Last year in the UK over 60,000 cancer patients enrolled on clinical trials aimed at improving cancer treatments and making them available to all.
A trial looking at Z-360 and gemcitabine for advanced pancreatic cancer that can't be removed with an operation
This trial was looking into a new type of hormone therapy, along with chemotherapy, for cancer of the pancreas.
Doctors often treat pancreatic cancer with surgery, if possible. Or treat with a chemotherapy drug called gemcitabine (Gemzar). But for some people the cancer may start to grow again or come back. If this happens the cancer is more difficult to treat.
Gastrin is a
Z-360 is a new type of
Doctors hoped that taking Z-360 in combination with gemcitabine would work better than gemcitabine alone. But Z-360 is a new drug and doctors didn’t know how well it would work.
The aims of this trial were to find out
- What the side effects of Z-360 were
- How well the combination of Z-360 and gemcitabine worked for pancreatic cancer
Summary of results
The research team found that it was safe to give the combination of Z-360 and gemcitabine to people with advanced pancreatic cancer.
This trial recruited 33 people. They were put into 1 of 3 treatment groups
- 12 had gemcitabine and a dummy drug (
- 9 had gemcitabine and a low dose of Z-360
- 12 had gemcitabine and a high dose of Z-360
Of the 33 people recruited to take part in the trial, all had at least 1 treatment as a part of the trial. The most common side effects reported were diarrhoea and feeling sick (nausea).
In 26 of these people, the researchers were able to assess the effect the treatment had on their cancer.
Of the 10 people who had gemcitabine and the dummy drug (placebo), the cancer
- Stayed the same in 6 people – this is called
- Continued to grow in 4 people
Of the 8 people who had the low dose of Z-360 and gemcitabine, the cancer
- Stayed the same in 5 people
- Continued to grow in 3 people
Of the 8 people who had the high dose of Z-360 and gemcitabine, the cancer
- Stayed the same in 2 people
- Continued to grow in 6 people
The people who had Z-360 and gemcitabine reported better pain control and improved quality of life than those who had the dummy drug and gemcitabine.
Although the numbers were small the researchers thought that the results showed Z-360 was safe and well tolerated when given with gemcitabine to people with advanced pancreatic cancer. But these results need to be confirmed by studying this combination further in a phase 3 trial with a bigger number of people.
We have based this summary on information from the team who ran the trial. The information they sent us has been reviewed by independent specialists (
How to join a clinical trial
Prof Tim Meyer
Experimental Cancer Medicine Centre (ECMC)