Health
Endometrial cancer patients see new hope as FDA approves 'transforming' immunotherapy drug
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a new drug for certain adult patients with endometrial cancer.
Jemperli (dostarlimab-gxly) — made by British pharmaceutical company GSK — is intended for people with primary advanced or recurrent forms of the cancer, according to the FDA’s Aug. 1 announcement.
It is an immunotherapy-based drug, which means it leverages the body’s immune system to attack cancer cells.
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In clinical trials, Jemperli showed an improved progression-free survival and overall survival for all patients, according to Dr. Brian Slomovitz, director of gynecologic oncology and co-chair of the Cancer Research Committee at Mount Sinai Medical Center in Florida.
“This class of drugs has been used in the second-line setting,” Slomovitz said — meaning they were only used if a first-line (primary) treatment was not effective or had intolerable side effects.
The FDA has approved a new drug for certain adult patients with endometrial cancer. (iStock)
“Moving them to first-line [status] here will yield better outcomes.”
This is the third FDA approval this year for immunotherapy in endometrial cancer, the doctor noted.
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“This is great news for our patients,” Slomovitz told Fox News Digital.
“Endometrial cancer has become the leading cause of death over all other gynecologic cancers, including ovarian cancer.”
Jemperli (dostarlimab-gxly) — made by British pharmaceutical company GSK — is intended for people who have primary advanced or recurrent forms of the cancer. (iStock)
Before the immunotherapy options became available, the only treatment for endometrial cancer was chemotherapy alone, Slomovitz said.
“These results are game-changing — it is unprecedented to have three approvals in such a short period of time.”
The most common side effects of all immunotherapy drugs are gastrointestinal, endocrine and dermatologic toxicities, the doctor noted.
“These results are game-changing — it is unprecedented to have three approvals in such a short period of time.”
“Patients should understand that adding immunotherapy to traditional chemotherapy has better results and the toxicity profile is manageable,” he added.
For doctors, Slomovitz emphasized the need to adjust quickly and make the newly approved drug a first-line treatment option for their patients.
GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) is the U.K.-based pharmaceutical company that makes Jemperli. (REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo)
In June, the FDA approved Merck’s Keytruda (pembrolizumab) to be used in combination with chemotherapy for adult patients with primary advanced or recurrent endometrial cancer.
“The Merck trial (pembrolizumab) showed a significant improvement in progression-free survival for all patients,” Slomovitz said.
In that same month, AstraZeneca’s Imfinzi (durvalumab) was approved for patients with advanced or recurrent disease who have a certain biomarker.
The AstraZeneca trial also showed improved progression-free survival for all patients.
All trials for the new cancer drugs were run through the GOG Foundation, which is the largest cooperative group for all gynecologic oncology research, Slomovitz noted.
“The addition of immunotherapy to chemotherapy provided improvement in survival outcomes without a negative impact on quality of life,” an oncologist said. (iStock)
In the trials, the use of immunotherapy drugs in combination with chemotherapy reduced the risk of disease progression by approximately 70% in patients whose tumors had certain biomarkers.
In other patients without that biomarker, there was still a “clinically and statistically significant improvement in time to progression, which is meaningful for our patients and has now led to FDA approvals in both biomarker settings,” Kathleen N. Moore, M.D., co-director of the Stephenson Cancer Center at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, told Fox News Digital.
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“These studies have transformed outcomes for patients with endometrial cancer and are poised to change the treatment landscape for the better into the future,” she added.
Shannon N. Westin, medical director of the Gynecologic Oncology Center at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, said she is “thrilled” to have multiple new options for patients with advanced and recurrent endometrial cancer after years with no new therapies.
This is the third FDA approval this year for immunotherapy in endometrial cancer, the doctor noted. “This is great news for our patients,” an oncologist told Fox News Digital. (iStock)
“We no longer have to treat everyone in the same cookie-cutter fashion, and can instead employ precision medicine to improve survival for these survivors.”
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“The addition of immunotherapy to chemotherapy provided improvement in survival outcomes without a negative impact on quality of life,” she went on.
“This is the ideal scenario.”
Fox News Digital reached out to GSK for comment.
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The latest COVID-19 vaccine (2024-2025) has been linked to fewer serious heart-related events among U.S. veterans.
New research confirmed a small reduction in COVID-related cardiovascular events, or COVID-19-associated MACE, due to the vaccine.
MACE (major adverse cardiovascular events) is a composite measure of serious heart-related outcomes. It typically includes cardiovascular death, heart attack and stroke, and may also include hospitalization for heart failure.
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Using health records from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, the researchers compared two groups of veterans — one that received the COVID and flu vaccine on the same day (nearly 350,000 people) and another group that received only the flu vaccine (nearly 700,000 people).
For people older than 75, vaccine effectiveness against COVID-associated MACE was 50.7%. (iStock)
Out of more than one million veterans studied, the average age was about 70 and 92% were male, according to a press release.
