Category: 3. Business

  • ESMO 2025: Perioperative Enfortumab Vedotin (EV) plus Pembrolizumab (Pembro) in Participants with Muscle-Invasive Bladder Cancer (MIBC) Who Are Cisplatin-Ineligible: The Phase 3 KEYNOTE-905 Study – UroToday

    1. ESMO 2025: Perioperative Enfortumab Vedotin (EV) plus Pembrolizumab (Pembro) in Participants with Muscle-Invasive Bladder Cancer (MIBC) Who Are Cisplatin-Ineligible: The Phase 3 KEYNOTE-905 Study  UroToday
    2. Pfizer and Astellas announce positive results from phase 3ev-303 clinical trial for Padcev in combination with Keytruda  TradingView
    3. Enfortumab Vedotin Plus Pembro Cuts Risk of Disease Progression, Death 60% for Patients With MIBC Who Can’t Have Chemo With Bladder Removal  The American Journal of Managed Care® (AJMC®)
    4. ESMO25: Padcev, Keytruda regimen given before, after surgery shines in bladder cancer  FirstWord Pharma
    5. KEYNOTE-905: EV/pembrolizumab emerges as new option for cisplatin-ineligible MIBC  Urology Times

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  • Where Will Nvidia Be 24 Months After the Blackwell Launch? Here’s What History Says.

    Where Will Nvidia Be 24 Months After the Blackwell Launch? Here’s What History Says.

    • The AI chip leader released its much-anticipated Blackwell platform late last year.

    • The previous big release was the Hopper architecture, launched two years earlier, and the system drove major revenue gains.

    • 10 stocks we like better than Nvidia ›

    About a year ago, Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA) was facing one of its biggest moments ever. The artificial intelligence (AI) chip giant was launching its new Blackwell architecture, a system that was being met with “insane” demand as CEO Jensen Huang told CNBC at the time. The company announced Blackwell in March 2024 and the fourth quarter of the year was the first to include Blackwell revenue.

    Blackwell was to be the first release of a new routine for Nvidia: launching chip or entire platform updates on an annual basis. Since that time, this new architecture has helped Nvidia’s earnings roar higher, with Blackwell data center revenue climbing 17% in the most recent quarter from the previous one. In the report, Huang said, “The AI race is on, and Blackwell is the platform at its center.” Meanwhile, Nvidia stock has reflected all of this, advancing 40% so far this year.

    Now, it’s logical to wonder where Nvidia will be as this story progresses, for example, 24 months after the Blackwell launch. Here’s what history says.

    Image source: Nvidia.

    First, though, let’s consider Nvidia’s path in the AI market so far. The company has always been a graphics processing unit (GPU) powerhouse, but in its earlier days, it mainly sold these high-performance chips to the gaming market. As it became clear that their uses could be much broader, Nvidia developed the CUDA parallel computing platform to make that happen — and then, as the potential of AI emerged, Nvidia didn’t hesitate to put its focus on this exciting market.

    That proved to be a fantastic move as it helped Nvidia secure the top spot in the AI chip market — and the quality and speed of its GPUs has kept it there. All of this has resulted in several quarters of double- and triple-digit revenue growth as well as high profitability on sales — gross margin has generally surpassed 70% in recent times.

    To keep this leadership going, Nvidia committed to ongoing innovation, with the promise of updating its chips once a year. The company kicked this off with the launch of Blackwell about a year ago, then released update Blackwell Ultra a few months ago. Next up on the agenda is the Vera Rubin system, set for release late next year.

    All of these platforms operate together seamlessly, so customers don’t have to wait for a specific one and instead can get in on Nvidia’s current system and easily move forward with the latest innovations when needed. Still, as mentioned earlier, demand from big tech customers for the latest systems has been great — they want to win in the AI race and to do so aim to get their hands on the best tools as soon as possible.

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  • Jetson Air Games Have Officially Taken Off and Are Wildly Inspiring, To Say the Least – autoevolution

    1. Jetson Air Games Have Officially Taken Off and Are Wildly Inspiring, To Say the Least  autoevolution
    2. Jetson showcases eVTOL racing concept called the Jetson Air Games [Video]  Electrek
    3. Flying Cars Are Officially Advanced Enough To Pilot In Shockingly Casual Attire  OutKick
    4. Jetson Personal Electric Aerial Vehicles Race Against Each Other in an ‘Air Games’ Showcase  Laughing Squid
    5. ‘Formula One of skies’: Jetson hosts world’s first flying car race in Texas  The News International

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  • Gold and silver prices drop sharply in Karachi markets

    Gold and silver prices drop sharply in Karachi markets

    KARACHI (Dunya News) – After weeks of steady increases, gold and silver prices finally took a downturn, bringing some much-needed relief to buyers across the country.

    Triggered by a decline in international gold prices, the rate of gold per tola in Pakistan dropped sharply by Rs10,600. With this decrease, the price of 24-karat gold per tola now stands at Rs446,300.

