Cancer Clinical Trials Office Blog

News & Updates from the CCTO

Breakthrough Publication by Dr. Levy Showing Efficacy of Two Immunotherapy Drugs in Mice

-

Recently Dr. Ron Levy had a breakthrough publication in Science Translational Medicine showing that a combination of two immunotherapy drugs given as a vaccine can eradicate or prevent the occurrence of multiple types of cancers in mice. He is about to open a corresponding Phase I study for non-Hodgkin lymphoma patients. This publication has gotten a lot of media attention and as a result, many interested individuals have reached out hoping to be part of this study.

A landing page with information has been created at: http://cancer.stanford.edu/trials/vaccine.html. If you happen to be contacted, please refer to this webpage.

More information:

New FDA-approved Drug Yescarta available at Stanford for Non Hodgkin’s Lymphoma

-

Last night’s broadcast on KTVU featured an interview with Dr. Miklos about a new immunotherapy drug, Yescarta. KGO TV also interviewed Dr. Miklos and Dr. Mackall as well as two patients who contributed moving stories about their experience with Yescarta. The KTVU segment can be viewed below.

Yescarta (axicabtagene ciloleucel) is a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy, and is the second gene therapy approved by the FDA and the first for certain types of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). More information can be found on the FDA’s press release.

For the next year Stanford will be the only cancer center providing Yescarta in northern California, and one of only three treatment centers on the west coast (the others are Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle WA; and City of Hope, Duarte, CA). Many thanks to the Cancer Cell Therapy team and Dr. Miklos for their work on the Kite Pharma trials studying this drug.

New FDA Approved Drug for Breast Cancer

-

On September 28, 2017, The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Verzenio (abemaciclib) to treat adult patients who have hormone receptor (HR)-positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-negative advanced or metastatic breast cancer that has progressed after taking therapy that alters a patient’s hormones (endocrine therapy). Many thanks to the Breast Group for their hard work on BRS0044, a Phase 3 Eli Lilly trial that studied this drug. More information can be found on the FDA’s press release.

Moving Video about New Gastric Cancer Trial

-

The following video about Dr. Kunz’s newly-opened gastric cancer trial was posted recently to Stanford Medicine’s Scope blog. This study was funded by a gift from Jeff Shottenstein, who wanted other gastric cancer patients to have the option of a new innovative treatment despite the fact that his wife wouldn’t benefit. Click play for Jeff’s moving story about his wife Sara.