Category: 8. Health

Neoadjuvant immunotherapy plus chemotherapy appears to be effective in patients with limited-stage small cell lung cancer (SCLC), a new report indicates. The study was published in Thoracic Cancer.¹ 

SCLC makes up only about 10-15% of lung cancer cases, the authors explained. Limited-stage cases of SCLC (LS-SCLC) make up a minority of new SCLC cases, they noted, as most patients are not diagnosed until their disease has reached extensive-stage status.

PD-1 inhibitors have shown considerable promise for patients with extensive-stage SCLC. And just last year, the ADRIATIC study (NCT03703297) suggested that the anti-PD-1 therapy durvalumab (Imfinzi; AstraZeneca) was effective as a consolidation therapy for patients with stable LS-SCLC post-concurrent chemoradiotherapy, the investigators noted.² That study was an important milestone demonstrating the efficacy of PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors in a LS-SCLC setting, they explained.¹

In the new report, the investigators wanted to expand the knowledge base around the role of neoadjuvant immunotherapy in treating patients with LS-SCLC. To do so, they searched for existing research that included clinical outcomes and safety data for the treatment regimen. After exclusions, they analyzed a total of 6 studies with a collective patient population of 114. They then completed a meta-analysis, which showed that the pooled rates of pathological complete response (pCR) were 35% (95% CI, 14%-56%) and the major pathological response (MPR) rate was 49% (95% CI, 18%-80%).

“Notably, patients who underwent more than two neoadjuvant cycles exhibited a higher rate of pCR and MPR compared to those who received only two cycles of neoadjuvant therapy,” the authors said.

The investigators said most (95%) patients achieved R0 surgical resection (95% CI, 85%-100%). The rate of treatment-related serious adverse events was 44% (95% CI, 13%-76%). None of the studies reported patient deaths during the perioperative period.

“The safety outcomes demonstrated acceptable toxicity in neoadjuvant immunotherapy for SCLC,” the investigators wrote.

The combination of immunotherapy and chemotherapy has become a first-line treatment modality in patients with extensive-stage SCLC, they added.

“These findings further suggest that the application of immunotherapy combined with chemotherapy in the perioperative setting of LS-SCLC may have significant implications,” they said. This strategy might be able to reduce tumor burden, provide additional treatment opportunities for patients, and ultimately improve treatment outcomes and survival.

The authors noted that 81% of participants included in the 6 studies had stage III SCLC, suggesting that neoadjuvant immunotherapy could be a meaningful treatment option for such patients. They added that the survival benefits of the therapy were similar in patients with stage IIIA and IIIB disease.

The investigators listed several limitations to their findings. They said the number of studies and patients included in the analysis may be too small to generalize to a broad population. In addition, they noted that all of the studies included were from China, highlighting the need for similar trials in more diverse populations. They added that, given the high number of patients with stage III SCLC in the trials, their findings might be most helpful for stage III patients.

Going forward, the authors cautioned that several challenges will need to be addressed before neoadjuvant immunotherapy can become a standard treatment option in SCLC. Among the challenges is the need to gain a better understanding of how neoadjuvant immunotherapy works in patients with locally advanced SCLC. They said they hope their findings will help guide ongoing and future clinical trials to help solve those remaining challenges.

References

1. Ge F, Lin G, Huo Z, Wang Z, Sun N, He J. A comprehensive study on clinical outcomes and safety of neoadjuvant immunotherapy combined with chemotherapy in limited-stage small cell lung cancer. Thorac Cancer. 2025;16(15):e70125. doi:10.1111/1759-7714.70125

2. Cheng Y, Spigel DR, Cho BC, et al. Durvalumab after chemoradiotherapy in limited-stage small-cell lung cancer. N Engl J Med. 2024;391(14):1313-1327. doi:10.1056/NEJMoa2404873

MADRID, Aug. 31, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) – Late breaking clinical science data, presented at the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Congress today and simultaneously published in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM), finds at up to 10 years, when compared to standard care, routine use of Impella CP^® in patients who have had a heart attack with cardiogenic shock leads to an absolute mortality reduction of 16.3% (95% CI: 0.54 to 0.92)¹. When compared to the control arm at 10 years, Impella CP patients gained an average of 600 additional days alive (95% CI: 235 – 966 days)¹.