    Similarly, the price of 10 grams of 24-karat gold fell by Rs9,088, settling at Rs382,630.

    The decline wasn’t limited to gold. In domestic bullion markets, silver prices also dropped — 24-karat silver per tola decreased by Rs231 and is now priced at Rs5,273.

    On the global front, gold prices dropped by $106 per ounce, bringing the international rate down to $4,252 per ounce.

    This sudden shift in prices has sparked renewed interest among potential buyers and investors, who had been waiting for a market correction.

     


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  • Durvalumab Plus FLOT Ups Survival in Early Upper-GI Cancer – Medscape

    1. Durvalumab Plus FLOT Ups Survival in Early Upper-GI Cancer  Medscape
    2. AstraZeneca – IMFINZI-Based Regimen Reduced The Risk Of Death By 22% In Early Gastric Cancer Versus. Chemotherapy Alone In MATTERHORN Phase III Trial  TradingView
    3. MATTERHORN Trial at ESMO 2025: Durvalumab Plus FLOT in Resectable Gastric and GEJ Adenocarcinoma  Oncodaily
    4. Imfinzi Plus Chemo Improves Survival in G/GEJ Adenocarcinoma  CUREtoday.com
    5. Durvalumab Plus Chemotherapy Sets New Standard in Resectable Gastric and GEJ Cancer  Pharmacy Times

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  • Phase 2 BNT111/Cemiplimab Data Prove Positive in PD-(L)1-Relapsed/Refractory Melanoma

    Phase 2 BNT111/Cemiplimab Data Prove Positive in PD-(L)1-Relapsed/Refractory Melanoma

    The addition of BNT111 to cemiplimab-rwlc (Libtayo) led to an objective response rate (ORR) of 18.1% (95% CI, 10.9%-27.4%; P = .0115) in patients with PD-(L)1-relapsed/refractory melanoma, allowing investigators to reject the null hypothesis of an ORR below 10%, according to data from the phase 2 BNT111-01 trial (NCT04526899) that were presented at the 2025 ESMO Congress.1

    Best responses included a complete response (CR) rate of 11.7%, partial response (PR) rate of 6.4%, and stable disease (SD) rate of 37.2%. The disease control rate (DCR) was 55.3% (95% CI, 44.7%-65.6%).

    With median follow-up of 15.7 months (range, 0.2-42.2), the median progression-free survival (PFS) was 3.1 months (95% CI, 1.7-6.9); the 24-month PFS rate was 24.9% (95% CI, 14.9%-36.1%). The median overall survival (OS) was 20.7 months (95% CI, 14.4-28.3); the 24-month OS rate was 47.8% (95% CI, 36.4%-58.4%).

    “The results indicated statistically significant improvement of BNT111 plus cemiplimab vs an assumed historical control ORR of 10% in heavily pretreated, PD-(L)1-relapsed/refractory advanced or metastatic cutaneous non-acral melanoma,” lead study author Paolo Ascierto, MD, full professor of oncology at the University of Napoli Federico II, and director of the Department of Melanoma, Cancer Immunotherapy and Development Therapeutics at the Istituto Nazionale Tumori IRCCS Fondazione Pascale in Naples, Italy, said in a presentation.

    What Is the Development History of BNT111 in Melanoma?

    The company announced the positive topline results back in July 2024, 3 years after BNT111 received fast track designation from the FDA for the potential treatment of patients with advanced melanoma.2,3

    BNT111 is an investigational uridine RNA-based lipoplex cancer immunotherapy targeting the nonmutated, tumor-associated antigens NY-ESO-1, MAGE-A3, Tyrosinase, and TPTE.1

    BNT111-01 was designed as an open-label, randomized, multi-center, interventional trial to evaluate the activity and safety of BNT111 plus cemiplimab as second-line therapy in patients with unresectable stage III or IV melanoma who had progressed on prior PD-(L)1 therapy.

    To be eligible for the trial patients had to have measurable disease, serum lactase dehydrogenase levels below the upper limit of normal, and received up to 5 prior lines of therapy including ipilimumab (Yervoy). Notably, patients had to enter the trial within 6 months of confirmed disease progression and have received at least 12 weeks of treatment, which must have included a BRAF-based combination for patients with BRAF-mutant disease.

    A total of 180 patients were randomly assigned 2:1:1 to treatment with BNT111 plus cemiplimab (n = 94; arm 1), BNT111 monotherapy (n = 46; arm 2), or cemiplimab monotherapy (n = 44; arm 3), all for up to 24 months. Patients in the monotherapy arms were allowed to add the other agent upon confirmation of disease progression.

    The primary end point was ORR by blinded independent central review per RECIST 1.1 in arm 1, which was compared with an assumed historic control ORR of 10%. Secondary end points were ORR in arms 2 and 3, duration of response, DCR, time to response, PFS, OS, safety, tolerability, and patient-reported outcomes.

