Results from a CTC gynae trial were presented to the European Society for Medical Oncology in Paris on Saturday. The PEACOCC trial, which opened in February 2019, has been treating 48 patients for the first time with rare advanced clear cell cancer with an immunotherapy drug manufactured by MSD called pembrolizumab.
Patients entered the trial to receive treatment after previous unsuccessful chemotherapy treatment, and where no further standard of treatment options were available. Patients within the trial can be treated for up to two years depending on tolerability and disease status.
The trial’s main aim is to assess whether pembrolizumab treatment effectively keeps patients’ cancer at bay after 12 weeks of treatment. The results reported a higher than expected rate of disease control with 43.8% of patients free of disease progression at 12 weeks on treatment along with an overall tolerable safety profile.
PEACOCC chief investigator Dr Rebecca Kristeleit, who is based at Guy's Hospital in London and presented the findings, commented: ‘The PEACOCC trial indicates pembrolizumab monotherapy is an effective therapy in heavily pre-treated patients with advanced clear cell gynaecological cancer which justifies further evaluation of immunotherapy approaches in this disease both as monotherapy and in combination.’
PEACOCC is ongoing, with further results from the sample research to be unveiled over the coming months. The trial has taken place at the Christie (Manchester), UCLH (London), Western General (Edinburgh), Churchill (Oxford) and Mount Vernon (Middlesex) hospitals.
Laura Hughes, PEACOCC trial coordinator at the CTC, remarked: ‘The devotion and engagement from the hospital research teams, patients and management group, especially during the pandemic when dedication never faltered, has reflected in the trial successfully answering important questions needed so far—we at CTC are grateful to all involved’.
PEACOCC is funded by Merck Sharp & Dohme (UK) Ltd (MSD) and supported by NIHR.
Photo credit: Laura Hughes