Within about eight months, the results showed that those who received the 2024-2025 COVID vaccine had a lower risk of COVID-associated major cardiovascular events, with a relative vaccine effectiveness of 37.7%.
The COVID vaccine was linked to a 57.9% lower risk of cardiovascular death, 38.5% lower risk of heart attack and 41.9% lower risk of hospitalization for heart failure, the researchers stated. The result for stroke was not statistically significant.
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The benefit was greatest among adults ages 75 and older and those with underlying health conditions. In people over 75, the vaccine was 50.7% effective at preventing COVID-associated MACE.
As the study was observational, it could not prove cause and effect between the COVID-19 vaccine and lower risk of cardiovascular events, but only highlighted an association.
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Dr. Glenn Hirsch, cardiologist at National Jewish Health in Denver, Colorado, called these results “not overall surprising” in an interview with Fox News Digital.
After eight months, those who received the 2024-2025 COVID vaccine had a lower risk of COVID-associated major cardiovascular events. (iStock)
“This result is consistent with previous studies of the COVID-19 vaccine and other vaccines against infectious diseases [in] preventing cardiovascular events, including heart attack, cardiovascular cause of death or hospitalizations,” he said.
Acute inflammation in the body from infections like COVID-19 increases the risk of cardiovascular events and can cause further complications, according to the doctor.
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“This can lead to a higher risk of blood clotting, but can also make arterial plaques susceptible to rupture, which then leads to clot formation to heal a ruptured plaque,” he said. “This clotting can cause a near-total or complete occlusion of an artery, leading to these cardiovascular events.”
“Vaccines either prevent infection or reduce the severity of infection and subsequent inflammation, lowering the cardiovascular risk.”
Acute inflammation in the body from infections like COVID-19 can increase the risk of cardiovascular events, the study suggests. (iStock)
Despite the positive outcome, the overall benefit of the vaccine in this study was less than in previous studies, according to Hirsch, who was not involved in the research.
This could be due to the lower severity of illness seen in more recent COVID-19 variants, as well as immunity from prior infections among unvaccinated people, he noted. There has also been a decline in COVID testing, making it more difficult to link cardiovascular events to the virus.
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“The bottom line [is] that there is still evidence of benefit from COVID-19 vaccination like many other infectious disease vaccinations, and people should be encouraged to discuss these with their healthcare team annually,” Hirsch advised.
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“This is an observational trial and there can always be some confounding after necessary statistical adjustments and other potential benefits or harms, including adverse effects from vaccines that were not investigated in this study,” he added.
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A former “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” star is speaking out about a fresh wave of health issues.
Brandi Glanville, 53, has been speaking publicly about ongoing swelling, lumps and paralysis of her face since 2023.
At the time, the reality star shared that she believed she had been infected with a parasite during a trip to Morocco, Fox News Digital previously reported.
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After the initial diagnosis, she suspected she contracted a parasite in Morocco and said she could feel it moving within her face.
Brandi Glanville attends the grand opening of Beverly Hills Rejuvenation Clinic West Hollywood in West Hollywood, Calif., on April 25, 2024. (Paul Archuleta/Getty Images)
Glanville was first diagnosed with stress-induced angioedema, a sudden swelling of the deeper layers of the skin and mucous membranes, according to Cleveland Clinic.
Angioedema “is a reaction similar to hives that affects deeper layers of the skin. It can appear with hives or alone,” Mayo Clinic states.
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Most recently, in a June 18 episode of her podcast “Brandi Glanville Unfiltered,” Glanville revealed that doctors discovered a “benign tumor” in one of her facial lymph nodes.
The reality star, who has previously speculated that a parasite may be contributing to her facial symptoms, said the finding could help explain the swelling and fluid buildup she has experienced and noted that she has had a lump in her face for “years.”
Brandi Glanville, 53, has been speaking publicly about ongoing swelling, lumps and paralysis of her face since 2023. (Mega/GC Images)
“I don’t know what’s wrong with me, guys. I thought I was fixed, and then it happened again and now it’s sinking in again,” Glanville said in another June podcast.
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“It could be why the fluid is going around my face and why I’m having a hard time,” she added.
While benign tumors of the face have been known to arise from fat tissue, blood vessels, skin structures, salivary glands or lymphatic tissue, Glanville has not publicly disclosed the specific type of diagnosis she received.
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Prior to learning of the tumor, Glanville said she saw dozens of doctors and spent over $100,000 trying to pinpoint the source of the issue.
Brandi Glanville shares images of painful facial burns caused by Nair hair removal cream in a viral TikTok video. (Brandi Glanville/TikTok)
The reality star emphasized that the tumor is “not cancerous.”
“I haven’t had a face lift yet!” she added.
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Glanville also said she suspected her ruptured breast implants could have played a role in her health issues, claiming the leaking silicone had clogged her lymph nodes.
Fox News Digital reached out to Glanville for comment.
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