    Patients were followed for safety for 90 days and OS every 3 months for up to 48 months from the last randomization.

    What Were the Baseline Characteristics of the Trial Population?

    Baseline characteristics of the combination arm revealed that the median age was 64.0 (range, 18-84) and most patients were male (63.8%) and had an ECOG performance status of 0 (78.7%). The majority also had stage IV disease at baseline (97.9%), M1c disease (44.7%), and between 2 and 5 prior therapies (56.4%). Patients also were PD-(L)1 refractory (56.4%), and had liver metastases (25.5%), BRAF V600 mutations (28.7%), prior BRAF/MEK therapy (18.1%), and prior ipilimumab (48.9%).

    “All patients were PD-(L)1 relapsed/refractory and had received one or multiple prior therapies with half of patients being CTLA4 pretreated,” Ascierto said.

    How Did the Regimen Compare With Each Agent Alone?

    “BNT111 also indicated clinical activity as monotherapy.” The ORR was 17.4% (95% CI, 7.8%-31.4%) with BNT111 monotherapy (n = 46), which included best responses of CR (13.0%), PR (4.3%), and SD (41.3%). The DCR was 58.7% (95% CI, 43.2%-73.0%). With cemiplimab monotherapy (n = 44), the ORR was 13.6% (95% CI, 5.2%-27.4%), with best responses of CR (4.5%), PR (9.1%), and SD (34.1%). The DCR was 47.7% (95% CI, 32.5%-63.3%).

    Median follow-up was 11.8 months (range, 0.6-38.4) in the BNT111 arm and 16.9 months (range, 1.9-39.5) in the cemiplimab arm. In the BNT111 monotherapy arm, the median PFS was 2.8 months (95% CI, 2.6-4.7); the 24-month PFS rate was 20.9% (95% CI, 8.0%-37.9%). The median OS was 13.7 months (95% CI, 10.2-24.6); the 24-month OS rate was 37.6% (95% CI, 22.7%-52.5%). In the cemiplimab monotherapy arm, the median PFS was 3.2 months (95% CI, 1.5-5.0); the 24-month PFS rate was 10.6% (95% CI, 1.1%-32.5%). The median OS was 22.3 months (95% CI, 14.6-33.2); the 24-month OS rate was 43.1% (95% CI, 26.5%-58.7%).

    What Was the Safety Profile of the Combination?

    With respect to safety in the combination arm (n = 92) treatment-emergent adverse effects (TEAEs) associated with cytokine release included pyrexia (any grade, 76.1%; grade ≥3, 0%), hypertension (any grade, 12.0%; grade ≥3, 6.5%), hypotension (any grade, 13.0%; grade ≥3, 2.2%), fatigue (any grade, 25.0%; grade ≥3, 3.3%), cytokine release syndrome (any grade, 8.7%; grade ≥3, 1.1%), and chills (any grade, 51.1%; grade ≥3, 0%).

    TEAEs leading to dose reduction (9.8%), interruption (29.3%), and discontinuation (6.5%) also occurred. TEAEs occurred in 98.9% of cases and were deemed related to BNT111 in 97.8% (grade ≥3, 18.5%) and cemiplimab in 71.7% (grade ≥3, 14.1%).

    “BNT111, both as a monotherapy and in combination therapy, exhibited a manageable safety profile, which is primarily driven by the induction of cytokines through toll-like receptors by the single-stranded RNA immunotherapy,” Ascierto said in conclusion.

    Disclosures: Ascierto disclosed serving as a consultant or advisory role for Bristol-Myers Squibb, Roche-Genentech, Merck Sharp & Dohme, Novartis, Merck Serono, Pierre-Fabre, Sun Pharma, Immunocore, Italfarmaco, Boehringer-Ingelheim, Regenerson, Pfizer, Nouscom, Lunaphore, Medicenna, Bio-Al Health, ValoTx, Replimune, Bayer, Erasca, Philogen, BioNTech, Anaveon, Genmab, Menarini, Incyte, and ImCheck Therapeutics; research funding from Bristol-Myers Squibb, Roche-Genentech, Pfizer, Regeneron, and Medicenna; travel support from Pfizer, Bio-Al Health, Replimune, MSD, Pierre Fabre, and Philogen; and non-financial interests as president of the Fondazione Melanoma Onlus, president of the Campania Society of ImmunoTherapy of Cancer, member of the steering committee of the Society of Melanoma Research, and a member of the Board of Directors for the Society of Immuno-Therapy of Cancer.

