ALK-positive Clinical Trials Are Not Just for People in the United States

If you are at diagnosis or at a juncture in treatment, an ALK-positive lung cancer clinical trial may help you receive state of the art treatment. Although many clinical trials for ALK-positive lung cancer have sites in the US, ALK Positives around the world have multiple clinical trial options.

An exciting trial outside the US is the ALKternate trial, recruiting in Melbourne and Sydney, Australia. This trial is for those who have progressed on Alectinib, Brigatinib, or Ceritinib. The trial gives Crizotinib and Lorlatinib in an alternating pattern, with the hope of delaying the development of resistance to Lorlatinib.

There are first line trials of Brigatinib in Spain and Germany. There is a trial comparing Alectinib to Briagtinib in those who have progressed on Crizotinib in multiple sites in Europe. Several second or third-line Lorlatinib trials are available in Belgium, France, Italy, The Netherlands, Norway, and Spain.

There are over 40 countries that are hosting trials for ALK-positive lung cancer right now. Each month our ALK Positive group updates a spreadsheet that lists clinical trials around the world that are recruiting for ALK-positive lung cancer. The link to the spreadsheet is below. There are tabs for each region of the world, so you can find trials in your country easily.

Clinical trials play an important role in the long-term survival of many lung cancer patients. Below is a compilation of resources that will help ALK-positive patients and their care teams identify suitable clinical trials that are open to them. 

ALK LUNG CANCER CLINICAL TRIAL HELP AND SEARCHING

ALK Positive Support Group Clinical Trials Spreadsheet*

GO2 Foundation for Lung Cancer - LUNGMATCH

LUNGevity Online Clinical Trial Finder

CenterWatch Clinical Trials Search

MassiveBio Clinical Trials Search

General Info about ALK NSCLC Clinical Trials

As of August 2021, there are at least 45 clinical trials that are recruiting specifically for people with ALK-positive lung cancer. Many of these trials have multiple sites worldwide. Since ALK-positive lung cancer is a rare disease, it is difficult for any one oncologist to be aware of all the trials available. You can advocate for yourself and find a clinical trial that may be a good fit for you at any juncture in treatment.

*Spreadsheet developed by ALK Positive Volunteer Ellee Urban and ALK Positive Medical Committee 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.

 Author: Ellee Urban