Author: Matt Mauney

Pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson has agreed to pay more than $100 million to settle an more than a thousand lawsuits claiming its iconic baby powder caused cancer, according to Bloomberg News. The settlement stems from burgeoning litigation after earlier asbestos-contaminated talc was found in one of its products. Johnson & Johnson, the world’s largest…

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As the U.S. comes to grips with the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, mesothelioma cancer survivors face additional hurdles, including difficulty receiving care. Patients currently undergoing treatment for cancer and those who are immunocompromised are at greater risk of serious health issues if they contract COVID-19, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention….

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The Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation has postponed its annual International Symposium on Malignant Mesothelioma next month because of the COVID-19 virus, commonly known as the novel coronavirus. The event is the largest gathering of the mesothelioma community each year. It was scheduled for April 6-7 in San Antonio, Texas. Officials with the Mesothelioma Applied Research…

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Revlon Inc. on Tuesday became the latest corporation hit with a lawsuit alleging asbestos-contaminated talc in its cosmetic products caused mesothelioma cancer in a woman. A Maryland couple filed the lawsuit in New York state court. Laura McDaniel believes her diagnosis of mesothelioma in January stems from her father’s earlier employment with Revlon, the multinational…

The post Revlon Named in Talc-Mesothelioma Lawsuit appeared first on Mesothelioma Center – Vital Services for Cancer Patients & Families.

Three of the country’s leading cancer centers have opened a collaborative clinical trial that potentially could change surgical treatment of mesothelioma. Researchers will measure the safety and efficacy of using two different immunotherapy drug regimens — Opdivo (nivolumab) and Yervoy (ipilimumab) — beginning 42 days before surgery. The hope is that at least one will…

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Cellular Analytics, a biotechnology company in Ontario, Canada, has unveiled a novel liquid biopsy test for mesothelioma that could lead to more effective management of this rare cancer. The test has the potential to produce a much-earlier diagnosis of disease and the ability to personalize treatment and better predict a patient’s response to specific therapies….

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Gene therapy is moving closer to becoming part of standard-of-care treatment for pleural mesothelioma, according to the latest multicenter clinical trial. The phase III trial, known as the INFINITE clinical research study, is designed to evaluate the intrapleural delivery of an investigational drug — a type of gene therapy — in combination with celecoxib and…

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The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has granted final approval of Pemfexy, a new brand of the chemotherapy drug pemetrexed, to combat malignant mesothelioma and advanced stage non-small cell lung cancer. The approval will allow oncologists to offer an alternative to Alimta, which today is considered standard pemetrexed and manufactured by Eli Lilly and Company….

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The U.S. Food and Drug Administration moved closer on Tuesday to formulating standardized testing of talc-based products for the presence of toxic asbestos fibers. Experts from eight different federal agencies explained earlier recommendations at a day-long hearing. The session also featured input from 25 members of the public, which included industry representatives, consumer advocates and…

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Women diagnosed with peritoneal mesothelioma were 10 years younger on average than those with pleural mesothelioma in a recent case study at the Duke University Medical Center. It was the largest study of women with mesothelioma at a single institution that included histopathology, survival, exposure, demographics and objective markers (asbestosis, fiber analysis and parietal pleural…

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Almost 30 years after Italy passed sweeping legislation that banned the mining, use and commercialization of asbestos, the country is facing the peak of its mesothelioma cancer crisis. The worst has just arrived. Asbestos may be the primary cause of mesothelioma, but banning it did not slow the rate of diagnosis or death from this…

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ONCOS-102, a promising immunotherapy vaccine, is moving closer to becoming a part of future first-line treatment for mesothelioma. Early clinical trial results announced this week show safety and efficacy when the vaccine is used in combination with standard-of-care chemotherapy for patients with inoperable pleural mesothelioma. Targovax, a Scandinavian pharmaceutical company developing the drug, is moving…

The post ONCOS-102 Shows Promise in Combination Mesothelioma Treatment appeared first on Mesothelioma Center – Vital Services for Cancer Patients & Families.

A team of experts from eight different federal agencies has presented the U.S. Food and Drug Administration with preliminary recommendations to standardize the testing of talc for the presence of asbestos and other potentially harmful mineral products. The recommendations, some of which reject long-held talc industry positions, are designed to end the discrepancies in analysis…

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Researchers in Spain have discovered a drug combination showing potential in treating the most difficult-to-treat type of malignant mesothelioma. Selumetinib and AZD8186, already being studied separately in clinical trials for other cancers, displayed efficacy when used in combination on mesothelioma of the sarcomatoid cell type. Researchers at the Spanish National Cancer Research Centre made the…

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An international research team has identified a novel molecular target with potential to significantly improve future treatment of malignant pleural mesothelioma. The recent findings could lead to a drug that targets key genetic inhibitors often preventing a patient’s own immune system from suppressing mesothelioma tumor growth. Dr. Antonio Giordano, part of the collaborative research team,…

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