On October 5, 2017 Teva Pharmaceuticals Europe BV, (NYSE and TASE: TEVA) reported the winner of the tomy’s (Teva’s Orphan hematological Malignancies award for Young hematologists) at the 7th International Symposium on Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia (APL) in Rome, Italy last week (Press release, Teva, OCT 5, 2017, View Source [SID1234520796]). During the event entitled, ‘Next-Generation APL Leaders: Teva’s Award for Young Hematologists’ Dr. Salamero was awarded a tomy’s trophy, as well as a bursary to attend the 2017 American Society of Hematology (ASH) (Free ASH Whitepaper) Annual Meeting, taking place in the USA in December.
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Dr. Salamero is currently a hematologist at the Vall d’Hebron University Hospital, Barcelona, Spain and presented research entitled Very elderly acute promyelocytic leukemia: a multicentric experience. The study selected patients aged ≥ 75 years old with APL who had reported to PETHEMA registry (Spanish Hematology Treatment Programme) over the last nineteen years. Epidemiologic characteristics and disease features in the very elderly APL population were analysed and the percentage of patients treated according to investigators criteria described. The research found that patients treated with all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) plus anthracycline-based regimen showed better outcomes than patients who received other strategies, such as ATRA alone, chemotherapy alone or best supportive care.

Speaking after the awards ceremony, Dr. Salamero said, “Winning the tomy’s – it’s been a pleasure. I feel proud, not because of my work but the work of the PETHEMA group. I would recommend attending the APL Symposium as not only is it very interesting, but it facilitates a lot and keeps you in touch with your peers.”

The tomy’s are an educational award programme for young hematologists, sponsored by Teva Oncology. The awards are open to young hematologists, or young physicians training to become hematologists aged 40 years or younger. The entrants are challenged to illustrate the latest scientific advancements in the management of orphan hematological malignancies by presenting a case study or case series demonstrating their excellence in education and presentation skills. The independent jury for the 2017 tomy’s was comprised of experts in orphan hematological malignancies and includes Pierre Fenaux, France; Richard Schlenk, Germany; Francesco Lo-Coco, Italy; Bob Löwenberg, Netherlands; Nigel Russell, UK and Miguel Sanz, Spain.

“It’s estimated that between 1,500 – 2,000 people in Europe are diagnosed with APL each year. Even though APL is the most lethal type of acute leukemia, it’s highly curable and more research into this disorder is urgently needed. The tomy’s programme reflects Teva’s commitment to encouraging new and innovative research aimed at improving patient outcomes in orphan hematological malignancies,” said Paul Harmon, Head of Teva’s Oncology Care and Transplant Europe.

“APL can cause a number of symptoms including uncontrollable bleeding and can kill within hours or days if left untreated. As it’s so rare, APL can be difficult to recognise and diagnose. We’re excited about this programme, and we believe it will stimulate new exciting research, with the ultimate ambition of saving lives,” commented Prof. Lo-Coco, tomy jury member.

The full list of finalists as well as more information on the jury can be accessed via: View Source
The tomy’s awards ceremony in Rome follows the inaugural tomy’s awards, announced at the Teva Oncology Satellite Symposium at the Acute Leukemias XVI International Symposium, which took place in Munich, Germany, in February 2017.

For more information on the Tomy’s awards or for queries regarding abstract submissions or notifications, please contact: [email protected].

On October 5, 2017 Pfizer reported that they unveils enhanced offerings to help patients manage their life with cancer (Press release, Pfizer, OCT 5, 2017, View Source [SID1234520795]). Pfizer Oncology Together is a first-of-its-kind program for patients taking Pfizer Oncology medicines that offers dedicated social workers called ‘Care Champions’ to help navigate the complexities that accompany treatment, such as identifying resources to help find emotional support, and workplace transition, transportation and financial assistance. For cancer patients taking a Pfizer Oncology medicine, please visit www.PfizerOncologyTogether.com.

Pfizer is also proud to launch This is Living with Cancer, a program that provides tools and resources to support those who have been affected by cancer, including a mobile app, LivingWith, designed to help manage some of the daily challenges faced by people living with cancer. For more information about the program and to find out more about LivingWith, visit www.ThisIsLivingWithCancer.com.

“Today, more than 15 million people in the United States are living with cancer and that number is expected to grow as emerging science and better therapies are likely to increase the number of patients living with cancer as we strive for a cure,” said Liz Barrett, Global President, Pfizer Oncology. “Navigating life with cancer poses many challenges for patients and their families and friends, and we hope these unique programs can help their journey.”

“Cancer patients can feel isolated and unsure about how to navigate care and approach day-to-day life,” said Myra Biblowit, President & CEO, Breast Cancer Research Foundation. “Pfizer’s new programming that goes beyond treatment is critical in helping patients and their care networks deal with the challenges associated with living with cancer.”

About Pfizer Oncology Together

Pfizer Oncology Together is a portfolio-wide program for patient access solutions and support in the U.S. As part of the program, patients receiving Pfizer Oncology medicines will have access to a team of social workers who will be able to provide support beyond the traditional access and reimbursement services by connecting them with a wide variety of patient education resources and outreach programs. The support programs include identifying independent third party resources that provide emotional support, lodging, transportation, workplace transition support for patients balancing their jobs and treatment, and connecting patients and their families to local advocacy groups. This service will provide patients and caregivers with a dedicated representative over the course of their treatment. For more information go to www.PfizerOncologyTogether.com or call 1-877-744-5675.

About This is Living with CancerTM and LivingWith

LivingWith provides patients and caregivers with a tool to organize certain important information in one place, including:

Build a network of support from friends and family to get help with daily tasks
Record and remember important information from doctor visits
Track mood, pain and connect with wearables
Get organized and store key documents
Receive information about local events and nutrition articles
LivingWith is available at no charge and can be downloaded at the Apple App store or Google Play.

On October 5, 2017 TG Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDQ:TGTX), reported that the first patient has been dosed in a Phase 1 clinical trial evaluating the safety and tolerability of its proprietary fully-human anti-PD-L1 monoclonal antibody. This first-in-human, Phase I, open-label, multicenter study is evaluating the safety and tolerability of ascending doses of our anti-PD-L1 monoclonal antibody in checkpoint therapy-naïve patients with selected recurrent or metastatic cancers. Secondary endpoints for this study include the evaluation or characterization of the pharmacokinetics, immunogenicity and preliminary efficacy (Press release, TG Therapeutics, OCT 5, 2017, View Source [SID1234520789]). This study will initially enroll patients in sites across Australia and New Zealand.

Michael S. Weiss, the Company’s Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer stated, “We are excited to bring our first immuno-oncology asset into clinical development. This first-in-human study is being conducted in solid tumors to expedite enrollment and enrich for patients most likely to respond to anti-PD-L1 therapy. Once a recommended Phase 2 dose is identified, we plan to commence a study in B-cell malignancies both as a single agent and in combination with our other pipeline products. We have already piloted the concept by combining our proprietary ‘U2′ (TG-1101 + TGR-1202) regimen with the PD-1 inhibitor, pembrolizumab, and believe that experience will speed the development of our proprietary triplet.” Mr. Weiss continued, “As always, our vision is to develop best-in-class combination therapies and we believe adding PD-1/PD-L1 therapy to targeted therapy represents the next generation of treatment options for patients with B-cell malignancies. Advancing our proprietary anti-PD-L1 into the clinic is an important first step in reaching this goal.”