ST. HELIER, Jersey & THE WOODLANDS, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Novocure (NASDAQ: NVCR) and US Oncology Research are collaborating on PANOVA-3, a phase 3 pivotal trial testing the efficacy of Tumor Treating Fields combined with nab-paclitaxel and gemcitabine in patients with unresectable locally advanced pancreatic cancer. Tumor Treating Fields is a cancer therapy that uses electric fields tuned to specific frequencies to disrupt cell division, inhibiting tumor growth and causing affected cancer cells to die. US Oncology Research, supported by The US Oncology Network – one of the largest networks of integrated, community-based oncology practices – will open 10 clinical trial sites enrolling patients in Novocure’s PANOVA-3 trial.
“Pancreatic cancer is one of the most aggressive forms of cancer and was the third leading cause of cancer death in the U.S. last year,” said Daniel D. Von Hoff, M.D., F.A.C.P., Principal Investigator for PANOVA-3, Physician in Chief, Distinguished Professor at the Translational Genomics Research Institute in Phoenix and the Chief Scientific Officer for US Oncology Research. “I believe Tumor Treating Fields has the potential to improve survival in this disease. I am pleased to have US Oncology Research’s support.”
PANOVA-3 is a randomized, open-label trial that will include 556 patients with unresectable locally advanced pancreatic cancer. Patients should have an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) score of 0-2 and no prior progression or treatment. Patients in the experimental arm will use a Tumor Treating Fields delivery system tuned to 150 kHz for at least 18 hours a day until the disease progresses. The primary trial endpoint is overall survival. The secondary endpoints include progression free survival, local progression free survival, objective response rate, one-year survival rate, quality of life, pain-free survival, resectability rate and toxicity.1
“Our strategic collaboration with US Oncology Research is an important milestone as we aim to bring better treatment options to patients with pancreatic cancer,” said Dr. Eilon Kirson, Novocure’s Chief Science Officer and Head of Research and Development. “We believe this relationship will accelerate enrollment of patients in our PANOVA-3 trial. We look forward to working with US Oncology Research and The US Oncology Network to advance cancer care.”
About Pancreatic Cancer
Pancreatic cancer was the third leading cause of cancer death in the U.S. in 2017. Five-year survival among patients with pancreatic cancer is about 8 percent. The American Cancer Society estimated that about 53,000 people would be diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and about 43,000 people would die from the disease in 2017. Worldwide, more than 330,000 people die from the disease every year.
About US Oncology Research
Supported by McKesson Specialty Health and The US Oncology Network, US Oncology Research draws from a network of experienced investigators and dedicated clinical staff who specialize in oncology clinical trials. US Oncology Research serves approximately 60 research sites and more than 150 locations managing about 300 active trials at any given time. Physicians in the research network have enrolled more than 75,000 patients in over 1,600 trials since inception about two decades ago and have played a role in more than 75 FDA-approved cancer therapies, approximately one-third of all cancer therapies approved by the FDA to date. For more information, visit www.usoncology.com/oncologists.
About The US Oncology Network
Every day, The US Oncology Network (The Network) helps more than 1,400 independent physicians deliver value-based, integrated care for patients –close to home. Through The Network, these independent doctors come together to form a community of shared expertise and resources dedicated to advancing local cancer care and to delivering better patient outcomes. The Network provides doctors with access to coordinated resources, best business practices, and the experience, infrastructure and support of McKesson Specialty Health. This collaboration allows the doctors in The Network to focus on the health of their patients, while McKesson focuses on the health of their practices. Together, The Network and its affiliated physicians are committed to the success of independent practices, everywhere. For more information, visit www.usoncology.com.
About Novocure
Novocure is an oncology company developing a profoundly different cancer treatment utilizing a proprietary therapy called Tumor Treating Fields, the use of electric fields tuned to specific frequencies to disrupt solid tumor cancer cell division. Novocure’s commercialized product is approved for the treatment of adult patients with glioblastoma. Novocure has ongoing or completed clinical trials investigating Tumor Treating Fields in brain metastases, non-small cell lung cancer, pancreatic cancer, ovarian cancer and mesothelioma.
Headquartered in Jersey, Novocure has U.S. operations in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, Malvern, Pennsylvania and New York City. Additionally, the company has offices in Germany, Switzerland, Japan and Israel. For additional information about the company, please visit www.novocure.com or follow us at www.twitter.com/novocure.
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