CRF first to recruit patients to new cancer trials

The UCLH/UCL Clinical Research Facility has become the first academic facility in the world to recruit patients to two important new early phase clinical trials in cancer research.

The first trial is a phase l study of an orally administered inhibitor, called PQR309, in cancer patients with advanced solid tumours.  This is the first drug of its type to be trialled in humans that crosses the blood-brain barrier and pre-clinical trials have shown significant anti-tumour activity.  The principal investigator is Dr Rebecca Kristeleit, a BRC funded researcher who specialises in early phase cancer clinical trials. The primary objective of the trial is to determine the maximum tolerated dose and the recommended phase II dose for patients for whom no further therapy of proven efficacy is available. It is also expected that new insights into the biological and anti-tumour activity will be obtained. 

The second is a phase II study evaluating the anti-tumour activity and safety of an orally administered proteasome inhibitor drug called MLN9708 in adult patients with Refractory Follicular Lymphoma, a B-cell lymphoma and the most common indolent (slow-growing) form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Dr Rakesh Popat, also BRC funded, is the principal investigator on this trial.