These new findings from the long-term follow up of patients in the investigator-initiated DanGer Shock randomized controlled trial (RCT) were presented at ESC by the trial’s principal investigator, Jacob Møller, MD.

“The long-term data from the DanGer Shock RCT released today validates the original findings and confirms that the survival benefit of Impella CP is durable and increases year-over-year,” said Navin Kapur, MD, chief medical and scientific officer for heart recovery, J&J MedTech.

The absolute mortality reduction of 16.3% at up to 10 years is an increase from the initial 6-month data, which found routine use of Impella CP reduced the absolute risk of mortality by 12.7%². Impella CP is the first mechanical circulatory support (MCS) proven in an RCT to provide short-term and long-term survival benefits in patients with cardiogenic shock due to STEMI. The American College of Cardiology (ACC) and American Heart Association (AHA) upgraded Impella to a class 2a guideline based on the original DanGer Shock RCT data presented at ACC in May 2024. The trial enrolled 360 participants at 14 sites in Denmark, Germany and the United Kingdom between 2013-2023².

Approximately 750,000 people in the United States experience an ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), an acute heart attack, each year² and the overall incidence rate of cardiogenic shock in patients with STEMI is up to 10%³. Cardiogenic shock (CS) is the leading cause of in-hospital mortality in patients with STEMI⁴.

Impella, the world’s smallest heart pump, is inserted into the heart to temporarily take over the heart’s pumping function, allowing the heart to rest and recover while maintaining the flow of oxygenated blood throughout the body. This therapy allows patients to return to their life and families with their native heart and experience an equal – or improved – quality of life.

About Cardiovascular Solutions from Johnson & Johnson MedTech 
Across Johnson & Johnson, we are tackling the world’s most complex and pervasive health challenges. Through a cardiovascular portfolio that provides healthcare professionals with advanced mapping and navigation, miniaturized tech, and precise ablation we are addressing conditions with significant unmet needs such as heart failure, coronary artery disease, stroke, and atrial fibrillation. We are the global leaders in heart recovery, circulatory restoration and the treatment of heart rhythm disorders, as well as an emerging leader in neurovascular care, committed to taking on two of the leading causes of death worldwide in heart failure and stroke. For more, visit www.heartrecovery.com and follow us on LinkedIn and @jjmt_heartrecov.

About Johnson & Johnson
At Johnson & Johnson, we believe health is everything. Our strength in healthcare innovation empowers us to build a world where complex diseases are prevented, treated, and cured, where treatments are smarter and less invasive, and solutions are personal. Through our expertise in Innovative Medicine and MedTech, we are uniquely positioned to innovate across the full spectrum of healthcare solutions today to deliver the breakthroughs of tomorrow, and profoundly impact health for humanity. Learn more about our MedTech sector’s global scale and deep expertise in cardiovascular, orthopedics, surgery and vision solutions at https://thenext.jnjmedtech.com. Follow us at @JNJMedTech and on LinkedIn. 

Cautions Concerning Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains “forward-looking statements” as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 related to the Impella Platform. The reader is cautioned not to rely on these forward-looking statements. These statements are based on current expectations of future events. If underlying assumptions prove inaccurate or known or unknown risks or uncertainties materialize, actual results could vary materially from the expectations and projections of Johnson & Johnson. Risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: the potential that the expected benefits and opportunities related to the collaboration may not be realized or may take longer to realize than expected; challenges and uncertainties inherent in product research and development, including the uncertainty of clinical success and of obtaining regulatory approvals; uncertainty of commercial success; manufacturing difficulties and delays; competition, including technological advances, new products and patents attained by competitors; challenges to patents; product efficacy or safety concerns resulting in product recalls or regulatory action; changes in behavior and spending patterns of purchasers of health care products and services; changes to applicable laws and regulations, including global health care reforms; and trends toward health care cost containment. A further list and descriptions of these risks, uncertainties and other factors can be found in Johnson & Johnson’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, including in the sections captioned “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” and “Item 1A. Risk Factors,” and in Johnson & Johnson’s subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Copies of these filings are available online at www.sec.gov, www.jnj.com, www.investor.jnj.com or on request from Johnson & Johnson. Johnson & Johnson does not undertake to update any forward-looking statement as a result of new information or future events or developments.