    References

    1. Ascierto PA, Grabbe S, Guida M, et al. Primary results from a randomized phase II trial of BNT111 in combination with cemiplimab with calibrator monotherapy arms in anti-PD-(L)1 relapsed/refractory melanoma. Presented at: 2025 ESMO Congress; October 17-21, 2025; Berlin, Germany. Abstract 1605MO.
    2. BioNTech announces positive topline phase 2 results for mRNA immunotherapy candidate BNT111 in patients with advanced melanoma. News release. BioNTech SE. July 30, 2024. Accessed October 18, 2025. https://investors.biontech.de/news-releases/news-release-details/biontech-announces-positive-topline-phase-2-results-mrna
    3. BioNTech receives FDA fast track designation for its FixVac candidate BNT111 in advanced melanoma. News release. BioNTech SE. November 19, 2021. Accessed October 18, 2025. https://investors.biontech.de/news-releases/news-release-details/biontech-receives-fda-fast-track-designation-its-fixvac

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  • T-DXd vs T-DM1 in HER2+ Early BC

    T-DXd vs T-DM1 in HER2+ Early BC

    DESTINY-Breast05 (NCT04622319), presented by Dr. Charles E. Geyer (Pittsburgh, United States of America) at the ESMO Congress 2025, is a pivotal phase 3, open-label, randomized trial evaluating trastuzumab deruxtecan (T-DXd) versus the standard-of-care trastuzumab emtansine (T-DM1) in patients with HER2-positive early breast cancer (eBC) who had residual invasive disease after neoadjuvant therapy. The study was designed to determine whether T-DXd could improve long-term outcomes for this high-risk population compared with T-DM1, the established post-neoadjuvant standard of care

    Background

    Patients with HER2-positive early breast cancer who have residual invasive disease following neoadjuvant chemotherapy and anti-HER2 therapy face a high risk of recurrence, particularly distant relapse. T-DM1 became the standard post-neoadjuvant treatment following the KATHERINE trial, but outcomes remain suboptimal for patients with high residual disease burden. Trastuzumab deruxtecan (T-DXd), a next-generation HER2-directed antibody–drug conjugate with a potent topoisomerase I inhibitor payload, has shown marked efficacy in metastatic settings, prompting investigation into its use in the early disease setting to reduce recurrence risk.

    Methods

    In DESTINY-Breast05, 1,635 patients with HER2-positive eBC and residual invasive disease after neoadjuvant taxane-based chemotherapy and HER2-targeted therapy were randomized 1:1 to receive either:

    • T-DXd (5.4 mg/kg) every 3 weeks,for a total of 14 cycles.
    • T-DM1 (3.6 mg/kg) every 3 weeks,for a total of 14 cycles.

    Eligible patients were considered high risk for recurrence, defined by clinical stages T4, N0–3, M0 or T1–3, N2–3, M0 at presentation, or residual nodal disease after neoadjuvant therapy.

    The primary endpoint was invasive disease-free survival (IDFS), with disease-free survival (DFS) as a key secondary endpoint. Additional endpoints included overall survival (OS), distant recurrence-free interval, brain metastasis–free interval (BMFI), and safety.

    Results

    At the data cutoff of July 2, 2025, median follow-up was 29.9 months in the T-DXd arm and 29.7 months in the T-DM1 arm.

    • IDFS events: 6.2% with T-DXd vs 12.5% with T-DM1
    • DFS events: 6.4% vs 12.6%
    • Hazard ratio (HR): 0.47 for both IDFS and DFS (95% CI: 0.34–0.66; p < 0.0001)

    DESTINY-Breast05 at ESMO 2025: T-DXd Improves Invasive Disease-Free Survival Over T-DM1 in Residual HER2-Positive Early Breast Cancer

     

    Similarly, the key secondary endpoint of disease-free survival (DFS) demonstrated a parallel benefit, with a hazard ratio of 0.47 (95% CI, 0.34–0.66; p < 0.0001). The 3-year DFS rate was 92.3% with T-DXd compared with 83.5% with T-DM1, corresponding to an 8.8% absolute gain.

    DESTINY-Breast05

     

    These findings represent a 53% reduction in risk of invasive disease recurrence or death with T-DXd compared with T-DM1.

    A clinically meaningful improvement in BMFI was also observed (HR 0.64; 95% CI 0.35–1.17), suggesting enhanced control of central nervous system relapse.

    DESTINY-Breast05 at ESMO 2025

    Safety

    The overall safety profile of T-DXd was manageable and consistent with prior studies.

    • Grade ≥3 TEAEs: 50.6% (T-DXd) vs 51.9% (T-DM1)
    • Adjudicated interstitial lung disease (ILD): 9.6% (2 grade 5 cases) vs 1.6% (none grade 5)
    • Treatment-related deaths: 0.4% (T-DXd) vs 0.6% (T-DM1)

    DESTINY-Breast05

    Most ILD events were grade 1–2 and resolved with treatment modification or corticosteroids. No new safety signals were identified.

    Conclusions

    The DESTINY-Breast05 trial demonstrated that trastuzumab deruxtecan (T-DXd) offers a statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvement in both invasive disease-free survival (IDFS) and disease-free survival (DFS) compared with trastuzumab emtansine (T-DM1) in patients with HER2-positive early breast cancer who had residual invasive disease following neoadjuvant therapy.

