New Drugs Yield Limited Benefit; Big Jump in Drug Prices; AI Boost for Mammo Results

Two-thirds of cancer drugs approved by the European Medicines Agency from 1995 to 2020 had little or no supporting evidence of added clinical benefit, particularly drugs that had fast-track designation. (The BMJ)

Meanwhile, the median cost of new drugs launched in 2023 was 35% higher as compared with drugs first marketed in 2022. (Reuters)

Actinium Pharmaceuticals announced that its targeted radiotherapy product I-131 apamistamab (Iomab-B) significantly improved long-term survival in older patients with relapsed/refractory acute myeloid leukemia.

The glitazone class of diabetes drugs may have the added benefit of reducing the risk of brain cancer. (University of Bristol, BMJ Open)

A large retrospective cohort study showed that Black and Hispanic patients had worse outcomes for locally advanced rectal cancer after neoadjuvant therapy and surgery, likely involving multiple factors. (Fox Chase Cancer Center, JAMA Network Open)

A new survey showed that a majority of Americans didn’t know that alcohol use is associated with colorectal cancer. (The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center)

Secondhand smoke may reduce the effectiveness of chemotherapy for head and neck cancer. (OU Health Sciences)

Ovarian cancer with higher levels of stromal (normal) tissue were more likely to develop resistance to chemotherapy. (University of Minnesota, JAMA Network Open)

Medical device maker iCAD announced that its artificial intelligence-supported malignancy scoring system for mammography reduced radiologists’ workload and the recall rate with no increase in false-negative results.

Young women with newly diagnosed breast cancer may have to make split-second decisions about planning for future fertility. (New York Times)

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