Innovative Drug Solutions
Discover recent innovations in pharmaceuticals that significantly reduce mortality rates and improve patient outcomes.
Innovations in Drug Development
We focus on recent breakthroughs in pharmaceuticals that significantly reduce mortality rates, enhancing the quality of life for patients worldwide.
Doctors Detect Cancer 3 Years Before Diagnosis in Groundbreaking New Study—Here's How
By Dana Schulz, Deputy Lifestyle Editor, Jun 05, 2025
Cancer is the second-leading cause of death in the U.S., behind heart disease. This is in part because research shows that roughly 50 percent of cancers are diagnosed once they've already reached an advanced stage. However, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), "Approximately 30% to 50% of cancers diagnosed today could be prevented by reducing exposure to tobacco smoke and other environmental carcinogens, maintaining healthy body weight, and receiving recommended cancer screenings and vaccinations." Now, researchers have found that a simple blood test could detect some cancers up to three years before a diagnosis, a groundbreaking discovery that has the potential to drastically improve survival rates.
In a new study published in the journal Cancer Discovery, researchers detected genetic material shed by tumors in the bloodstream three years before a cancer diagnosis. "Three years earlier provides time for intervention," said lead study author Yuxuan Wang, MD, PhD, an assistant professor of oncology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, in a press release. "The tumors are likely to be much less advanced and more likely to be curable." To arrive at these findings, the researchers used "highly accurate and sensitive sequencing techniques" to analyze the blood samples of 52 participants, half of whom were diagnosed with cancer within six months of the blood draw and half of whom were not. Sequencing, also referred to as genomic sequencing or DNA sequencing, is an umbrella term for the scientific process of extracting the "biological information that cells use to develop and operate," as the National Human Genome Research Institute explains. This can detect cellular changes that can indicate disease such as cancer. At the time of the blood sample collection, sequencing showed that eight study participants scored positively on a multicancer early detection (MCED) laboratory test. Four months later, all eight were diagnosed with cancer. Moreover, six of these participants showed "tumor-derived mutations" in blood samples that were collected roughly three years before diagnosis. Four showed mutations even earlier. "These results demonstrate that it is possible to detect circulating tumor DNA more than three years prior to clinical diagnosis, and provide benchmark sensitivities required for this purpose," states the study.
Will MCED tests become widely available?
"Detecting cancers years before their clinical diagnosis could help provide management with a more favorable outcome," stated senior study author Nickolas Papadopoulos, PhD, professor of oncology at the Ludwig Center. "Of course, we need to determine the appropriate clinical follow-up after a positive test for such cancers." To his point, the American Cancer Society notes that MCED tests are still being studied and have not yet received approval from the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) for use in patients. Generally speaking, MCED tests "check blood samples for signs of cancer, such as pieces of DNA, RNA, or proteins from abnormal (cancer) cells," explains the Society. "Some MCED tests may suggest where in the body the cancer started. Others may only show that cancer could be present, without identifying the type or location." However, it's important to understand that MCED tests do not diagnose cancer. If a test is positive, a patient would need additional testing to "confirm whether cancer is present, what type it is, and where it’s located," they add. Currently, a blood-based MCED test called the GRAIL Galleri test is available via the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Act (CLIA), which allows doctors to order the test since it's done in a central lab. According to the test's official website, it can detect more than 50 types of cancer, including colon and rectal cancers, Leukemia, prostate cancer, and breast cancer. But the American Cancer Society notes that the GRAIL Galleri test is often not covered by insurance and may provide false negative or positive results. As for the current study and others like it, research is ongoing
Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center today announced that the ongoing phase 2B SURVIVE clinical trial of SurVaxM in glioblastoma will continue following an interim analysis of trial data. The clinical trial is designed to evaluate the safety, efficacy and overall survival benefit of SurVaxM in patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma who receive standard-of-care treatment (resection, chemoradiation and adjuvant temozolomide) combined with SurVaxM. Based on the results of a recently completed interim futility analysis, and ongoing review by the study’s Independent Data Safety Monitoring Board, the SURVIVE trial (NCT05163080) will continue as planned without modification.