    These findings mark a pivotal advance in the post-neoadjuvant management of HER2-positive breast cancer. By extending the proven efficacy of T-DXd beyond the metastatic setting into early-stage, high-risk disease, the results highlight its potential to redefine the standard of care for patients who previously had limited options after incomplete response to neoadjuvant therapy. Importantly, the benefit was consistent across all major subgroups, including hormone receptor–positive and –negative disease, as well as across regions and baseline disease characteristics, underscoring the robustness of the findings.

     

    You can read the full abstract here.

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  • ITM-11 Meets Primary and Secondary End Points in Final Trial Data in Patients with GEP-NETs | Targeted Oncology

    ITM-11 Meets Primary and Secondary End Points in Final Trial Data in Patients with GEP-NETs | Targeted Oncology

    Final analysis from the phase 3 COMPETE trial (NCT03049189)1

    revealed that 177-Lu-edotretide (ITM-11) vs everolimus met its primary and secondary endpoints in patients with gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (GEP-NETs).The final analysis was announced at the 2025 European Association of Nuclear Medicine Annual CongressSociety for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress on October 18, 2025.21 The results were presented by Jaume Capdevila, MD, PhD, Vall d’Hebron University Hospital.

    The primary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS), which was reached with statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvement. The median PFS was significantly longer in patients who tookadministered ITM-11 compared to those who tookadministered everolimus. The secondary endpoint of the trial was overall survival (OS), which was also identified to be higher in patients who tookwere administered ITM-11 vs everolimus.2

    There was a total of 207 patients in the ITM-11 group and 102 patients in the everolimus group. , respectively. The median ages of both groups were 65 (ITM-11), and 61 (everolimus). Majority of patients in both groups were male. The majority of patients had grade 2, non-functional GEP-NETs and had received prior therapy.1,2

    What Were the Results of the COMPETE Trial?

    COMPETE met its primary endpoint of PFS, which proved to be significantly longer in patients treated with ITM-11 vs everolimus. The central assessment was 23.9 vs 14.1 months (HR, 0.67; 95% CI, 0.48–0.95; P=.022).; HR .67, 95% CI [.48, .95]). The local assessment was 24.1 vs 17.6 months (P=.010; HR, 0.66; 95% CI, 0 [.48–0, .91] P =.010;).2

    In the subgroup analysis of PFS by tumor origin, mPFS was found to be numerically longer in GE-NETs and P-NETs in the ITM-11 arm. In GE-NETs the mPFS was 23.9 vs 12 months (P=.090; HR 0.64, 95% CI, 0i [.38–, 1.08;] P=.090;). In P-NETs the mPFS was 24.5 vs 14.7 months (HR, 0.70, P=.114; HR .70, 95% CI, 0 [.45–, 1.09; P=.114;]).2

    It was also identified that mPFS was numerically longer in grade 1 and significantly longer in grade 2 tumors in the ITM-11 arm. Grade 1 was 30 vs 23.7 months (P=.753; HR, 0.89, 95% CI, 0. [.42–, 1.8; 7]P =.753;), and grade 2 was 21.7 vs 9.2 months (P=.0003; HR 0.55l , 95% CI, 0i [.37–0, .82] P =.0003).2

    In exploring PFS by prior therapy, it was identified that mPFS was numerically longer in the first line and significantly longer in the second line in the ITM-11 arm. First line data showed the mPFS was not reached in the ITM-11NR vs 18.1 months (P=.249; HR, 0.60, 95% CI, 0 [.25–, 1.45; P =.249]), and second line data showed 23.9 vs 14.1 months (P=.039; HR, 0.68; , 95% CI, 0 [.47–0,, 98] P=.039).2

    Overall response rates (ORR), one of the secondary endpoints of the trial, was found to be significantly higher in the ITM-11 arm. Central assessment was 21.9% vs 4.2% (P<.0001), and local assessment was 30.5% vs 8.4% (P<.0001).2

    What Adverse Events Were Reported?

    Adverse events (AEs) related to the drug study were experienced by 82% of patients ITM-11 group, and 97% of patients in the everolimus group. The most common AEs reported were nausea (30% vs 10.1%), diarrhea (14.3% vs 35.4%), asthenia (25.3% vs 31.3%), and fatigue (15.7% vs 15.2%). These AEs were expected based on the known safety profile of ITM-11.2

    AEs leading to premature study discontinuation wereas 1.8% vs 15.2% among both groups, respectively, dose modification or discontinuation wereas 3.7% vs 52.5%, among both groups, and the amount of patients with delayed study drug administration due to toxicity was 0.9% in the ITM-11 group, and none 0% in the everolimus group.2

    Dosimetry data showed targeted tumor uptake with low exposure to healthy organs, with normal organ absorbed doses well below safety thresholds.

