Our current clinical trials

Childhood leukaemia

National trial for children with ALL - UKALL2011

This large phase III trial is refining treatments for children with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL). Most children with ALL will be recruited onto this trial as a standard part of their treatment. The trial aims to reduce treatment as much as possible while still ensuring as many children as possible are cured of ALL.

This national clinical trial is being run by Dr Nick Goulden at Great Ormond Street Hospital in London and Dr Pam Kearns at Birmingham Children’s Hospital. 

Immunotherapy for childhood ALL

This phase I/II clinical trial is testing the effectiveness of immunotherapy for improving survival rates in difficult to treat children with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia who have had a stem cell transplant. Children will receive a vaccination that directs donor immune cells to fight residual leukaemia cells in their blood.

This national trial is being run by Dr Persis Amrolia at Great Ormond Street Hospital. 

Adult drugs for relapsed childhood AML - CLOUD

This small phase I trial is testing adult drug combinations for acute myeloid leukaemia in children and teenagers with the same blood cancer. The aim of the trial is to establish appropriate doses of drugs DaunoXome and clofarabine, which can be used to treat children safely and effectively.

This national trial is being run by Dr Pam Kearns at Birmingham Children’s Hospital.

Leukaemia

Gene therapy for adult acute leukaemias - seIR-ICE

This small phase I/II trial is testing a vaccination to boost immune cells in adults with acute leukaemia to destroy cancer cells in the blood. This is a form of gene therapy. As this is an early phase trial, it is largely testing the safety of this new treatment in patients who are not responding to other treatments.

This local trial is being run Professor Hans Stauss and Dr Emma Morris at the Royal Free Hospital, London.

Gene therapy for CML - WIN

This phase II clinical trial is testing the effectiveness of a new vaccine that directs immune cells to target cancer cells in the blood of patients with chronic myeloid leukaemia. This is a form of gene therapy.

This national trial is being run by Dr Christian Ottensmeier at Southampton General Hospital.

New drug for AML transplant patients - RICAZA

This phase I trial is testing the effectiveness of a new anti-leukaemia drug called azacitidine in adults with acute myeloid leukaemia or myelodyplasia who have had a stem cell transplant. This drug aims to reduce the risk of the leukaemia coming back following the stem cell transplant.

This national clinical trial is being run by Professor Charles Craddock at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham.

Antibiotics for CLL - CLEAR

This phase II trial is testing the use of antibiotics for patients with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia who have received no prior treatment. Patients will receive a short but intensive course of antibiotics, to help control the symptoms of their disease, early on.

This national trial is being run by Dr Stephen Devereux at King’s College London.

Pick a winner AML trials programme

This programme of phase II clinical trials has adopted a unique trials design aimed at speeding up the process of testing new treatments against existing ones in patients with acute myeloid leukaemia (AML).

Patients entered into one of these clinical trials will be randomised to receive one of three new treatments: sapacitibine; voreloxin, or low dose Ara-C + AC220, which will be compared to patients taking the standard treatment; low dose Ara-C on its own.

These phase II clinical trials are being run by Professor Alan Burnett at the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff.

AML 18 Pilot trial

This phase II pilot trial is testing the feasibility and safety of two new treatments for older patients with acute myeloid leukaemia (AML), which will be used alongside standard chemotherapy.

Results of this pilot study will advise the protocols to be used in the next large national AML trial, called AML 18, which is due to open in 2012.

This phase II pilot clinical trial is being run by Professor Alan Burnett at the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff.

Lymphoma

New drug combination for diffuse large cell B lymphoma

This phase II trial is testing the effectiveness of combining a monoclonal antibody, called rituximab, with a drug called CODOX-M/IVAC in patients with diffuse large cell B lymphoma, who have not responded to any other treatment. Monoclonal antibodies, which are a relatively non-toxic drug that target cancer cells more directly than chemotherapy, are already being successfully used to treat many non-Hodgkin lymphomas.

This national trial is being run by Dr Andrew McMillan at Nottingham University.

Blood transfusion for indolent non-Hodgkin lymphoma - ProT4

This phase II trial is testing new techniques for transferring blood cells, which increase the effectiveness of stem cell transplants in patients with indolent non-Hodgkin lymphoma. 100 days after having their stem cell transplant, patients will receive white blood cells, called CD4 lymphocytes, from a donor. These cells, which can target and destroy residual leukaemia cells in the blood, are less likely to cause graft versus host disease, a common and serious complication of donor stem cell transplants.

This national clinical trial is being run by Dr Ronjon Chakraverty at the Royal Free Hospital, London. 

Myeloma

Targeted radiotherapy for myeloma - Anti CD-66

This phase II trial is testing a new targeted radiotherapy treatment for patients with myeloma. The new treatment aims to deliver a radioactive isotope direct to the bone marrow, eradicating all the cancer cells, without damaging the patient’s own healthy cells. This avoids damage to organs such as the liver. The treatment is then followed by stem cell transplant using patient's own healthy stem cells to repair the blood system.

This national trial is being run by Dr Kim Orchard at Southampton General Hospital.

New drug combination for myeloma - PADIMAC

This phase II trial is testing a new combination of chemotherapy drugs - bortezomib, Adriamycin and Dexamethasone (PAD) – for patients with myeloma who have not received any previous treatment. Following this, patients who have responded well will receive a transplant using their own healthy stem cells.

This national clinical trial is being run by Dr Kwee Yong at the Cancer Institute, University College London.

Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS)

De-iron clinical trial

This phase II clinical trial is testing the effectiveness of a standard iron binding drug called deferasirox in patients with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS).

Blood transfusion is a necessary regular treatment for the majority of patients with MDS, however it results in an iron overload which can have serious side effects. This trial will establish if deferasirox can maintain a low body iron level without significant side effects, and improve quality of life for patients with MDS.

This national clinical trial is being run by Dr David Bowen at St James' University Hospital in Leeds.

Transplants and general blood cancers

Vaccination against post transplant infections -ACE 

This phase II trial is testing a new vaccination to prevent and relieve symptoms of a common viral infection, called CMV, in adults with blood cancers who have had a stem cells transplant. CMV infection is a very common post-transplant complication. This vaccination utilises a technique called adoptive transfer whereby immune cells activated against CMV virus are transferred into patients.

This national trial is being run by Professor Paul Moss at the University of Birmingham.

Transfusion vaccine for post transplant patients

This phase I trial is recruiting healthy volunteers to test new ways of increasing the effects of donor lymphocyte infusion (DLI), a treatment used for patients with blood cancers who have relapsed. Patients will receive blood transfusions, which induces a beneficial response called graft versus leukaemia (GvL), which occurs when the new donor immune cells attack and destroy residual leukaemia cells in the patient’s blood. Research has shown that this is only effective if the donor immune cells contain a protein called HA-1, which recognises the same protein on the surface of leukaemia cells. Healthy volunteer donors in this trial will receive a vaccine of HA-1 before donating their blood cells.

This national clinical trial is being run by Professor Paul Moss at the University of Birmingham.

New drugs for CLL, mantle cell lymphoma and T-prolymphocytic leukaemia - PICCLe

This phase I/II trial is testing the effectiveness of drugs called PARP inhibitors at targeting mutations in a gene called ATM, which is common in CLL, mantle cell lymphoma and T-prolymphocytic leukaemia patients.

This national trial is being run by Dr Guy Pratt at Birmingham Heartlands Hospital.