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...

Clinical Research: Phase 1 - Phase 4

Boosting Immuno-Oncology’s Effectiveness Against Cancer

Immuno-oncology continues to be an exciting frontier in the fight against cancer. Researchers continue to develop drugs that allow the body to weaponize its own immune system against the growth of new tumors. Most uses of immunotherapies have been limited to cancers, like those in the lungs or pancreas, that produce a strong immune response. In his article...

Clinical Research: Phase 1 - Phase 4

CAR T-cell Therapies: Safety Considerations and Toxicity Management

Immuno-gene therapeutics are transforming the therapeutic landscape of hematological malignancies. The recent approvals of two chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapies—tisagenlecleucel (marketed as Kymriah™) and axicabtagene ciloleucel (marketed as Yescarta™)—mark the beginning of the next revolution in cancer treatment. However, along with demonstrated efficacy in hematologic malignancies, CAR T-cells have the capacity to elicit serious...

Study Design

6 Early Phase Dose-Finding Trial Designs for Oncology Therapeutics

Phase I and II trials may have different overall goals (i.e., demonstrating safety vs. efficacy), but the two both struggle with a major challenge in oncology study design: finding the right dose. Luckily, decades of data and innovations have given researchers the tools necessary to plan a successful dose-finding trial. Read on for a look...

Clinical Research: Phase 1 - Phase 4

Where Do We Start?: A Look at Dosing in Phase 1 Trials

Early oncology trials have changed for the better over the last few years thanks to novel investigational agents, innovations in trial design, and changes to regulatory practices. Among other improvements, these changes have helped to perfect the way study designers plan early phase dosing. Dosing strategies in Phase I trials First-in-human trials When an investigational agent is administered...

Chief Medical Officer Discussing Immuno-Oncology Molecules at OCT Southern California

DURHAM, N.C., SEPTEMBER 25, 2017 — Premier Research’s Chief Medical Officer will discuss development of immuno-oncology molecules at Outsourcing in Clinical Trials Southern California, September 27-28 in La Jolla. Dr. Colin Hayward will address strategic and practical considerations for molecule development on the opening day of the annual gathering of pharma, biotech, and medical device leaders....

Clinical Research: Phase 1 - Phase 4

4 Potential Advantages of Adaptive Design

Adaptive design is a type of clinical trial methodology that incorporates prospectively planned opportunities for modification of one or more aspects of a study’s design or its hypotheses based on interim analysis of study data. Explicitly planning these pre-specified changes helps to maintain scientific integrity while also introducing greater flexibility in the clinical research environment. The major...

Clinical Research: Phase 1 - Phase 4

Target Product Profiles: Turning Discoveries into Companies

One of the first steps in the development process is to create the target product profile (TPP) that defines the projected marketed product label. The TPP helps rule out any pharmacodynamic effects that are no more beneficial than current therapeutic treatments. Developing a TPP is also an opportunity to evaluate intellectual property and ensure that the product has an...

Clinical Research: Phase 1 - Phase 4

5 Essential Factors for Navigating Early Stage Trials

Bringing a novel drug to market can be a long, perilous journey down the clinical testing pipeline, taking upwards of 10 to 15 years. Maintaining research and development productivity while navigating the ever-changing regulatory landscape, the choppy waters of today’s reimbursement environments, and the rising tide of clinical trial costs is increasingly challenging. Medicines that fail...