UnknownCancerNIHR-supported projectDigestion, Kidneys & Other Organs
A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled, Double-Blind, Multicenter, Phase 3 Trial of Quemliclustat and Chemotherapy Versus Placebo and Chemotherapy in Patients with Treatment-Naive Metastatic Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma
Recipient organisationNIHR Royal Free Clinical Research Facility
NIHR supportRecorded as supported by this research centre
PeriodJan 2025 — Ongoing
In plain English
AI plain-English summary
A new drug called quemliclustat is being tested alongside chemotherapy in roughly 610 patients whose pancreatic cancer has spread to other parts of the body. This matters because pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) makes up about 85% of all pancreatic cancers, and cases are expected to rise as the population ages and rates of obesity and type 2 diabetes increase. Current chemotherapy options—gemcitabine and nab-paclitaxel—slow cancer growth but do not cure the disease. Quemliclustat is an investigational drug designed to stop cancer cells from growing by a different mechanism, and researchers want to know whether adding it to standard chemotherapy improves outcomes. If the trial succeeds, quemliclustat could become a new treatment option for people with metastatic PDAC, a cancer with very poor survival rates. Patients would receive the drug by intravenous infusion alongside their existing chemotherapy regimen. The trial is randomised and placebo-controlled, meaning half the participants will receive the experimental combination and half will receive chemotherapy plus a placebo, allowing a direct comparison of safety and effectiveness. Treatment continues for up to two years, after which patients may continue chemotherapy alone.
View original technical description
The purpose of this study is to determine whether the study medications quemliclustat in combination with chemotherapy (gemcitabine and nab-paclitaxel), would be safe and effective for treating patients with a type of pancreatic cancer called pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) which has spread to other parts of the body. About 85 out of 100 (85%) of all pancreatic cancers are PDAC, and cases of PDAC are expected to increase in the next 10 years due to aging population and increased rates of obesity and type 2 diabetes. Quemliclustat is an investigational medication, which has not yet been approved to treat this type of cancer. Researchers hope that using quemliclustat will help stop cancer cells from growing. Quemliclustat is given by infusion into a vein (intravenously or IV), usually with a needle in the arm.Gemcitabine and nab-paclitaxel are chemotherapy medications approved to treat this type of cancer. They both work by slowing down or stopping the growth of cancer cells. Both gemcitabine and nab-paclitaxel will be given by infusion into a vein.Patients can be enrolled on the study if they have not received treatment for their PDAC, and their PDAC has spread to other areas of their body. Around 610 patients will take part in this study at around 175 sites (around the globe). Assessments including ECGs, physical examinations, blood and urine collection, scans (CT or MRI) and completion of questionnaires will be performed. Patients will be randomly allocated to receive either Quemliclustat and chemotherapy, or placebo and chemotherapy. Treatment will continue for up to 2 years, after which time patients may continue to receive the chemotherapy treatment only.
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