On October 26, 2016 Lion Biotechnologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: LBIO), a biotechnology company developing novel cancer immunotherapies based on tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte technology (TIL), reported that presentations related to the Company’s TIL technology will be made at the upcoming Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) (Free SITC Whitepaper) Annual Meeting & Associated Programs, being held on November 9-13, 2016 in National Harbor, MD (Press release, Lion Biotechnologies, OCT 26, 2016, View Source [SID1234516025]).

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Presentations at SITC (Free SITC Whitepaper) relate to:

Feasibility of growing TIL from non-melanoma solid tumors and development of TIL therapies for other solid tumors – Lion cultured TIL from non-melanoma solid tumors including bladder, cervical, head and neck, lung and triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) to investigate the feasibility of using adoptive cell therapy (ACT) as a therapy for patients in other cancer types (poster #42, Sethuraman, Saturday, November 12, 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. ET)

Evaluation of artificial antigen presenting cells (aAPC) as a potential substitute for allogeneic peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) – Preclinical evaluation of artificial antigen presenting cells as a substitute for PBMC (peripheral blood mononuclear cells) was conducted with a novel aAPC CD64+ MOLM-14 human leukemia cell line (poster #47, Veerapathran, Friday, November 11, 12:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m ET)

Addressing the need to assess lytic potential of TILs – In order to test the potency of TILs that are infused into patients, a surrogate target cell line was developed that can be used to assess the lytic potential of TILs in a BRLA (poster #14, Gokuldass, Saturday, November 12, 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. ET)

Effect of cryopreservation on the measured phenotypic characteristics of TIL – Lion tested if cryopreservation affected the measured phenotypic characteristics of TIL which could enable Lion to further investigate the possibility of using cryopreserved TIL in a clinical setting (poster #11, Frank, Friday, November 11, 12:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m ET)

Additional information, including a presentation schedule, titles and abstracts, can be found at View Source

On October 26, 2016 Varian Medical Systems (NYSE: VAR) and McKesson Specialty Health reported a strategic agreement for the deployment and servicing of Varian advanced radiotherapy equipment and software over a three-year period across The US Oncology Network and Vantage Oncology affiliated sites of care (Press release, Varian Medical Systems, OCT 26, 2016, View Source [SID1234516101]). This multiyear agreement delivers significant value to oncology providers in The US Oncology Network, which now operates the largest system of radiotherapy facilities in the U.S. following the acquisition of Vantage Oncology earlier this year.

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Over the next two years, seven Varian TrueBeam and five VitalBeam medical linear accelerators will be installed in The US Oncology Network and Vantage Oncology affiliated cancer centers across the U.S. In addition, McKesson and Varian will collaborate to establish interoperability between McKesson Specialty Health’s iKnowMedSM electronic health record (EHR) system and Varian’s ARIA oncology information system. The interoperability aims to deliver direct value to all physicians using these information systems in managing patient care.

"McKesson Specialty Health and The US Oncology Network offer robust, comprehensive practice management capabilities, value-based care expertise, and state-of-the-art technology solutions to its affiliated practices, providing support as they navigate today’s challenging healthcare landscape," said Kirk Kaminsky, president of The US Oncology Network and Practice Management for McKesson Specialty Health. "Combined, Vantage Oncology and The US Oncology Network support more than 1,300 affiliated physicians and approximately 400 affiliated sites of care. Bringing them together earlier this year and now executing this strategic agreement with Varian will help our affiliated practices simultaneously enhance clinical capabilities, workflow for physicians, and the quality of patient care while improving the cost-effectiveness of their operations. The specialized hardware, service offerings and roadmap for interoperability with iKnowMed gives clinicians greater efficiency and increased quality of patient care benefits."

"We are honored by the long-term commitment McKesson Specialty Health is making in Varian equipment and technology as part of this agreement," said Kolleen Kennedy, president of Varian’s Oncology Systems business. "Our companies share a common goal to develop and deliver the highest level of care. Through this strategic agreement, we are increasing the ability of patients to access the most advanced treatments in their fight against cancer."

On October 26, 2016 Genomic Health, Inc. (NASDAQ: GHDX) reported publication in Reviews in Urology of a comprehensive economic analysis of the use of the Oncotype DX Genomic Prostate ScoreTM (GPS) in low-risk prostate cancer patients (Press release, Genomic Health, OCT 26, 2016, View Source [SID1234516026]). Results showed that use of the GPS results in a net savings of $2,286 per patient – including the cost of the test – by decreasing unnecessary immediate invasive treatment.