    What Were the Patient Criteria?

    Patient inclusion criteria included being 18 or older, having well-differentiated, non-functional GE-NET or functional/non-functional P-NET;, grade 1/2 unresectable or metastatic, progressive, SSRT-positive+ disease; and , being treatment-naive to first-line therapies or progressing , or progressed under prior second-line therapies.1,2

    Morphologic imagining was conducted in 3-month intervals. The PFS follow-up was done every 3 months after the first 30 days. Long-term follow-up was done every 6 months.

    “With these data combining extensive dosimetry information from more than 200 patients included in a prospective trial, ITM is laying the groundwork for improved therapeutic decision-making by providing important insights into tumor uptake and treatment variability,” Emmanuel Deshayes, MD, PhD, professor in biophysics and nuclear medicine at the Montpellier Cancer Institute in France, said in a news release.2 “It may offer clinically meaningful implications for optimizing individualized patient management.”

    Dosimetry data from COMPETE shaped the design of ITM’s phase 3 COMPOSE (NCT04919226)4 trial, with ITM-11 in well-differentiated, aggressive grade 2 or grade 3 SSTR-positive+ GEP-NET tumors, as well as the upcoming phase 1 pediatric KinLET (NCT06441331) study in SSTR-positive+ tumors.

    DISCLOSURES: Capdevila noted grants and/or research support from Advanced Accelerator Applications, AstraZeneca, Amgen, Bayer, Eisai, Gilead, ITM, Novartis, Pfizer, and Roche; participation as a speaker, consultant, or advisor for Advanced Acclerator Applications, Advanz Pharma, Amgen, Bayer, Eisai, Esteve, Exelixis, Hutchmed, Ipsen, ITM, Lilly, Merck Serono, Novartis, Pfizer, Roche, and Sanofi; position as advisory board member for Amgen, Bayer, Eisai, Esteve, Exelixis, Ipsen, ITM, Lilly, Novartis, and Roche; and a leadership role and chair position for the Spanish Task Force for Neuroendocrine and Endocrine Tumours Group (GETNE).

    REFERENCES:
    1.Capdevilla J, Amthauer H, Ansquer C, et al. Efficacy, safety and subgroup analysis of 177Lu-edotreotide vs everolimus in patients with grade 1 or grade 2 GEP-NETs: Phase 3 COMPETE trial. Presented at: 2025 ESMO Congress; October 17-20, 2025; Berlin, Germany. Abstract 1706O
    2. ITM presents dosimetry data from phase 3 COMPETE trial supporting favorable efficacy and safety profile with n.c.a. 177Lu-edotreotide (ITM-11) in patients with gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors at EANM 2025 Annual Congress. News release. ITM. October 8, 2025. Accessed October 18, 2025. https://tinyurl.com/3nuscs4m
    3. Lutetium 177Lu-Edotreotide versus best standard of care in well-differentiated aggressive grade-2 and grade-3 gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (GEP-NETs) – COMPOSE (COMPOSE). ClinicalTrials.gov. Updated September 10, 2025. Accessed October 18, 2025. https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT04919226
    4. Phase I trial to determine the dose and evaluate the PK and safety of lutetium Lu 177 edotreotide therapy in pediatric participants with SSTR-positive tumors (KinLET). ClinicalTrials.gov. Updated September 19, 2025. Accessed October 18, 2025. https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06441331

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  • Enfortumab Vedotin Plus Pembro Cuts Risk of Disease Progression, Death 60% for Patients With MIBC Who Can’t Have Chemo With Bladder Removal

    Enfortumab Vedotin Plus Pembro Cuts Risk of Disease Progression, Death 60% for Patients With MIBC Who Can’t Have Chemo With Bladder Removal

    Patients who cannot or choose not to have cisplatin-based chemotherapy alongside surgery to remove the bladder when diagnosed with muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) cut their risk of disease progression or death by 60% by having enfortumab vedotin (EV) and pembrolizumab alongside surgery, according to data presented Saturday.1

    Results from the phase 3 EV-303/KEYNOTE-905 trial (NCT03924895) were presented during the first Presidential Session at the 50th European Society for Medical Oncology Congress (ESMO) in Berlin, Germany.1 They show patients receiving the antibody drug conjugate (ADC) and pembrolizumab (P) combination with surgery had superior outcomes across a range of measures than those treated with surgery alone.

    Bladder cancer is the ninth most common cancer worldwide, diagnosed in more than 614,000 patients each year, with MIBC accounting for 30% of all cases of bladder cancer.

