Convalescent plasma transfusion shows promise for COVID-19, plus more top stories in hematology/oncology
Preliminary results of an uncontrolled case series in China showed that convalescent plasma therapy may help improve the clinical outcomes of patients with severe disease related to COVID-19. It was the top story in hematology/oncology last week.
Another top story was about a case study that suggests tocilizumab (Actemra, Genentech) may be an effective treatment for patients with COVID-19 and hematologic malignancies; however, more research is needed to further evaluate the safety and efficacy of the immunosuppressant in this setting.
Read these and more top stories in hematology/oncology below:
Convalescent plasma transfusion shows promise for severely ill patients with COVID-19
Preliminary research has shown the potential of convalescent plasma therapy to improve clinical outcomes of patients with severe disease related to COVID-19. Read more.
Tocilizumab may be effective for patients with COVID-19, blood cancer
The immunosuppressant tocilizumab may be an effective treatment for very ill individuals with COVID-19 and hematologic malignancies, according to results of a case study from China published in Blood Advances. Read more.
Blood test detects dozens of cancer types, often before symptoms emerge
A novel blood test accurately detected more than 50 types of cancer with a specificity of 99.3%, according to results of the prospective Circulating Cell-free Genome Atlas study published in Annals of Oncology. Read more.
FDA clears IND application for natural killer cell-based COVID-19 therapy
The FDA cleared an investigational new drug application for CYNK-001 for the treatment of adults with COVID-19 infection, according to the agent’s manufacturer. Read more.
Researchers to collaborate on natural killer cell-based COVID-19 treatment
Green Cross LabCell, a South Korea-based biopharmaceutical company, announced it will begin development of a COVID-19 treatment based on its anticancer therapy work using natural killer cells. Read more.