While regulatory requirements bar disclosure of detailed data findings from randomized, controlled studies still in progress, the findings of the interim analysis met prespecified standards for the research to continue. “SurVaxM continues to show promise as a treatment option for patients with glioblastoma when paired with standard-of-care chemotherapy and radiation,” says Ajay Abad, MD, a medical oncologist and brain cancer expert leading the study at Roswell Park — one of 11 U.S. SURVIVE trial. “SurVaxM’s excellent safety profile and tolerability to date also help optimize quality of life for patients with this highly aggressive cancer, where additional treatment options are direly needed.” “We are encouraged by the progress of our clinical trial and remain focused on our goal to develop innovative therapies that can drive meaningful improvements for patients with glioblastoma and other cancers. “We are excited about the continued advancement of this important program,” says Michael Ciesielski, PhD, Assistant Professor of Neurosurgery at Roswell Park and CEO of MimiVax Inc., which is sponsoring the SURVIVE trial. Four studies that incorporate SurVaxM are currently underway:
- -NCT05163080, the phase 2B SURVIVE trial in adults with newly diagnosed glioblastoma at 11 U.S. sites — fully accrued; no longer open for recruitment
--NCT04978727 (NCI PBTC-060), a pilot study in children with some forms of medulloblastoma, high-grade glioma, ependymoma and newly diagnosed diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) — underway and open for recruitment at Roswell Park under the direction of Clare Twist, MD. PBTC-60 is supported by the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health, and conducted by the NCI-funded Pediatric Brain Tumor Consortium with participation from Roswell Park and 13 other North American centers.
--NCT02334865, a phase 1 study in adults with multiple myeloma, in combination with lenalidomide maintenance therapy — fully accrued at Roswell Park under the direction of Jens Hillengass, MD; publication of results anticipated in 2025.
--NCT03879694, a phase 1 study in adults with neuroendocrine tumors — underway at Roswell Park under the direction of Renuka Iyer, MD, and open for recruitment.
Developed at Roswell Park by Robert Fenstermaker, MD, Chair of Neurosurgery, and Dr. Ciesielski, SurVaxM is a treatment vaccine targeting survivin, a protein that helps glioblastoma cancer cells stay alive.
Novel GLP-1 Agonist Promotes Safe and Effective Weight Loss
Heidi Splete, medical journalist
Ecnoglutide, a novel glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist, was significantly more effective than placebo for inducing weight loss in adults with overweight or obesity, based on data from more than 600 individuals, results of the SLIMMER trial showed.
In addition, ecnoglutide significantly improved other key cardiometabolic risk factors including waist circumference, blood pressure, lipid profile, A1c, fasting glucose, insulin level, and uric acid, while concurrently reducing liver fat content, said study author Linong Ji, MD, of Peking University People's Hospital, Beijing, China.
"These benefits position ecnoglutide as a compelling therapeutic strategy for managing clinical obesity, especially in the context of metabolic dysfunction and associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD)," he noted.
The results of the phase 3 randomized trial were presented here at the American Diabetes Association (ADA) 85th Scientific Sessions and simultaneously published in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology.
The new drug is distinct from other GLP-1 receptor agonists in its ability to selectively induce production of cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP). Unlike unbiased GLP-1 therapies, ecnoglutide selectively activates cAMP signaling pathways while minimizing β-arrestin recruitment, which may explain its enhanced effectiveness for body weight reduction and sustained metabolic effects, Ji said in an interview.
Weight Loss at All Doses
The researchers randomized 664 overweight and obese Chinese adults to a weekly dose of 1.2 mg, 1.8 mg, or 2.4 mg of ecnoglutide or to placebo. The coprimary endpoints were percentage change in body weight and proportion of individuals with a reduction of 5% or more in body weight after 40 weeks.
The study population included adults aged 18-75 years with overweight or obesity, defined as a BMI of 28 kg/m² or higher, or 24 kg/m² or higher with at least one weight-related comorbidity (prediabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, MASLD, obstructive sleep apnea syndrome, or weight-bearing joint pain), but without type 1 or 2 diabetes. The mean age of participants was 34.2 years, and half were female.
Individuals in the ecnoglutide group had an average body weight loss of 9.1%, 10.9%, and 13.2% from baseline at 40 weeks at doses of 1.2 mg, 1.8 mg, and 2.4 mg, respectively, which was significantly greater at all dose levels than placebo (0.1%) (P < 0.0001 vs placebo for all doses).
In addition, significantly more patients in the ecnoglutide groups lost at least 5% of their body weight at week 40 compared to the placebo group (77%, 84%, 87%, and 16% in the 1.2-mg, 1.8-mg, 2.4-mg, and placebo groups, respectively).
A key secondary efficacy endpoint was the percentage of individuals who achieved a body weight loss of at least 5% after 48 weeks; 78% to 93% of participants across the ecnoglutide groups achieved this endpoint, with the greatest changes at the higher doses.
