A Few Quick Updates

 A quick post today, with a few short items:

1) First, remember that there are only a few more days to endorse me (vote for me) for the Social Health Awards. I have been nominated for two awards, and we are coming to the end of the week-long endorsement/voting phase. After that period is over, some judges (made up of other health advocates) will also vote. The three nominees with the most endorsements/votes will be named finalists, along with the top three chosen by the advocate judges. (That's why being a finalist is so great. You get there either because your health community endorses you, or other advocates recognize your hard work and vote for you. Both are very cool things.) After that, a new panel of judges from the healthcare industry will decide the winners in each of the 10 categories. Winners will be announced in the summer.

You can find my profile here if you want to read more about me and/or endorse me. The last day to vote is Monday, May 21.

2) Second, following up on something I wrote last month, the FDA has approved Fast Track Designation for IMPT-314, the "bispecific CAR-T" treatment that binds to both the protein CD19 (like many CAR-Ts) and the protein CD20 (like many bispecifics). The designation is based on the results of a phase 1 trial involving 24 patients with aggressive lymphomas (including some aggressive Follicular Lymphomas). The results of the trial were impressive, with 91% of patients having a response, including 73% with Complete Response that lasted a median of 18.2 moths. Fast Track Designation from the FDA means the manufacturer has provided evidence that the new treatment will be effective and reasonably safe. The FDA will give extra feedback during the application process, and might approve it faster than it would otherwise, among other things. This will be an interesting one to watch over the next year or so.

3) Finally, over the next two weeks or so, I'm going to be much less available than usual. I probably won't be able to respond to emails or comments. There's nothing bad happening, and I'll tell you all about it when I can be available again. I'll try to write a couple of posts and have them scheduled to be published while I'm unavailable, so you won't miss me too much. Unfortunately, ASCO abstracts still haven't been released, so I won't be able to post anything about them. But there is some  good FL research I can share.

Thanks, as always, for your support.