Dose escalation studies are pivotal in the early phases of clinical drug development for evaluating the safety profile of a new therapeutic agent and identifying a recommended dose for further investigation. These studies lay the groundwork for understanding the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties of novel therapies and, if designed and executed thoughtfully, can move seamlessly…
Ashley Herrick
Adaptive design is a progressive approach that utilizes different statistical modeling to allow for modifications to enrollment in a clinical trial after study initiation without undermining data integrity and validity. This methodology is particularly beneficial and increasingly common in phase 1 clinical trials, which focus primarily on safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics. The essence of…
Oncology & Hematology
Patient-Centered Hematological Malignancy Trials: A Blueprint for Success
Hematological malignancies are a diverse group of cancers that affect the blood, bone marrow, lymph nodes, and spleen. The complexity and variability of these diseases demand innovative and personalized approaches to treatment that traditional clinical trial methodologies often lack. Designing patient-centric hematology clinical trials requires a comprehensive understanding of the patient experience, coupled with a…
In the field of oncology, as we got better at understanding the changes that occur in cancers at a molecular level, we have seen a shift towards precision medicine. Biomarkers are central to this change and can be leveraged to provide important insights at every stage of drug development. By advancing our understanding of cancer…
Oncology & Hematology
Operationalizing Biomarker-Guided Oncology Trials: Planning for Success
Advances in genomic and proteomic technologies have led to the identification of numerous biomarkers with potential clinical utility in oncology, including gene mutations, gene amplifications, gene expression signatures, and altered proteins. To date, more than 1,500 potential oncology biomarkers have been identified in the preclinical setting. Among these, approximately half are being studied in active…
Prostate cancer (PC) is one of the most commonly diagnosed cancers overall and the most frequently diagnosed cancer in men. The 2018 global estimate of new PC cases exceeded 1.2 million, and more than 350,000 men died from the disease worldwide.1 Over the last decade the emergence of new treatments, combined with better use of…
Oncology & Hematology
Maximizing Oncology Study Outcomes: Protocol Development Considerations
Minimizing the burden that trial participants experience is essential for successful recruitment and retention, especially in oncology studies, where patients may need to be followed for years after the treatment phase of the trial. For sponsors, the process of optimizing study outcomes involves a deep understanding of the patient’s care journey and a deliberate effort…
During the initial planning for clinical trial implementation, intense focus is placed on strategies for patient recruitment, while strategies for patient engagement and retention are often left until after the treatment phase. However, with many current protocol designs in oncology, trial endpoints require study participants to be followed for years to evaluate side effects and…
Immunotherapy has led to substantial advances in cancer therapy in recent years. Still, unpredictable response rates and immune-related adverse events have hampered the widespread use of immune checkpoint therapy to treat cancers. To tackle these challenges, sponsors are increasingly looking to combination therapies as a strategy for improving response and overcoming resistance. In our previous…
Cell & Gene Therapy
A Primer on Cancer Immunotherapy Part 1: Goals & Major Approaches
In recent years, immunotherapy has led to substantial advances in cancer therapy. In particular, the immune checkpoint inhibitors — PD-1/PD-L1 and CTLA-4 inhibitors — have revolutionized treatment for certain hematologic malignancies and solid tumors. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved six immunotherapies across 19 cancer types and two tissue-agnostic conditions. But widespread…