Oncology & Hematology

Data Management & Biostatistics

Risk-Based Quality Management (RBQM) – A Collaborative Approach to Holistic Clinical Trial Oversight

Developing, executing, and overseeing clinical trials is a complex process. Gaining reliable evidence from clinical trials is essential for appropriate decision-making activities regarding trial participants’ safety and the reliability of trial results.  As clinical trials have become more complex, the clinical trial process has faced significant operational challenges. As a result, sponsors must identify proactive...

Clinical Research: Phase 1 - Phase 4

Applied Clinical Trials – 3 Critical Challenges: Fulfilling the Promise of Precision Oncology

Precision oncology promises a new model of cancer care where medical decisions are based on a holistic view of the patient, including their genes, environment, and lifestyle, and tailored to the molecular profile of their tumor. To date, great strides toward the paradigm of precision oncology have been made in the area of cancer immunotherapy,...

Clinical Research: Phase 1 - Phase 4

Untapped Potential: Asia-Pacific’s Growing Role in Biotech Drug Research

Of the 350 million to 400 million people infected with the hepatitis B virus worldwide, one in three lives in China. The country is home to 130 million carriers of the disease and 30 million who are chronically infected.[1][2] Some rural parts of China have an especially high incidence of tuberculosis,[3] and across Asia, prevalence of...

Study Design

Pharmaceutical Outsourcing – Using Science to Drive Successful Study Strategy in Hematological Malignancies

Advances in our understanding of the genetic drivers of cancer and the immune system’s complex response to cancer have led to significant breakthroughs in the treatment of hematological malignancies. While gene therapy technologies are addressing unmet needs in hemato-oncology, the design and execution of clinical trials of these therapies can be challenging. Obstacles in researching...

Medical and Regulatory Affairs

Draft Guidance: Hematologic Malignancies: Regulatory Considerations for Use of Minimal Residual Disease in Development of Drug and Biological Products for Treatment

The FDA has released a new draft guidance for sponsors planning to use minimal residual disease (MRD) as a biomarker in clinical trials conducted under an investigational new drug application (IND) or to support marketing approval of drugs and biological products for the treatment of specific hematologic malignancies.

Clinical Research: Phase 1 - Phase 4

Finding the Fast Track in Early-Phase Oncology Trials

Put yourself in this scenario: Your compound is a newly validated mutated receptor that is present in only a limited number of cancer patients, and there is no approved diagnostic test. Your product, an antibody-like molecule that inhibits the receptor’s activity, also stimulates a potent immune response. Further complicating things, much of the preclinical data...

Consulting

Driving Product Development and Finding the Fast Track in Early-Phase Oncology Programs

Small- to mid-sized biotech and pharma companies face many challenges when planning and executing an early-phase oncology trial, from performing a regulatory gap analysis and developing a target product profile to identifying the right patients and selecting efficacy endpoints. Sponsors of first-in-human trials of novel oncology compounds face significant challenges. Beyond the typical circumstances of limited budget,...

Clinical Research: Phase 1 - Phase 4

PM360 – Maximizing the Probability of Trial Success for CAR-T Cell Therapies

CAR-T cells are complex products, and translating them from basic and preclinical research to clinical trials and commercialization can be challenging. Understanding the regulations and developing a protocol that puts safety first—at every stage of development—are important first steps in bringing promising CAR-T cell therapies to the patients who need them most. CAR-T Cell Therapies:...

Patient and Stakeholder Engagement

The Art and Science of Selecting Patients for Phase 1 Oncology Studies

The primary purpose of early-stage clinical trials is to determine the recommended dose and toxicity profile of an investigational drug or multi-drug combination therapy. Since molecularly targeted agents (MTAs) and immunotherapies have toxicities that are distinct from cytotoxic chemotherapies, traditional dose escalation methods using toxicity-based endpoints may not be suitable for phase I studies of...

Clinical Research: Phase 1 - Phase 4

Key Considerations When Designing a Phase 1 Oncology Trial

Traditionally, phase 1 oncology trials have relied on a standard 3+3 dose escalation design to achieve the objective of defining a recommended phase 2 dose (RP2D). However, statistical simulations have shown that as few as one in three trials using the 3+3 design succeed in identifying the maximum tolerated dose.[1] Concerns have also been raised...