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Immunotherapy shown to extend life expectancy in metastatic prostate cancer
A new analysis of the phase 3 IMPACT study has found that sipuleucil-T (Provenge, Dendreon) increases survival times by an estimated median of 7.8 months in patients with asymptomatic or minimally symptomatic metastatic castrate-resistant prostate cancer.
A new analysis of the phase 3 IMPACT study has found that sipuleucil-T (Provenge, Dendreon) increases survival times by an estimated median of 7.8 months in patients with asymptomatic or minimally symptomatic metastatic castrate-resistant prostate cancer.
In addition, 3 exploratory or phase 2 studies found that sipuleucil-T appears to activate the immune response against prostate cancer in patients with localized cancer as well. A percentage of patients treated early with sipuleucil-T appear to survive even longer.
The important things for pharmacists to know about sipuleucil-T are that it is an autologous therapy that should be used for asymptomatic or minimally symptomatic disease and that it will take time to see results, according to Dr George. "We don't expect an immediate treatment response with [the treatment]," he noted.
Results from 4 studies of sipuleucil-T were presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology 2012 Genitourinary Cancers Symposium (ASCO-GU) in San Francisco. The finding on survival time is an improvement over the first studies of sipuleucil-T that found an estimated median overall survival benefit of 4.1 months.
The treatment was approved by FDA as the first autologous cellular immunotherapy against cancer. Patients undergo leukapheresis to remove white blood cells, which are then sent to Dendreon, where they are incubated with antigen prostatic acid phosphatase and granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor. The product is then sent back and infused into the patient in 3 courses of treatment with 2 weeks between treatments.
The most common side effects of sipuleucel-T are chills, fever, fatigue, nausea, and headache, which generally occur during the first days of treatment. However, cerebrovascular events were seen in 2.4% of patients treated with sipuleucel-T compared to only 1.8% of placebo-treated patients.
Coalition promotes important acetaminophen dosing reminders
November 18th 2014It may come as a surprise that each year Americans catch approximately 1 billion colds, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that as many as 20% get the flu. This cold and flu season, 7 in 10 patients will reach for an over-the-counter (OTC) medicine to treat their coughs, stuffy noses, and sniffles. It’s an important time of the year to remind patients to double check their medicine labels so they don’t double up on medicines containing acetaminophen.
Support consumer access to specialty medications through value-based insurance design
June 30th 2014The driving force behind consumer cost-sharing provisions for specialty medications is the acquisition cost and not clinical value. This appears to be true for almost all public and private health plans, says a new report from researchers at the University of Michigan Center for Value-Based Insurance Design (V-BID Center) and the National Pharmaceutical Council (NPC).
Management of antipsychotic medication polypharmacy
June 13th 2013Within our healthcare-driven society, the increase in the identification and diagnosis of mental illnesses has led to a proportional increase in the prescribing of psychotropic medications. The prevalence of mental illnesses and subsequent treatment approaches may employ monotherapy as first-line treatment, but in many cases the use of combination of therapy can occur, leading to polypharmacy.1 Polypharmacy can be defined in several ways but it generally recognized as the use of multiple medications by one patient and the most common definition is the concurrent use of five more medications. The presence of polyharmacy has the potential to contribute to non-compliance, drug-drug interactions, medication errors, adverse events, or poor quality of life.
Medical innovation improves outcomes
June 12th 2013I have been diagnosed with stage 4 cancer of the pancreas, a disease that’s long been considered not just incurable, but almost impossible to treat-a recalcitrant disease that some practitioners feel has given oncology a bad name. I was told my life would be measured in weeks.
