ASH Clinical News ACN_3.12s_OCT_SUPP | Page 8

FEATURE

Mining the “ Gold Rush ” of Immunotherapy Clinical Trials

Immunotherapy has the potential to revolutionize cancer treatment , but as the number of immunotherapy clinical trials continues to grow , so do the challenges and obstacles – including the need to ensure meaningful results .
The highly specialized nature of immunotherapy , coupled with the seemingly infinite number of ongoing trials , can make it difficult to find patients to participate in the investigations . High costs , concerns about potential toxicity , and the difficulties of advancing immunotherapy agents quickly and safely through traditional trial designs also impede the march of scientific progress .
But even with these challenges , investigators are optimistic about the role of immunotherapy in treating myeloma , leukemia , and other hematologic malignancies .
ASH Clinical News spoke with several investigators to learn more about clinical trials for emerging immunotherapies , as well as the strategies to ensure the agents can be safely and effectively brought to market .
Finding Trial Participants Immunotherapy harnesses the body ’ s own immune system to fight cancer and is being investigated in a variety of strategies , including checkpoint inhibitors , vaccines , and T-cell therapy . Initial studies show promising results in leukemia and myeloma , and the positive findings are propelling more academic centers and pharmaceutical companies to develop their own immunotherapy candidates .
One estimate suggests there are about 800 immunotherapy clinical trials under way in the United States , 1 and another puts it closer to 1,000 . 2 With so many drugs being tested in various clinical trials , the patient population is stretched thin , some researchers argue .
“ These therapies were once developed in academic centers in small phase I clinical trials often funded by the National Institutes of Health ,” explained Cameron Turtle , MVVS , PhD , an associate member of the Clinical Research Division at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle , Washington . “ Now , there is much more involvement from pharmaceutical
6 Focus on Immunotherapy