Strasse, Germany

Pemigatinib After Curative Local Therapy in Advanced iCCA With FGFR2 Fusion/Rearrangements

This is a prospective, exploratory, single-arm, non-randomized, open-label phase II study to investigate whether pemigatinib is clinically efficacious after curative local treatment including surgery/ SBRT or ablation in iCCA patients with FGFR2 fusion/rearrangements. Patients will receive pemigatinib 13.5 mg oral once daily (21-day cycle; two weeks on, one week off) until disease recurrence, unacceptable toxicity, withdrawal of consent, or investigator decision, but no longer than 12 months (max. 18 cycles). The primary objective is to assess the efficacy of pemigatinib administered after curative local therapy in treatment-naïve patients with resectable intrahepatic biliary tract cancer (recurrence free survival rate at 12 months, RFS@12). Secondary objectives are to assess the efficacy by overall survival (OS) and recurrence free survival (RFS); to assess safety of the treatment (AEs, impact on liver function, use of subsequent therapies); to assess quality of life (QoL). In addition, tissue samples will be analyzed for biomarkers predictive for RFS and OS. 20 patients are to be enrolled in this trial.

A Platform Study of Novel Immunotherapy Combinations in Participants With Previously Untreated, Advanced/Metastatic Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer

Trial of Venovenous ECMO to De-Sedate, Extubate and Mobilise in Hypoxic Respiratory Failure

Mechanically ventilated patients with moderate to severe acute hypoxic respiratory failure are at increased risk of dying, short and long-term health problems and are often very costly to treat. The mechanical ventilator, whilst often lifesaving, may harm patients in two ways i) directly via damage to the lungs (termed ventilator induced lung injury), and ii) indirectly via paralysis and sedation that patients require to tolerate mechanical ventilation. Paralysis and sedation can increase the risk of secondary infections, weakness, prolonged duration of intensive care, as well as long-term physical disability. There is a need to develop new treatments that support patients and at the same time reduce these complications. Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is a device that supports the lungs by adding oxygen and removing carbon dioxide from the blood. By providing non pulmonary gas exchange, veno-venous (VV) ECMO can reduce the need for the mechanical ventilator. This in turn can reduce the risk of lung damage, and also removes the need for sedating medications so that activities like physiotherapy can begin earlier. The REDEEM trial is a phase 2, investigator initiated, multicentre randomised controlled trial that will recruit 140 patients with moderate to severe acute hypoxic respiratory failure. It is designed to test whether adding ECMO to the mechanical ventilator, as compared to using the mechanical ventilator on its own, leads to an increase in the number of patients who survive and are discharged earlier from the intensive care unit. If the REDEEM trial confirms adding ECMO is more effective than mechanical ventilation alone, it has the potential to change the current paradigm of intensive care treatment of hypoxic respiratory failure, and could lead to changes in practice globally.

Effects of Forest Therapy on Physical and Psychological Parameters in the General Population - a Randomized Controlled Trial

Study Investigating Patient-Reported Outcomes in Lower-risk MDS Patients

Treatment of Non-resectable Bile Duct Cancer with Radiofrequency Ablation or Photodynamic Therapy

Klatskin tumours are a form of bile duct cancer. They are generally not diagnosed until quite late and a curative operation is rarely a possibility. Their anatomic location usually results in bile duct obstruction and the aim of therapy is thus to keep the ducts open. This is accomplished through endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) by implanting stents. Stent therapy combined with photodynamic therapy (PDT) extends life expectancy. PDT requires an injection of photosensitizer that is absorbed primarily by the cancer cells. Light of a particular wavelength is then applied with ERCP to kill the cancer cells. Drawbacks include not only high costs and poor availability, but foremost that patients have to avoid direct sunlight for a period of weeks. Radio frequency ablation (RFA) together with stent implantation constitutes an alternative by which the cancer cells are killed through heat applied during ERCP. The RFA technology is more widely available and easier to deploy. However, it has not been studied extensively and no randomized trials exist comparing the two methods. This trial will compare survival in patients with Klatskin tumours depending on whether they receive PDT or RFA. Moreover, data will be collected on side-effects and quality of life.

Global Registry and Natural History Study for Mitochondrial Disorders

The global mitochondrial registry and natural history study is part of the EU-financed GENOMIT project, co-ordinated by Dr. Holger Prokisch, Technische Universität München (TUM).It aims at advancing the understanding of the natural history of mitochondrial disease to inform the design and facilitate the conduction of clinical trials. It also serves as a catalyst for translating basic research results into clinical practice. The global mitochondrial registry and natural history study provides for all contingencies of national ethics and data protection rules including data access management. Currently participating networks are: - German network for mitochondrial diseases - mitoNET, Germany/Austria - Italian Registry of Mitochondrial Patients - Mitocon, Italy The inclusion of other networks and countries is possible and explicitly welcome. A major advantage of the global registry is that countries can join in, saving a lot of time, effort and funding.