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"Not all low-risk prostate cancers are aggressive, but it is critical to know exactly which patient can forego immediate surgery safely," said study principal investigator David M. Albala, M.D., chief of urology, Crouse Hospital, Syracuse, New York. "Better treatment decisions can be made when patients have genomic information about their prostate tumors. Our study reconfirms that the GPS provides physicians and patients with additional risk assessment that resolves uncertainty in prognosis and informs individuals’ treatment decisions based on tumor biology."

Led by Associated Medical Professionals (AMP) of New York, the study demonstrated that incorporation of the GPS as part of the treatment decision algorithm for prostate cancer patients with NCCN very low and low-risk disease (64 percent of the study population) led to a 21 percent net increase in the use of active surveillance. The study specifically included prostate cancer patients covered by Excellus BlueCross BlueShield insurance in New York. Of these, treatment patterns and cost for 80 men tested with Oncotype DX were compared to 100 patients in the same practice without genomic testing.

Based on a real-world practice setting with a contemporary patient population and using current treatment cost averages, these published results demonstrated that the use of Oncotype DX represented a more than 50 percent return on investment over six months by reducing the cost of unnecessary immediate interventions. Additional savings can also be expected by removing the cost of management of associated side effects of treatment such as impotence and incontinence.

"The cost of caring for prostate cancer patients in the United States is estimated to be approximately $18 billion by 2020," said Phil Febbo, M.D., chief medical officer, Genomic Health. "The study provides additional important evidence to support broader adoption of Oncotype DX as we continue to fulfill Genomic Health’s vision to bring precision medicine to cancer patients, to empower physicians with actionable molecular information and to provide value and cost savings to our healthcare systems."

About Oncotype DX
The Oncotype DX portfolio of breast, colon and prostate cancer tests applies advanced genomic science to reveal the unique biology of a tumor in order to optimize cancer treatment decisions. The Oncotype DX prostate cancer test identifies which clinically low-risk patients are eligible for active surveillance, as well as those who may benefit from immediate treatment by predicting disease aggressiveness. With more than 600,000 patients tested in more than 90 countries, Oncotype DX testing has redefined personalized medicine by making genomics a critical part of cancer diagnosis and treatment. To learn more about the Oncotype DX prostate cancer test, visit www.OncotypeDX.com or www.MyProstateCancerTreatment.org.

On October 26, 2016 X-Rx, Inc, a biotechnology company focused on the creation of small molecule drug candidates, and Mercachem BV, a leading chemistry CRO with expertise in medicinal and process chemistry, reported progress with two discovery-stage oncology programs from the portfolio of X-Rx (Press release, X-Rx, OCT 26, 2016, View Source [SID1234527704]). The programs target Mcl1, an anti-apoptotic target that is over-expressed in many liquid and solid tumor types, and TAK1, a member of the mitogen-activated protein kinase family.

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Under the service agreement with X-Rx, Mercachem is responsible for hit-to-lead and lead optimization campaigns targeting Mcl1 and TAK1. Mcl1-targeting agents could lead to inducing tumor cell death via apoptosis and via modulation of the tumor micro-environment, drive sensitivity to chemotherapy and other immunotherapy approaches. Blocking TAK1, a kinase that when over-expressed in many cell types can drive tumor onset and progression, fibrosis and autoimmune diseases, will have numerous clinical applications.

"In 2015, we successfully partnered two of our therapeutic programs with leading pharma organizations in major markets. We are committed to building on this initial success and bringing additional candidates towards a stage where significant value has been generated to partner them on favorable terms," said Dr. Lee Babiss, CEO of X-Rx. "With today’s news we are taking the next step in the discovery and development of our Mcl1 and TAK1 programs together with Mercachem."

"We are pleased that X-Rx has chosen Mercachem as their collaboration partner as they further explore the therapeutic potential of their two promising oncology targets using our competence and expertise with kinases and PPI targets," commented Dr. Gerhard Müller, SVP Medicinal Chemistry of Mercachem.

A Single Arm, Open-Label, Multi-Centre, Phase I/II Study Evaluating the Safety and Clinical Activity of AUTO2, a CAR T Cell Treatment Targeting BCMA and TACI, in Patients with Relapsed or Refractory Multiple Myeloma

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