    The combination of EV (Padcev; Astellas/Pfizer) and the PD-1 pembrolizumab (Keytruda; Merck) previously received full FDA approval in December 20232 for first-line treatment of patients with locally advanced or metastatic urothelial cancer based on EV-302 (NCT04223856), which will have new data on older adults presented at the congress.3

    As EV-303 principal investigator Christof Vulsteke, MD, PhD, said in a press briefing ahead of the session, the results in first-line care are as transformative as those in the metastatic setting presented 2 years ago at ESMO. He predicted this regimen might become the standard of care for patients who have had grim prospects.

    “What is the standard of care in this population with muscle-invasive bladder cancer?” asked Vulsteke, who is head of the Integrated Cancer Center Ghent (IKG, Belgium) and Clinical Trial Unit Oncology Ghent. “We took the patients who are not fit for chemotherapy, and this is half of all the patients with [MIBC]. In half of these patients, you cannot give upfront chemotherapy—you go straight to surgery, and you know that more than half of these patients will relapse. It will be up to 70% of patients who will relapse, and after 5 years, you will lose most of these patients.”

    Pointing to widely separated curves between patients receiving the EV + P regimen with surgery and those having surgery alone, Vulsteke noted the HR of 0.40 but said, “It’s also important that… you live longer,” and that overall survival (OS) is just as impressive.

    Those results showed that after 25 months, OS was 50% higher for the EV + P group compared with the surgery-only group, and that median event-free survival (EFS) was not reached for patients in EV + P group compared with 15.7 months for those in the surgery-only group.1

    Study authors said that radical surgery, called cystectomy, completed with pelvic lymph node dissection, has been the standard treatment for patients with MIBC who cannot have cisplatin. Up to half of patients with MIBC may have comorbidities that make them ineligible or have developed resistance to this backbone chemotherapy. In other cases, patients may decide the benefits are not worth the toxicity.

    Cisplatin shortages in recent years have also forced physicians to treat bladder cancer patients with EV off guidelines in lieu of cisplatin—which caused some controversy. (Shortages are now considered resolved.4) Asked if these results combined with the prior trial have implications in light of past use for patients who were eligible for cisplatin, Vulsteke noted that precise question is being studied in an ongoing trial.

    “This [trial] is in the cisplatin-ineligible population, but the same trial is running also in the eligible population, and if it wins there also, this will also replace, in my opinion, the platinum-based [chemotherapy].”

    Study Methods and Results

    Patients were randomized 1:1 to the EV + P combination, which called for 3 cycles of EV 1.25 mg/kg on day 1 and day 8, plus P at 200 mg on day 1 at 3-week cycles, followed by the surgery, then 6 cycles of EV plus 14 cycles of P. The control group received the surgery only. Study therapy continued until progression, unacceptable toxicity, withdrawal of consent, or completion of planned treatment.1

    The primary end point was EFS as determined by blinded independent central review. Secondary end points were OS, pathological complete response (pCR) rate, and safety.

    Results were as follows1:

    • 170 patients received the EV + P regimen and 174 were in the control group; more than 80% of patients were cisplatin ineligible per the Galsky criteria
    • As of June 6, 2025, median follow-up time was 25.6 months (range, 11.8-53.7), with 149 patients (87.6%) in the EV + P arm and 156 (89.7%) in the control undergoing surgery
    • EV + P significantly improved EFS, with the median not reached (NR) vs 15.7 months (HR, 0.40; 95% CI, 0.28-0.57; P < .001)
    • OS was NR vs 41.7 months (HR 0.50; 95% CI, 0.33-0.74; P < .001)
    • pCR rate was 57.1% vs 8.6%, for an estimated difference of 48.3 percentage points (95% CI, 39.5-56.5; P < .001) vs control.
    • Treatment-emergent adverse events (AEs) occurred in 100% (grade ≥ 3, 71.3%) of patients in the EV + P arm and 64.8% (grade ≥ 3, 45.9%) in the control group; the most frequent grade ≥ 3 AE of special interest was severe skin reactions, for 11.4% from P and 10.8% from EV
    • The study remains ongoing to assess EFS, OS, and pCR data as they mature

    “The compelling EV-303 results may establish a new efficacy benchmark in muscle-invasive bladder cancer,” said Moitreyee Chatterjee-Kishore, PhD, MBA, head of oncology development, Astellas. “For the first time, a systemic treatment approach used before and after surgery has improved survival over standard surgery in cisplatin-ineligible patients. These data underscore the transformative potential of [enfortumab vedotin] plus [pembrolizumab] as we continue to explore this combination in a broad population of patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer.”5

    “The ability of [enfortumab vedotin] plus [pembrolizumab] to reduce the risk of death by half in this setting is a remarkable advancement for patients who have seen limited treatment options and often face poor prognosis,” said Jeff Legos, PhD, MBA, chief oncology officer, Pfizer.These unprecedented results suggest that the transformational efficacy of this combination in advanced bladder cancer may extend into an earlier disease setting, potentially providing a life-changing impact for patients.”5

    Strength of ADCs in First-Line Treatment

    EV is a Nectin-4 directed ADC, and the EV-303 trial is among the studies involving ADCs in first-line treatment being featured at ESMO this week. At the opening press conference on Friday, ESMO 2025 President Fabrice André, MD, PhD, and scientific co-chairs Toni Choueiri, MD, and Myriam Chalabi, MD, PhD, highlighted EV-303 as well as a pair of breast cancer trials also presented during Saturday’s Presidential Session involving trastuzumab deruxtecan, the groundbreaking treatment sold as Enhertu (AstraZeneca).

