United States – Pfizer (PFE. N) is attempting to raise doctors’ awareness of, and requests for, a hard-to-detect lung cancer gene so as to fuel demand for its Braftovi, which the drugmaker believes may evolve into the first line of treatment.

Positive 3-Year Study Results Shared at Medical Conference

On Saturday, the company shared 3-year follow-up results from the Phase-Two study of patients with BRAF V600E-mutant metastatic non-small cell lung cancer on patients who initially were treated with Braftovi and another of Pfizer’s drug Mektovi. According to the study, they estimated more than two and a half years of progression-free survival, which measures how long the patients lived after the treatment before their cancer worsened, as reported by Reuters.

Chris Boshoff, Pfizer’s Chief Oncology Officer, said it was evidence-based to use the drug to treat that group and said it aims to get a market share of 60% for lung cancer patients with the mutation.

A Targeted Therapy Opportunity

He stated that the rate of such mutation is low and only ranges from about 2% to 3% of lung cancer.

The standard of care for such patients is, therefore, immunotherapy combined with chemotherapy, as enunciated by Boshoff. Mektovi, in combination with Braftovi, has been authorized for patients suffering from Non-small cell lung cancer with the aforementioned mutation since last year.

“All patients with lung cancer should be tested for BRAF mutations, and that could be done with a simple blood test,” he said. “It’s a relatively easy test to identify these patients who clearly would benefit significantly from having a targeted therapy.”

He stated that about 50% of lung cancer patients in the U. S. are tested for the mutation at the moment. The global figure is lower still, according to the indications of the organization.

Educational Efforts and Global Expansion

“This is a space where Pfizer is particularly well equipped, not just in the US, but globally, to encourage testing and to help educate physicians, pathologists, patients, and patient advocate groups,” Boshoff said. He said the test is covered by insurance in the U.S.

It actually moved close to $400m in Braftovi and Mektovi last year, nevertheless, there is no great growth anticipated for those drugs based on the forecasts from the analysts, as per LSEG data.

Future Prospects in Colorectal Cancer

Another area that Boshoff said Braftovi could tap into is colorectal cancer, of which only 10 % are BRAF-mutated. Specifically, he added that the company is expecting the result of the late-stage study of the drug candidate in the setting of colorectal cancer before the year ends, as reported by Reuters.

United States – A large-scale study that was conducted for the first time and disclosed at the European Association for the Study of Diabetes conference in Madrid showcases that people with type 1 diabetes lack motivation to exercise. The primary reason cited for this reluctance is that exercising results in dangerous drops in blood sugar level, as reported by HealthDay. 

Effective communication between doctor and a patient is one of the key areas that should be bolstered.  

In an interview with the lead researcher, Catriona Farrell from the University of Dundee, the three recommendations made include; Education and proper communication between the healthcare providers and patients can go along way to reduce this problem. Diabetes may be controlled if doctors give their recommendations on how to manage the disease with exercising, then the patients will have morale to exercise. 

Recognizing the Multiple Benefits of Exercise  

Farrell emphasizes the numerous health benefits that exercise offers for individuals with type 1 diabetes. Regular physical activity is vital for maintaining stable blood glucose levels, managing body fat composition, and promoting overall cardiovascular health. Despite these significant benefits, many people with type 1 diabetes struggle to meet the recommended levels of physical activity. 

Study Uncovers Key Barriers to Exercise  

The study on which this article is based involved surveying 463 men and women with type 1 diabetes and observed 13 possible exercise barriers. These were perceived concerns such as; fluctuating blood sugar, constant fatigue, increased susceptibility to physical injuries, poor fitness levels, and social disinclusion by friends and family members. Among these, the concern for developing hypoglycemia or having a low blood sugar level was seen as a significant barrier towards exercising, as reported by HealthDay. 

Education and support has been shown to promote exercise. 

The study also shows that on learning how to manage insulin doses and carbohydrates intake in the pre and post exercise period, one does not feel the normal acute боane of hypoglycemia. Moreover, those patients who talk about exercise with their doctors and other healthcare providers are more comfortable and willing to exercise. This level of understanding and support goes along way in assisting a person with type 1 diabetes to overcome these barriers and get the many other benefits associated with physical exercise. 

United States – A new study reveals that smokers who are willing to stop smoking will benefit health-wise as the risk of atrial fibrillation will reduce almost immediately.

Study Insights

“The findings provide a compelling new reason to show current smokers that it’s not too late to quit and that having smoked in the past doesn’t mean you’re ‘destined’ to develop A-Fib,” said study senior author Dr. Gregory Marcus, as reported by HealthDay.

“For the chronic and the present-day smoker, A-Fib can be prevented,” commented Marcus, a UCSF cardiologist. His team published its findings Sept. 11 in JACC: In this schema, the treatment of clinical electrophysiology is as follows:

In A-Fib, the heart’s upper chambers, begin to contract abnormally. These enable the stagnation of blood and formation of clots in the atria and thus pose high risks to the life of a human being, specifically through a stroke.

“There’s strong evidence that smoking increases the risk of A-Fib, but the benefits of quitting smoking have been less certain,” Marcus said. “We wanted to determine whether quitting smoking could lower a person’s risk of developing A-Fib or if the risk would stay the same.”

To see this, they examined data from the UK Biobank looking at current or former smokers with information on their smoking history and health status recorded over 12 years of follow-up in Britain.

Study Findings

Marcus’ team identified that the odds for Arrhythmia-Fibillation (A-Fib) were 13% lower in ex-smokers before joining the study as opposed to current smokers, and if the smokers quit during the study, their chances of A-Fib were 18% when compared to the current smokers, as reported by HealthDay.

“This is likely a testament to the potency of reducing atrial fibrillation risk pretty shortly after quitting,” Marcus said in a news release from the American College of Cardiology.