17 million to CCBIO project
The regional health authorities' joint program for clinical therapy research (KLINBEFORSK) has February 27th 2017 allocated in total 124 million NOK to seven large research projects. The projects are closely linked to patient care and the requirements of the specialist health services. One of the supported projects is led by CCBIO PI Oddbjørn Straume, receiving 17,57 million NOK over five years.
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More larger national clinical trials
KLINBEFORSK is established by commission of the Norwegian Ministry of Health and Care Services to meet the need for more larger national clinical trias of high quality and with predictable financing. The program will contribute to ensure that more Norwegian patients will be offered participation in clinical trials and is an important part of the implementation of the government's HealthCare21 strategy.
Better effect of skin cancer therapy
Straume's project is titled "A Phase 1b/2 clinical trial with Axl kinase inhibitor BGB324 in combination with Dabrafenib/Trametinib or Pembrolizumab in metastatic melanoma: Identification of predictive markers of response".
The treatment for metastatic malignant melanomas has improved significantly in recent years after the introduction of immunotherapy and targeted therapy. Nevertheless, many patients experience no effect of the therapy, or only short-term effect. The drug BGB324, developed by the Bergen-based company BerGenBio, has shown improved effect in animal models and cell lines when added to immunotherapy or targeted therapy. Straume's group will in the study investigate this by giving patients with metastatic melanoma BGB324 in addition to standard treatment.
They also have a large research program which studies biomarkers able to identify the patients who will benefit of this particular treatment. The study will take place at all university hospitals in the country.
We congratulate with the grant, and look forward to exciting research results!
Relevant reading:
article in Bergens Tidende (in Norwegian).
Video interview with Oddbjørn Straume in Targeted Oncology.
KLINBEFORSK
You can read all about the KLINBEFORSK program here in English.
Here you can find the complete list of the supported projects (Norwegian article).
