Adam Feuerstein is a senior writer and biotech columnist, reporting on the crossroads of drug development, business, Wall Street, and biotechnology. He is also a co-host of the weekly biotech podcast The Readout Loud and author of the newsletter Adam’s Biotech Scorecard. You can reach Adam on Signal at stataf.54.

Angus Chen covers all issues broadly related to cancer including drugs, policy, science, and equity. He joined STAT in 2021 after covering health and science at NPR and NPR affiliate stations. His work has been recognized by national Edward R. Murrow awards, the June L. Biedler prize for cancer journalism, and more. You can reach Angus on Signal at angus.08.

This is the web version of STAT’s special newsletter from the annual meeting of the American Society of Oncology. For more updates on the latest in cancer news, sign up for our Cancer Briefing newsletter here.

We’re going to get to today’s new data in a minute, but first let’s deal with a less serious matter: the marketing of pharmaceutical products via the food attendees need to consume at giant medical meetings.

Genentech has been a longtime leader on this front. At cancer meetings, the cookies the company hands out at its booths are almost as famous as its drugs. An innovation this year: Genentech s’mores, with Genentech-branded marshmallows toasted with a blowtorch. Warning: These things are messy. Other innovations in booth food: Novartis had charcuterie (guys, you know preserved meat is carcinogenic, right?) and Eli Lilly had a salad bar. The lettuce did not have a Lilly logo.

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