Health Rounds: Regeneron drug wipes out residual multiple myeloma cells in small trial

(Health Rounds is published on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Think your friend or colleague should know about us? Forward this newsletter to them. They can also subscribe here) By Nancy Lapid Dec 9 (Reuters) - Hello Health Rounds readers! Today we bring some welcome news for multiple myeloma patients from a major meeting of blood cancer specialists. We also report on a large study that suggests popular GLP-1 weight-loss drugs likely do not affect cancer risks, and on a cautionary survey on pre-teen smartphone use. Antibody eradicates traces of multiple myeloma A recently approved antibody drug from Regeneron Pharmaceuticals (REGN.O) eradicates residual traces of multiple myeloma after initial treatments, potentially allowing patients to avoid grueling bone marrow transplants, preliminary data from a small mid-stage trial suggest. Patients in the trial had received initial treatments that eliminated nearly all of their cancer cells. Usually, individuals with residual cancer cells, accounting for roughly half of patients treated with modern first-line drugs, would go on to receive high-dose toxic chemotherapy to destroy the remaining cancer cells and a bone marrow transplant to regrow healthy replacements. Study leader Dr. C. Ola Landgren of University of Miami Miller School of Medicine called the regimen “a brutal treatment.” Instead, patients in the study received Regeneron’s Lynozyfic, which was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in July for treatment of recurrent multiple myeloma. While most therapeutic antibodies attach to a single target, Lynozyfic attaches to two, CD3, a protein on T cells that destroys cancerous cells, and BCMA, a protein on multiple myeloma cells. None of the 18 trial participants who have so far completed up to six cycles of treatment with Lynozyfic have had detectable residual disease afterward on highly sensitive tests, the researchers reported at the American Society of Hematology annual meeting in Orlando. Ultimately they plan to enroll a total of 50 patients. Those who test negative for residual multiple myeloma cells can expect to live years longer without their cancer returning than those positive for it, Landgren said in a statement. “Based on my experience, I would predict that after having such a good response after such a short time, the disease most likely could stay away for many years,” he said. “Could it never come back in some patients? I would say it’s possible.” GLP-1 drugs do not appear to cut cancer risks Widely used weight-loss medications from the class known as GLP-1s likely have little or no effect on risk for obesity-related cancers, a large study suggests, although longer follow-up is needed to be certain. Researchers analyzed data from 48 trials involving 94,245 participants with type 2 diabetes or overweight or obesity who were randomly assigned to receive GLP-1 drugs or a placebo. Results showed the drugs probably have little or no effect on risk for cancers of the thyroid, pancreas, colon and rectum, stomach, esophagus, liver, gallbladder, breast, ovaries, endometrium, kidneys, or the blood cancer multiple myeloma or the brain cancer meningioma, researchers reported in Annals of Internal Medicine. Twenty of the trials tested semaglutide, the main ingredient in Novo Nordisk’s (NOVOb.CO) Ozempic, Wegovy, and Rybelsus. Ten tested Novo’s liraglutide, sold as Victoza and Saxenda. Eli Lilly’s (LLY.N) tirzepatide, sold as Mounjaro and Zepbound, was tested in eight trials. The remaining 11 trials tested Sanofi’s (SASY.PA) Adlyxin (sold as Lyxumia outside the U.S.), Lilly’s Trulicity, or AstraZeneca’s (AZN.L) Byetta. Most of the studies were not designed to assess cancer risks or benefits, and for some outcomes the findings were of low certainty, the researchers acknowledged. Longer-term studies with cancer-specific end points are needed to clarify potential risks or protective effects of the medicines, the researchers said. Pre-teen smartphone ownership linked with health risks Smartphone ownership in early adolescence is linked with higher risks for depression, obesity, and insufficient sleep, according to a large U.S. study. More than 10,500 youngsters from 21 states were surveyed annually between 2018 and 2021 and also screened for depression, obesity, and whether or not they were getting a full nine hours of sleep per night. By age 12, roughly two-thirds of the children owned a smartphone, researchers reported in Pediatrics. These young smartphone owners had a 31% higher risk of depression, a 40% higher risk of obesity, and a 62% higher risk of insufficient sleep compared to their peers who did not own smartphones, the researchers found. By age 13, those who hadn’t owned a smartphone at age 12 but who had acquired one in the past year were 57% more likely to report symptoms of clinical depression and 50% more likely to be getting insufficient sleep, compared to children who still didn’t own smartphones. The younger the age at which children acquired a smartphone, the greater their risk of obesity and insufficient sleep at age 13, the researchers also found. “Our findings suggest that we should view smartphones as a significant factor in teen health, approaching the decision to give a child a phone with care and considering potential impacts on their life and health,” study leader Dr. Ran Barzilay of the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania said in a statement. The study cannot prove the smartphones caused these problems, and the authors say the devices will not be associated with detrimental outcomes in every adolescent. “Rather, we advocate for thoughtful consideration of the health implications, balancing both positive and negative consequences,” Barzilay said. “For many teens, smartphones can play a constructive role by strengthening social connections, supporting learning, and providing access to information and resources that promote personal growth,” he added.