¹ Møller J, et al.  Long Term Outcomes of the DanGer Shock Trial. N Engl J Med 2025
² Møller, J., et al. (2024). Microaxial Flow Pump or Standard Care in Infarct-Related Cardiogenic Shock. N Engl J Med 2024; 390:1382-1393.
³ Kolte, et al., Journal of the American Heart Association, 13 Jan 2014
⁴ Cosentino, et al., Journal of Clinical Medicine, 21, May 2021

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SOURCE Johnson & Johnson MedTech

Doctors have found a drug that is better than aspirin at preventing heart attacks and strokes, in a discovery that could transform health guidelines worldwide.

For decades, millions of people have been advised to take aspirin to reduce their risk of experiencing a serious cardiovascular event. A daily low-dose aspirin makes blood less sticky and helps prevent heart attacks and strokes.

But now a new study, presented at the world’s largest heart conference, has found that clopidogrel, a commonly prescribed blood thinner, is more effective – and with no extra risk.

The stunning discovery was revealed at the European Society of Cardiology congress in Madrid, with the data behind the findings simultaneously published in the Lancet medical journal.

The international team of medics behind the study, from countries including the US, UK, Australia, Switzerland and Japan, said the results showed that clopidogrel was “superior” to aspirin and should lead to “extensive adoption” of the drug in clinical practice worldwide.

Their comprehensive analysis of nearly 29,000 patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) found that clopidogrel was better than aspirin in preventing serious heart and stroke events, without increasing the risk of major bleeding.

CAD is the most common form of heart disease and a leading cause of death and disability globally. More than 300 million people live with CAD, including 2.3 million in the UK.

It occurs when arteries in the heart become narrowed by a buildup of atheroma, a fatty material within their walls. The pain or discomfort felt from such narrowing is called angina and if a blockage occurs, it can cause a heart attack.

The findings challenge the longstanding recommendation of aspirin as the default treatment for preventing serious cardiovascular events in hundreds of millions of CAD patients.

CAD often requires lifelong treatment to prevent heart attacks, strokes and cardiovascular death. Aspirin has traditionally been prescribed indefinitely for patients with the condition.

However, the evidence supporting aspirin’s long-term benefits and safety has been limited. The new analysis of seven clinical trials found that patients taking clopidogrel had a 14% lower risk of major adverse cardiovascular or cerebrovascular events – including heart attack, stroke or cardiovascular death – compared with those taking aspirin.

Importantly, the rates of major bleeding issues in patients were similar between the two drugs, dispelling concerns that clopidogrel might lead to more bleeding complications.

Writing in the Lancet, the study team said: “This comprehensive synthesis of available evidence indicates that, in patients with CAD, long-term clopidogrel monotherapy offers superior protection against major cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events compared with aspirin, without an excess risk of bleeding.

“The superior efficacy of clopidogrel v aspirin was consistent across multiple key subgroups, including individuals with clinical features predictive of poor clopidogrel responsiveness, supporting the generalisability of these findings to the broad spectrum of patients with CAD.

“These results support a preference for clopidogrel over aspirin for chronic antiplatelet monotherapy for patients with stable CAD. The widespread availability, generic formulation and affordability of clopidogrel further supports its potential for extensive adoption in clinical practice.”

The analysis drew from diverse patient groups, including those who had undergone procedures such as stent placement or had experienced acute coronary syndrome, and examined various subgroups to ensure the findings applied broadly.

