2023Authors highlight key aspects of the California Cancer Care Equity Act, including its focus on Medi-Cal beneficiaries, the requirement for managed care plans to contract with specialized cancer centers, and the definition of complex cancers.
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POSITIVE Trial Update on Patients With Breast Cancer Attempting Pregnancy
December 8th 2023At last year’s San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, POSITIVE trial primary outcome data were presented on breast cancer–free interval, with women who paused endocrine therapy to attempt pregnancy having a similarly small rate of recurrence vs external controls from the SOFT and TEXT trials: 8.9% vs 9.2%.
Read More
California Aims for Equity by Redefining Cancer Care
December 8th 2023Authors highlight key aspects of the California Cancer Care Equity Act, including its focus on Medi-Cal beneficiaries, the requirement for managed care plans to contract with specialized cancer centers, and the definition of complex cancers.
Read More
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