The Phase 3 clinical trial for pleural mesothelioma is now looking for participants. The study is testing the effectiveness of gene therapy, immunotherapy and virotherapy combined into one treatment.
Dr. Daniel Sterman, one of the lead investigators, said reaching Phase 3 status is a significant step for any mesothelioma clinical trial. There are limited treatment options currently for mesothelioma patients, and their survival time is usually between 11 and 20 months after diagnosis.
“For the field of mesothelioma … we need to be able to develop proven treatments so we can provide better quality of life, better quantity of life and some day a cure for mesothelioma,” Sterman said.
This study could help do just that.
Phase 3 of the trial will include up to 300 participants with randomized testing of the treatment. Half of the patients will receive the adenovirus-delivered Interferon Alpha-2B (a gene therapy and immunotherapy treatment) along with chemotherapy and an arthritis pain medication.
The other half of the patients will receive just the chemotherapy drug and pain medication. The study will investigate which group responds better to their treatment.
(Editor’s Note: Dr. Sterman joined the Mesothelioma Guide podcast to discuss this clinical trial. Listen to the interview with the audio player below.)
Mesothelioma Guide reported on this clinical trial’s promising Phase 2 results earlier in 2019. The control rate of the participants’ cancer during Phase 2 was 87.5 percent. The survival time for patients nearly doubles, a hopeful indication that this treatment could save lives.
With the trial now recruiting patients, the investigators released a list of locations throughout the United States where people can enroll. The locations which are still recruiting for the clinical trial include:
- University of California Los Angeles Medical Center
- H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute in Tampa, Florida
- University of Kansas Medical Center in Kansas City
- University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore
- Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota
- New York University Clinical Cancer Center in New York City
- University of Toledo Medical Centre in Toledo, Ohio
If you’re a pleural mesothelioma patient and want to participate in this clinical trial, contact us at Mesothelioma Guide. Our patient advocate and registered nurse, Karen Ritter, is the best resource for people wishing to enroll in a trial. Email her at karen@mesotheliomaguide.com and she can explain how to enroll in this trial or other studies.
- Efficacy & Safety of rAd-IFN Administered With Celecoxib & Gemcitabine in Patients With Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma. U.S. National Library of Medicine. Retrieved from: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03710876. Accessed: 09/03/19.
- Trizell Ltd. announces Phase 3 pivotal study of interferon alfa-2b gene therapy in malignant pleural mesothelioma. PR Newswire. Retrieved from: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/trizell-ltd-announces-phase-3-pivotal-study-of-interferon-alfa-2b-gene-therapy-in-malignant-pleural-mesothelioma-300815572.html. Accessed: 03/22/19.
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