    During Friday’s press conference, André explained the mechanism of ADCs and how they deliver a payload of high-dose cytotoxic agents inside the cancer cell. “What we knew before is that there is this new class of agents that has some impact on patients with metastatic cancer,” he said. “What we didn’t know so far is whether this new class of drug is having an impact on patients with early-stage cancer—that is usually at the stage where patients can relapse and ultimately die.”

    That question, André said, would be answered at the ESMO 2025 Congress.

    References

    1. Vulsteke C, Kaimakliotis H, Danchaivijitr P, et al. Perioperative (periop) enfortumab vedotin (EV) plus pembrolizumab (pembro) in participants (pts) with muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) who are cisplatin in eligible : the phase III KEYNOTE-905 study. Presented at: 50th European Society for Medical Oncology Congress; October 17-21, 2025; Berlin, Germany. Abstract LBA2.
    2. FDA approves enfortumab vedotin-ejfv with pembrolizumab for locally advanced or metastatic urothelial cancer. News release. FDA. December 15, 2023. Accessed October 18, 2025. https://www.fda.gov/drugs/resources-information-approved-drugs/fda-approves-enfortumab-vedotin-ejfv-pembrolizumab-locally-advanced-or-metastatic-urothelial-cancer
    3. Powles T, Valderama BP, Gupta S, et al. Enfortumab vedotin and pembrolizumab in untreated advanced urothelial cancer. N Engl J Med. 2024;390(10):875-888. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa2312117.
    4. Reed T. Critical chemo drug no longer in shortage. Axios. July 1, 2024. Accessed October 18, 2025. https://www.axios.com/2024/07/01/critical-chemo-drug-no-longer-in-shortage-vitals
    5. Padcev plus Keytruda, given before and after surgery, cuts the risk of recurrence, progression or death by 60% and the risk of death by 50% for certain patients with bladder cancer. News release. PR Newswire. Astellas and Pfizer. October 18, 2025. Accessed October 18, 2025. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/padcev-plus-keytruda-given-before-and-after-surgery-cuts-the-risk-of-recurrence-progression-or-death-by-60-and-the-risk-of-death-by-50-for-certain-patients-with-bladder-cancer-302587853

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  • Kering nears sale of beauty unit to L’Oreal, sources say

    Kering nears sale of beauty unit to L’Oreal, sources say

    • WSJ says L’Oreal would acquire Creed and rights to Kering’s fashion labels for $4 billion
    • Kering’s beauty division launched in 2023
    • Sale could help address Kering’s high-debt issue under CEO Luca De Meo
    MILAN/NEW YORK, Oct 18 (Reuters) – French luxury group Kering (PRTP.PA), opens new tab, owner of fashion brand Gucci, is nearing a sale of its beauty division to L’Oreal (OREP.PA), opens new tab, according to two people familiar with the situation.

    One of the sources confirmed the deal would be worth around $4 billion, as per an earlier report by the Wall Street Journal, which was first to report the development.

    Sign up here.

    L’Oreal, the world’s biggest dedicated cosmetics and beauty player, would acquire fragrance brand Creed and gain rights to develop beauty products tied to Kering’s fashion labels, including Bottega Veneta, Balenciaga, and McQueen, the WSJ reported, adding the deal could be announced next week.

    Kering, controlled by the French Pinault family, launched its beauty division in 2023, the year it acquired high-end fragrance label Creed for 3.5 billion euros ($4 billion) in cash.

    Kering declined to comment and L’Oreal did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

    A sale would be a major step forward by new CEO Luca De Meo, who officially took office in September, to address a high-debt issue that had sparked investor anxiety.

    Kering’s net debt was 9.5 billion euros at the end of June.

    The company has struggled to reverse slowing sales at its largest brand Gucci as the luxury market has been hard hit by lower consumer demand, especially in China, which had led growth in the sector for more than a decade.

    Since Kering announced De Meo’s appointment in mid-June, shares in the company have surged by around 60%.

    L’Oreal has also been approached by representatives of Armani Group, Reuters reported this month, after the beauty conglomerate was named in the will of late designer Giorgio Armani as one of the preferred buyers for a minority stake in his fashion house.

    ($1 = 0.8583 euros)

    Reporting by Lisa Jucca in Milan, Abigail Summerville in New York and Rajveer Singh Pardesi in Bengaluru; Editing by Jan Harvey, Barbara Lewis and Alison Williams

    Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab

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