Patient enrollment begins for TGen-Scottsdale Healthcare
project
PHOENIX, Ariz. - Dec. 1, 2011 - A son's passion to find a cure for
the cancer that claimed the life of his mother has led to a new
series of clinical trials under a Translational Genomics Research
Institute (TGen) initiative to find a cure for pancreatic
cancer.
The 'Seena I' clinical trial is named for Seena Magowitz, a cancer
research advocate and patient who fell victim to pancreatic cancer
- the nation's fourth leading cause of cancer death.
Pancreatic cancer patients can soon enroll in Seena I, which is
planned for at least four clinical sites across the nation,
including Virginia G. Piper Cancer Center Clinical Trials at
Scottsdale Healthcare.
The Pancreatic Cancer Research Team (PCRT) will supervise the
Seena trials. PCRT is a worldwide consortium of 45 clinical
institutions led by TGen and dedicated to finding a cure for
pancreatic cancer.
For nearly a decade, Scottsdale resident Roger Magowitz has
championed research into finding a cure for pancreatic cancer, a
disease that took the life of his mother, Seena, in 2001.
"I am deeply honored and filled with tremendous hope that the
clinical trials named for my mother, Seena, will lead - perhaps
within just a few years - to an actual cure for pancreatic cancer,"
said Roger Magowitz, President of the Seena Magowitz Foundation,
who has donated $1 million to the TGen pancreatic cancer
initiative.
The pancreas is a gland behind the stomach that secretes enzymes
into the upper part of the small intestine to help digestion. It
also produces hormones, including insulin, which helps regulate the
metabolism of sugars.
The Seena I trial consists of three treatment components:
- The first treatment will be with gemcitabine and nab-paclitaxel (Abraxane) for a maximum of 6 months.
- The next treatment is with a combination of four drugs: 5-FU (fluoruracil); Leucovorin; Oxaliplatin; and Irinotecan. This combination is called FOLFIRINOX, an acronym of all drugs combined. Patients will be given this treatment for a maximum of 6 months.
- In the third treatment, the patient's tumor will be biopsied and analyzed using molecular profiling to determine the next most appropriate treatment. Patients also will receive a drug called Metformin during this part of the study.
The plan is to attack all components of the cancer: the tumor
cell, their support structure and their energy source.
The clinical trial sites includes the Virginia G. Piper Cancer
Center Clinical Trials, a partnership of TGen and Scottsdale
Healthcare, where the principal investigator is TGen
Physician-In-Chief Dr. Daniel Von Hoff, one of the world's leading
authorities on pancreatic cancer. Dr. Von Hoff also is chief
scientific officer at the Virginia G. Piper Cancer Center at
Scottsdale Healthcare.
Dr. Von Hoff said that TGen, through the Virginia G. Piper Cancer
Center at Scottsdale Healthcare and its other PCRT partners, are
making progress in the quest to end this cancer: "We are to deliver
a knockout punch by combining the best treatments we have against
the disease. The contributions of Roger Magowitz represent
significant acceleration toward our goal of finding better
treatments, and ultimately a cure."
The other clinical trial sites are:
Virginia Piper Cancer Institute, Minneapolis, Minn., where the
principal investigator is Dr. John Seng: "We are one of the
nation's leading pancreatic cancer treatment centers. The new Seena
clinical trial will allow patients to take a more active role in
their health care, gain access to new drugs, treatments and disease
management practices, and contribute to medical research."
Evergreen Hematology & Oncology, Spokane, Wash., where the
principal investigator is Dr. Stephen Anthony: "As the former Chief
Medical Officer of TGen Drug Development, I know how meticulously
this study will be organized and conducted, using every efficiency
possible to reach patients with the safest and most effective
compounds possible."
Roy and Patricia Disney Family Cancer Center, Burbank, Calif.,
where the principal investigator is Dr. Peter Rosen: "The Roy and
Patricia Disney Family Cancer Center brings innovative clinical
trials to the San Fernando Valley, an underserved population of
close to 3 million inhabitants. In addition to Phase I (drug
development) trials and an Adolescent and Young Adult (AYA)
program, we are committed to a frontal attack on pancreas cancer,
the nation's fourth leading cause of cancer mortality. The
Seena trial exemplifies that commitment."
For more information about the clinical trials, please contact Amy
Stoll, PCRT Program Manager, at [email protected] or
602-358-8319.
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About the Seena Magowitz Foundation
The Seena Magowitz Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit
organization committed to advancing the awareness and eventual
prevention and cure of pancreatic cancer. The Foundation is
dedicated to funding top medical institutions on the leading edge
of translational pancreatic cancer research committed to diagnosis,
the advancement of life-extending treatment options and the
ultimate goal of eradicating this deadly killer. For more
information, visit: www.seenamagowitzfoundation.org.