Ten individuals across the ecnoglutide groups discontinued the medication because of adverse events, the most common of which were mild-to-moderate gastrointestinal events. Treatment-emergent adverse events occurred in 93% of participants in each of the ecnoglutide groups and in 84% of the placebo group.
Clinical Takeaways and Next Steps
"Ecnoglutide not only represents a viable competitor in the GLP-1 analog market but also stands out with its potential to address the nonresponse limitations in obesity treatment while providing holistic metabolic benefits," Ji told Medscape Medical News.
At least 10% of weight-loss patients fail to achieve clinically significant weight loss of at least 5%, he explained. Possible reasons for the lack of success include genetic polymorphisms, metabolic heterogeneity, treatment compliance, or differential receptor sensitivity, he noted.
"Providing alternative treatment options with a high response rate is crucial for individuals nonresponsive to existing therapies," he said. The trial results mark a milestone in obesity therapeutics and are a significant achievement in weight management.
"After 48 weeks of treatment, ecnoglutide achieved a 15.4% weight reduction, with 92.8% of patients attaining clinically meaningful weight loss," he emphasized.
"Considering the high potency of ecnoglutide" and the safety data, "it might serve as a viable option for individuals who do not achieve sufficient weight reduction with existing GLP-1 receptor agonists at their approved doses or need to achieve a better reduction in body weight," he added. "I am confident and optimistic that we'll see more personalized treatment regimens for obesity."
Looking ahead, patients in the ecnoglutide 1.8-mg and 2.4-mg groups continued to have weight loss at week 48 without reaching a plateau, indicating that even greater weight loss might be possible with extended ecnoglutide treatment in studies of longer duration, Ji told Medscape Medical News.
"To confer the added clinical advantage, a study comparing the clinical effects of a biased GLP-1 analog with those of a pharmacokinetically-matched but balanced GLP-1 analog would be needed," he said.
In an accompanying editorial, Tricia M-M Tan, PhD, of Imperial College, London, UK, wrote: "The development of biased GLP-1 receptor agonists has been met with enthusiasm from the pharmaceutical industry, but does this design feature really confer any added clinical advantage?"
She agreed with Ji that a comparative study of "a biased GLP-1 analog with those of a pharmacokinetically-matched but balanced GLP-1 analog" is needed. "Only then will the clinical role of this design feature be clear," she said.
However, "the clinical results from ecnoglutide are likely to be generalizable to other populations," given that the effects of GLP-1 analogs are similar when tested in patients of various ethnicities, she said, adding this may increase the global availability of GLP-1 treatments.
Refining Molecules to Enhance Efficacy, Reduce Side Effects
Although current therapies represent potent, effective options for obesity-modifying treatment, they have limitations, with heterogeneity of responses in terms of potency and tolerability, said Andrew Kraftson, MD, a specialist in endocrinology and internal medicine at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, in an interview.
"Ecnoglutide continues the trend to refine these molecules to enhance efficacy and reduce side effects," he said. "When these types of peptides interact with cells, they activate certain receptors and generate a signal cascade that promotes the desired effects. However, the less specific the 'message', the less potent the signal. Additionally, side effects can be a result of the less-controlled message," he noted.
As with tirzepatide, ecnoglutide was developed to produce a "biased" signal with the intent to provide greater control of the signal/message to increase the odds of weight control and reduce the odds of side effects, he explained.
Although the current study was not a head-to-head comparison with other incretin mimetics, the similarity in weight loss efficacy to tirzepatide, a dual GLP-1/glucagon insulinotropic peptide agonist (GIP), was interesting and supports the biasing effect of the molecular manipulation as an effective strategy to refine incretin therapy, Kraftson told Medscape Medical News.
From a clinical standpoint, the trend towards refining weight management therapy will benefit patients by expanding their options, said Kraftson. "It may also help us address the observed heterogeneity in clinical response we see in our patients and bring us closer to personalized medicine," he said.
The current study's limitations, as acknowledged by the researchers, include the relatively short time period, small sample size, and lack of head-to-head comparison, said Kraftson. Additionally, the study differs from clinical practice in its dose escalation, he said.
In practice, "we are not trying to get patients to a certain dose, we are trying to find the lowest, most tolerable, and sufficiently effective dose to achieve health goals; therefore, we may determine that dose titration needs to happen more slowly and/or that a low(er) dose may be sufficiently effective," he told Medscape Medical News.
"The adverse event data for common gastrointestinal issues could potentially be better in clinical practice if mitigation strategies are employed," he said. "I would like to see future studies that go beyond finding the relative efficacy of doses to reporting on effective strategies for patient-dose matching."
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