Colorado State University

Over the past month, two large provider organizations have announced partnerships with Reimagine Care, a Nashville-based startup focused on providing support to cancer patients who are in active treatment. Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa teamed up with Reimagine on Monday, and Memorial Hermann Health System, a 17-hospital system based in Houston, expanded its on-demand cancer care partnership with the startup a month ago. These partnerships seek to make cancer care more comfortable and accessible for patients. Reimagine, founded in 2020, serves as an “an extension of the cancer center,” said CEO Dan Nardi. The startup uses an AI virtual assistant named Remi, as well as its own nurses and advanced practice practitioners trained in clinical oncology, to provide on-demand virtual support for cancer patients. Sponsored Post Get Ready for HLTH 2024: A Preview Guide HLTH 2024, scheduled for October 20-23 at the Venetian Expo Center in Las Vegas, will highlight new programming, a physicians roundtable, generative AI, the shifting landscapes of telemedicine, retail health, women's health, and lots more. By Stephanie Baum “Reimagine Care’s program helps manage symptoms, increase adherence to oral medications and provide nutritional and [social determinants of health] support, all with the look and feel of the patient’s primary oncology team,” Nardi stated. After a cancer patient gets enrolled in Reimagine’s program, they can interact with Remi or text the startup’s clinical oncology experts at any time of the day or night. By giving patients the option to quickly text a medical expert whenever they have a concern, Reimagine is seeking to identify symptoms earlier — which enables resolution before these concerns escalate and require a visit to the emergency department, Nardi pointed out. He added that Reimagine’s 24/7 texting offering not only addresses patients’ physical symptoms, but also fosters a sense of emotional wellbeing, as on-demand care helps patients feel heard and cared for. Nardi also declared that cancer care has a supply and demand problem. presented by Health IT Accelerating Claim Processing: Strategies to Shorten the Life of a Claim These strategies and practices can significantly shorten the life cycle of claims, leading to quicker resolutions and improved financial outcomes. By Greenway Health “Patients are being newly diagnosed at a higher rate than ever. People with cancer are living longer, and yet there aren’t enough clinicians to meet the complex and growing needs of these patients,” he said. More than 90% of oncologists report working outside normal hours to keep up with their patients’ needs, Nardi noted. Reimagine is trying to alleviate these pressures by decreasing work interruptions and improving symptom management while patients are at home, he stated. In his view, Reimagine extends the capacity of care teams, giving patients fast and personalized support without overwhelming the existing staff at their cancer center. When the startup began its partnership with Memorial Hermann during the summer of last year, its program was originally available only to patients with breast and sarcoma cancers. Memorial Hermann has now deepened the partnership, offering Reimagine’s program to patients with other solid tumor cancers and malignant hematology, Nardi said. Moffitt and Reimagine are currently working together to plan the program launch, which is slated for later this year. Nardi noted that this partnership will treat patients with all types of cancer. To measure the success of its partnerships, Reimagine tracks metrics related to patient engagement, patient satisfaction, emergency department avoidance and symptom resolution rates, he stated. Our partnership model brings revolutionary, on-demand care directly to the fingertips of patients in the most difficult part of their cancer journey – the treatment phase. By empowering them with the support, answers, and resources they need within minutes from the comfort and safety of their home, rather than hours or days in a clinic, we will collectively and drastically improve the experience of those touched by cancer,” Nardi remarked. In addition to Memorial Hermann and Moffitt, Reimagine also has partnerships with Colorado University and The Center for Cancer & Blood Disorders in Texas.

Dive Brief:Sanofi and Regeneron plan to make a second attempt at expanding use of their blockbuster drug Dupixent to people with a chronic skin condition that causes hives.The Food and Drug Administration rejected the companies initial application in chronic spontaneous urticaria, or CSU, last year, requesting additional efficacy data to support the new use. On Wednesday, Sanofi and Regeneron said they now have the results they need to try again and said they plan to submit a new application to the FDA by the end of the year.The trial, known as LIBERTY-CUPID Study C, enrolled patients with CSU who had uncontrolled symptoms and were taking antihistamines. Patients who added Dupixent to their treatment regimen had almost a 50% reduction in itch and urticaria activity scores, compared with those who received a placebo, Sanofi and Regeneron said.Dive Insight:Dupixent is already one of the top-selling drugs in the world, with $11.6 billion in revenue last year. First approved in the U.S. in 2017 for eczema, the medicine is now prescribed for a wide variety of inflammatory conditions, including asthma. Sanofi and Regeneron also announced positive results in a blister-causing condition called bullous pemphigoid on Wednesday and said they will seek U.S. approval for that indication this year.But Sanofi and Regeneron have encountered obstacles as they work to expand the market for Dupixent. The FDA delayed a decision on one of the biggest new potential indications for the drug in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease by three months over an extra data request. A decision is now expected by Sept. 27 on that application.And on Wednesday, the companies said a small Phase 3 study of Dupixent in patients with severe chronic pruritus of unknown origin failed to reach statistical significance in its primary goal. Still, the companies said they saw promise in other endpoints and are planning a second pivotal study in the indication.In CSU, Sanofi and Regeneron got mixed results in their initial Phase 3 program for Dupixent. Like the latest trial, a prior trial dubbed Study A succeeded in patients on antihistamines who had not been treated with the drug Xolair. Study B included patients who had previously taken Xolair, and that trial failed to reach statistical significance on its primary endpoint.Sanofi and Regeneron said they will move quickly to share the results of Study C with the FDA and resubmit an application. They are vying to reach the U.S. market before competitors including Novartis, which in May announced plans to start seeking global approvals in CSU by the end of the year for its remibrutinib medicine.Celldex Therapeutics, meanwhile, began two Phase 3 studies of its drug barzolvolimab in CSU patients in July after promising Phase 2 results released last year. And while different clinical studies cant be compared directly, analysts at Cantor Fitzgerald said they view the Dupixent results as underwhelming in light of the data seen so far for Celldex.Dupixent is now being used by 1 million patients across seven approved indications, according to Sanofi and Regeneron. Earlier this year, Japan became the first country to approve Dupixent for CSU, based on the Study A results. '