Notably, even patients who might respond less well to clopidogrel as a result of genetic or clinical factors still benefited from its use over aspirin. The results suggest that clopidogrel should be considered the preferred long-term anti-platelet medication for patients with CAD.

Because both medications are widely available, the findings have the potential to influence clinical guidelines worldwide and improve patient outcomes. Further research on the cost-effectiveness of clopidogrel, as well as broader population studies, will be needed to support changes in treatment standards.

Prof Bryan Williams, the chief scientific and medical officer at the British Heart Foundation, said: “Aspirin is a commonly prescribed drug to help prevent repeat heart attacks and strokes. This research suggests that clopidogrel, an alternative to aspirin, might be more effective at preventing recurrent heart attack or stroke.

“Importantly, these benefits come without a greater risk of major bleeding. These findings are likely to impact the medications doctors prescribe to their patients to reduce their risk of future heart problems.”

Globally around 1.3 billion people have high blood pressure (hypertension), and in around half of cases the condition is uncontrolled or treatment resistant. These individuals face a much greater risk of heart attack, stroke, kidney disease, and early death. In the UK the number of people with hypertension is around 14 million.

The international BaxHTN trial, led by Professor Bryan Williams (UCL Institute of Cardiovascular Science) and sponsored by AstraZeneca, assessed the new drug baxdrostat – which is taken as a tablet – with participation from nearly 800 patients across 214 clinics worldwide.

The study was supported by the NIHR Biomedical Research Centre at UCLH.

Results were presented on August 30^th at the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Congress 2025 in Madrid and are being simultaneously published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

The trial results showed that, after 12 weeks, patients taking baxdrostat (1 mg or 2 mg once daily in pill form) saw their blood pressure fall by around 9-10 mmHg more than placebo – a reduction large enough to cut cardiovascular risk. About 4 in 10 patients reached healthy blood pressure levels, compared with fewer than 2 in 10 on placebo.

Principal Investigator, Professor Williams, who is presenting the results at ESC, said: “Achieving a nearly 10 mmHg reduction in systolic blood pressure with baxdrostat in the BaxHTN Phase III trial is exciting, as this level of reduction is linked to substantially lower risk of heart attack, stroke, heart failure and kidney disease.”

How baxdrostat works

Blood pressure is strongly influenced by a hormone called aldosterone, which helps the kidneys regulate salt and water balance.

Some people produce too much aldosterone, causing the body to hold onto salt and water. This aldosterone dysregulation pushes blood pressure up and makes it very difficult to control.

Addressing aldosterone dysregulation has been a key effort in research over many decades, but it has been so far difficult to achieve.

Baxdrostat works by blocking aldosterone production, directly addressing this driver of high blood pressure (hypertension).

Professor Williams, Chair of Medicine at UCL, said: “These findings are an important advance in treatment and in our understanding of the cause of difficult to control blood pressure.

“Around half of people treated for hypertension do not have it controlled, however this is a conservative estimate and the number is likely higher, especially as the target blood pressure we try to reach is now much lower than it was previously.*

“In patients with uncontrolled or resistant hypertension, the addition of baxdrostat 1mg or 2mg once daily to background antihypertensive therapy led to clinically meaningful reductions in systolic blood pressure, which persisted up to 32 weeks with no unanticipated safety findings.

“This suggests that aldosterone is playing an important role in causing difficult to control blood pressure in millions of patients and offers hope for more effective treatment in the future.”

Historically higher income Western countries were reported to have far higher levels of hypertension; however, largely due to changing diets (adding less salt to food), the numbers of people living with the condition is now far higher in Eastern and lower income countries. More than half of those affected live in Asia, including 226 million people in China and 199 million in India**.

Professor Williams added: “The results suggest that this drug could potentially help up to half a billion people globally – and as many as 10 million people in the UK alone, especially at the new target level for optimal blood pressure control.”

*The ESC 2024 hypertension guidelines recommended a target blood pressure of less than 130/80 mmHg. Prior to 2024 the target had been 140/90 mmHg.

** Figures from Blood Pressure UK