Clinical Trials

Clinical Pharmacology and Trials Team

Section: Section of Cancer Therapeutics (including the Cancer Research UK Centre for Cancer Therapeutics)

Clinical trials are conducted in the at the Royal Marsden in collaboration with Dr Johann de Bono and Professor Stan Kaye, Section of Medicine. The Royal Marsden continues to be one of the largest individual contributors to the studies conducted by the Cancer Research UK Phase I/II Clinical Trials Committee. These include dose-finding studies of cytotoxic drugs with conventional targets, both as single agents and in combination, and studies of novel agents with new molecular targets. Studies currently being conducted under the auspices of Cancer Research UK include the Phase I trials of SR-4554, carboplatin with decitabine, and the HSP90 inhibitor 17DMAG, a more soluble analogue of 17AAG. 

The clinical facilities for Phase I clinical trials have recently been enhanced enormously following the opening of the Oak Foundation Drug Development Centre, a 5-day unit specifically designed for this purpose comprising 10 in-patient beds, out patient examination rooms and a 6 patient day case facility. The Centre also has laboratory facilities for sample preparation and storage and a seminar room. A ward-based team of research nurses are able to provide a 24-hour service with regard to pharmacokinetic blood sampling, observations etc. More than 20 concurrent studies are now under way.  There has been further expansion in terms of data managers and research nurses and these teams plus the clinical staff from both Cancer Therapeutics and Medicine have moved to refurbished office accommodation in D Block, further enhancing the efficiency of this collaboration.