PHOENIX, June 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Calviri, Inc. announced the successful conclusion of the Vaccine Against Canine Cancer Study (VACCS) on May 4, 2024; a five-year clinical trial investigating a novel preventative cancer vaccine in dogs. This multi-center, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, the largest of its kind in veterinary oncology, represents a significant milestone in the fight against canine cancer. Revolutionizing Canine Cancer Prevention: A Paradigm Shift Continue Reading On the road to end cancer. Post this Calviri logo For many years, attempts at developing cancer vaccines have been unsuccessful. However, the realization of the importance of neoantigens for generating immune responses against tumors has led to recent reports of successful vaccines in humans. Neoantigens are irregular peptides from mutations in tumor DNA. Unfortunately, these mutations are unique to each patient, requiring personal vaccines. The VACCS trial marks a paradigm shift by leveraging what we now know are shared neoantigens. Stephen Albert Johnston, CEO of Calviri and former Professor at Arizona State University, discovered these unique protein fragments that arise from errors during tumor RNA processing, and that they are present across multiple cancer types. The VACCS vaccine consisted of 31 of these shared neoantigens, allowing for a broad-spectrum approach to cancer prevention. This strategy has the potential to revolutionize canine cancer prevention by offering a single vaccine to protect against a wide range of cancers and may provide critical proof-of-concept to initiate similar efforts for human cancer prevention. The rationale for testing a preventative cancer vaccine in dogs was published (A Worldwide Preventative Cancer Vaccine Is Achievable With New Discoveries And Comparative Oncology (gavinpublishers.com)) Collaborative Research and Rigorous Design: Ensuring Scientific Merit The VACCS trial was conducted at three U.S. academic institutions renowned for their expertise in veterinary oncology: Colorado State University, University of Wisconsin-Madison, and University of California, Davis. Over 800 dogs were enrolled in the trial, following a meticulous screening process to exclude any pre-existing tumors or other serious health issues. Participants were then randomly assigned to receive either the investigational vaccine or a placebo, ensuring scientific rigor and unbiased results. Subsequently, dogs were examined every 6 months for tumors and received a vaccine boost ever year. Blood samples were collected to examine dogs' health and immune response to the vaccine. The trial design has been published (Design of a randomized, placebo-controlled study evaluating efficacy and safety of a cancer preventative vaccine in dogs - ScienceDirect). Safety remained a top priority throughout the trial, with an independent Data Safety Monitoring Board headed by Dr. Kristen Weishaar closely overseeing the process. Fortunately, no significant vaccine-related adverse events were reported. Promising Outcomes and Future Developments: A Brighter Future for Canine Health While the analysis of the trial's primary efficacy data, specifically the impact on cancer incidence, is still ongoing and slated for publication in a peer-reviewed journal, the initial safety/efficacy profile is highly encouraging. Based on these positive findings, Johnston, stated that "The safety and efficacy results are encouraging enough that we have begun production of an improved version of the vaccine for approval and conditional sales.'' This next-generation vaccine holds the promise of becoming a valuable tool in the fight against canine cancer. Gratitude for Collaboration and Owner Participation: Recognizing the Importance of Teamwork The success of the VACCS trial hinged on the invaluable collaboration of the participating institutions and the remarkable commitment of dog owners. According to Dr. Douglas Thamm, principal clinical investigator (CSU), "The owner participation was amazing. This was one of the largest clinical trials for dogs and it required significant commitment on the part of the owners. The owners made the trial a success." "The motivation of many of the dog owners was that this trial would lead to developing a vaccine to prevent cancer in humans. We all hope they are right" stated Dr. Jenna Burton, co-PI at CSU. Calviri extends its sincere gratitude to Open Philanthropy for their critical grant funding, which enabled this high-risk, potentially transformative research endeavor. "We are grateful that OP would take a chance, where no one else would, to fund such a high-risk trial" said Dr. David Vail, PI, UW. "The VACCs team has done an amazing job" said Heather Youngs, Senior Program Officer at Open Philanthropy. "We are so pleased with the progress on this trial and the potential of this technology to save many animal (and potentially human) lives in the future." The unwavering support of these partners was instrumental in bringing this groundbreaking research to fruition. The VACCS trial stands as a significant advancement in the field of canine cancer prevention. The veterinary community and dog owners will eagerly await the forthcoming publication of efficacy results. This trial has the potential to pave the way for a future where canine cancer is not a constant threat, but a preventable disease. Calviri is also developing a diagnostic for the early detection of cancer in dogs and people, as well as off the shelf therapeutic and preventative cancer vaccines. Calviri is a spin-out of ASU and headquartered in the Phoenix Bioscience Core. SOURCE Calviri, Inc.