Phase 0 Study of Vandetanib-Eluting Radiopaque Embolics as a Preoperative Embolization Treatment in Patients with Resectable Liver Malignancies.

Purpose: To assess the safety and tolerability of a vandetanib-eluting radiopaque embolic (BTG-002814) for transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) in patients with resectable liver malignancies.

Materials And Methods: The VEROnA clinical trial was a first-in-human, phase 0, single-arm, window-of-opportunity study. Eligible patients were aged ≥18 years and had resectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) (Child-Pugh A) or metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC).

Radiopaque drug-eluting embolisation beads as fiducial markers for stereotactic liver radiotherapy.

Objective: To determine the feasibility of using radiopaque (RO) beads as direct tumour surrogates for image-guided radiotherapy (IGRT) in patients with liver tumours after transarterial chemoembolisation (TACE).

Methods: A novel vandetanib-eluting RO bead was delivered via TACE as part of a first-in-human clinical trial in patients with either hepatocellular carcinoma or liver metastases from colorectal cancer. Following TACE, patients underwent simulated radiotherapy imaging with four-dimensional computed tomography (4D-CT) and cone-beam CT (CBCT) imaging.

Phase III, single-arm study investigating the efficacy, safety, and tolerability of anagrelide as a second-line treatment in high-risk Japanese patients with essential thrombocythemia.

Essential thrombocythemia (ET) is usually managed by anti-platelet therapy. European guidelines recommend that patients with ET at high risk of developing thrombohemorrhagic events should be placed on cytoreductive therapy (CRT). In Japan, hydroxycarbamide (HC) is the most widely used CRT; however, treatment options for patients who become intolerant or refractory to initial treatment are limited.

Changes in fibroblast growth factor 23 levels in normophosphatemic patients with chronic kidney disease stage 3 treated with lanthanum carbonate: results of the PREFECT study, a phase 2a, double blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial.

Background: High levels of circulating fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23) are associated with chronic kidney disease (CKD) progression and high mortality. In the Phosphate Reduction Evaluation of FGF23 in Early CKD Treatment (PREFECT) study, we assessed the effect of reducing intestinal phosphate absorption using lanthanum carbonate on FGF23 levels in normophosphatemic patients with CKD stage 3.

Methods: Thirty-five individuals were randomized to lanthanum carbonate 3000 mg/day (n=23) or placebo (n=12) for 12 weeks.

Characterization of different regimens for initiating anagrelide in patients with essential thrombocythemia who are intolerant or refractory to their current cytoreductive therapy: results from the multicenter FOX study of 177 patients in France.

Objectives: To identify switch modalities used when initiating second- or third-line anagrelide for essential thrombocythemia (ET), assess whether anagrelide is initiated consistently with Summary of Product Characteristics (SPC) recommendations, and determine whether different observed switch regimens have any relationship with maintenance, platelet response, or tolerability.

Methods: This observational study was conducted across 43 centers in France. High-risk patients (>60 yr of age and/or history of thrombosis and/or platelet count >1000 × 10(9) /L) with ET starting second- or third-line anagrelide therapy were identified and monitored for 6 months.

A simple method for controlled immobilization of proteins on modified SAMs.

This paper describes a method for modifying self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) with the nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA) group for subsequent immobilization of hexahistidine tagged proteins. The method has two important improvements over previous ones; firstly it avoids the need to carry out a complex synthesis of the chelator alkanethiols prior to deposition because the reactions are performed in situ on a preassembled SAM. This in situ approach also avoids phase segregation of alkanethiols with different functional groups, especially bulky ones such as NTA and tri(ethylene glycol), since a simple SAM is employed as the starting material.