Trending News Today: Experimental Pancreatic Cancer Drug Fails to Meet Goals in Trial

Roche announced positive survival data for Tecentriq in a phase 3 study evaluating the drug for treatment of small cell lung cancer, Reuters reported. According to the article, the trial data show that, when combined with chemotherapy, Tecentriq significantly boosted overall survival of patients with previously untreated extensive-stage small cell lung cancer compared with chemotherapy alone. The combination treatment also helped patients survive longer without disease progression, the article reported.

Merrimack Pharmaceuticals Inc announced that it would stop developing its experimental treatment for pancreatic cancer after it failed to meet the main and secondary goals in a mid-stage trial, Reuters reported. According to the article, the experimental treatment, MM-141, was being studied in addition to standard-of-care therapy for patients with previously untreated metastatic pancreatic cancer. Merrimack said it would instead focus on developing other programs in its pipeline, including drugs for breast cancer and lung cancer, the article reported.

A research team from Dartmouth was awarded $5.3 million for a study that will evaluate the use of medication-assisted treatment for pregnant women with opioid abuse disorders, the Associated Press reported. According to the article, the researchers will compare whether integrated care models, in which women receive both maternity care and addiction treatment in the same practice, are more effective than providing treatment in different locations. Officials said that combining medication with psychosocial services has been shown to significantly reduce poor outcomes for babies born to mothers with opioid use disorders, the article reported.