A recent national multicentre study, led by Professor David Cunningham, confirmed the treatment with R-CHOP21 chemotherapy as standard of care for patients with newly diagnosed diffuse large B cell lymphoma. 

Dr Claire Dearden has been involved in several clinical trials including purine analogues, monoclonal antibodies and stem cell transplantation in different lymphoproliferative diseases including CLL.

Currently, two national multicentre studies for aggressive NHL, the LEGEND and the CHEMO-T study, are run by the unit, in close collaboration with the National Cancer Research Institute (NCRI).

A special focus of the unit lies in clinical trials targeting lymphoma-specific pathways such as PI3 kinase signalling or immune checkpoint pathways.

Current clinical trials include:

Diffuse large B cell lymphoma

LEGEND (relapse): A randomised phase II study comparing LEnalidomide plus rituximab, GEmcitabine and methylprednisolone (LR-GEM) to rituximab, gemcitabine, methylprednisolone and cisplatiN (R-GEM-P) in second-line treatment of Diffuse Large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). Patients receive 3 cycles of LR-GEM or R-GEM-P followed by autologous stem cell transplant as indicated.

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02060656

Millennium Takeda C34001 (relapse): An open-label phase 1 study of the SYK inhibitor TAK-659 in adult patients with lymphoma.

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02000934

MSD MK-8628-005 (relapse): A phase 1b study of the bromodomain inhibitor MK-8628 in haematological malignancies.

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02698189

PQR309-002 (relapse): Open-label phase 2 study evaluating efficacy and safety of the dual pan PI3K/mTOR inhibitor PQR309 in patients with relapsed or refractory lymphoma.

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02249429

Pharmacyclix PCYC-1123-CA (relapse): Phase 1b/2 study of ibrutinib in combination with rituximab and lenalidomide in DLBCL of non-GCB subtype.

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02077166

T cell NHL

CHEMO-T (primary therapy): A randomised phase II study comparing CHOP versus GEM-P in first line treatment of T-cell lymphoma.

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01719835.

PQR309-002 (relapse): Open-label phase 2 study evaluating efficacy and safety of the dual pan PI3K/mTOR inhibitor PQR309 in patients with relapsed or refractory lymphoma.

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02249429

Follicular lymphoma

PQR309-002 (relapse): Open-label phase 2 study evaluating efficacy and safety of the dual pan PI3K/mTOR inhibitor PQR309 in patients with relapsed or refractory lymphoma.

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02249429

Millennium Takeda C34001 (relapse): An open-label phase 1 study of the SYK inhibitor TAK-659 in adult patients with lymphoma.

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02000934

Mantle cell lymphoma

PQR309-002 (relapse): Open-label phase 2 study evaluating efficacy and safety of the dual pan PI3K/mTOR inhibitor PQR309 in patients with relapsed or refractory lymphoma.

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02249429

Millennium Takeda C34001 (relapse): An open-label phase 1 study of the SYK inhibitor TAK-659 in adult patients with lymphoma.

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02000934

Primary CNS lymphoma

TIER (relapse): A phase I/II study of Thiotepa, Ifosphamide, Etoposide and Rituximab for the treatment of relapsed or refractory primary central nervous system lymphoma.