ALK Lung Cancer Clinical Trials Recruiting (Current as of July 2019)
There are many exciting and new trials coming out for lung cancer, including ALK-positive lung cancer. Please see below for four interesting studies, and links to a spreadsheet with all ALK-positive lung cancer trials.
ALK Master Treatment Protocol Trial:
The most exciting clinical trial currently recruiting. In this study, patients who have progressed on an ALK inhibitor (excepting Crizotinib) will have a tissue genomic biopsy. This biopsy will determine the next treatment, based on the exact mutations in the progressed tumor. If the results of this study are better than the current standard of care, genomic testing upon progression and individualized medicine could become the standard of care for ALK lung cancer progression. The ALK Master Treatment Protocol is currently recruiting in the USA in Arkansas, California, Delaware, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Washington St, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. Many more sites to come! https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03737994
Brigatinib with Local Consolidative Therapy (LCT) Trial:
Another new and promising trial combines Local Consolidative Therapy (LCT) upon diagnosis of advanced ALK lung cancer. The current standard of care for advanced ALK lung cancer is a second generation ALK inhibitor, such as Alectinib or Brigatinib. What's different in this trial is that LCT, either through surgery or radiation, is added to the ALK inhibitor early in treatment. The hope is that LCT can prolong the time on Brigatinib before progression. This strategy has been effective for other forms of lung cancer but has never been tested specifically in ALK. The results of this trial could dramatically change the standard of care for newly diagnosed patients. The Brigatinib/LCT trial is recruiting in the US at MD Anderson in Houston, Texas, and a similar study is also taking place at Massachusetts General in Boston. https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03707938 or https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02314364
Carboplatin/Pemetrexed/Pembrolizumab (Keytruda) Trial:
Several of our members who have exhausted TKI treatment have begun the chemotherapy/immunotherapy triplet. Unfortunately, the groundbreaking study of this combination excluded ALK positive lung cancer. A newer trial for this triplet specifically for ALK and EGFR lung cancer patients is currently recruiting. If you have progressed on a second or third generation ALK inhibitor, you may be eligible. Recruiting sites are in the USA at Chicago Illinois, Ann Arbor/Detroit Michigan, Bronx New York, and Nashville Tennessee. https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03242915
SPACEWALK Study (United States) and MATRIX Stratified Medicine Programme 2 (United Kingdom):
For our members in the US or in the UK who have progressed on a 2nd generation ALK inhibitor (Alectinib, Brigatinib, Ceritinib), both studies offer a free blood biopsy to help discover sub-mutations that occur after ALK inhibitor treatment. If you have progression, you may be able to use these results to guide your next treatment step. These studies are available almost everywhere in the US and the UK. https://alcmi.net/research/spacewalk/ or https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/funding-for-researchers/how-we-deliver-research/our-research-partnerships/stratified-medicine-programme
Additional info and montly updated spreadsheet:
There are multiple clinical trials recruiting worldwide for ALK Positives, both at diagnosis and at all points of progression. Here is a link to ALK clinical trials that are currently recruiting, as compiled by our ALK Positive group using the Clinical Trials.gov database:*
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1blX7mZZmQe61AwuFp8H3lULKobKS2aVdV_Q_FwW88O4/edit?usp=sharing
For general information about participating in an ALK clinical trial, here is a summary: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-otPfoO7ssPZ4ZGAIZUhXLNF-jWVpvUsbQJzRbMcNjA/edit?usp=sharing
*Spreadsheet developed by ALK Positive Volunteer Ellee Urban and ALK Positive MPAC in August 2018. Updated monthly and posted in the ALK Positive Support Group.
Disclaimer: these trials have been consolidated by a volunteer and should not be considered exhaustive. Listing of these trials is not an endorsement, and ALK Positive does not recommend one trial over another. Please talk with your doctor about these or any trials you are interested in.