Clinical Research Directory

Evaluation of Skin Tests in Biotherapy Allergies

Biotherapies are biological (extracted from an organism or living tissue) or biotechnological drugs used in the treatment of multiple conditions, such as autoimmune inflammatory diseases, cancers, and hematologic diseases. In recent years, these biotherapies have notably emerged in the treatment of cancers and hematologic disorders. As such, most patients with cancers or hematologic diseases will likely receive a biotherapy as part of their care pathway. These biotherapies are associated with various side effects, including hypersensitivity or allergic reactions, which are often poorly characterized in clinical trials. These reactions manifest as symptoms without specific dermatologic or allergologic semiology (such as itching, erythema, shortness of breath, sometimes digestive issues, or discomfort, and in some cases, an anaphylactic reaction). Unlike other treatments, such as antibiotics and neuromuscular blockers, there are currently no guidelines on the concentrations to use in skin tests for biotherapies. We propose conducting prospective clinical research to scientifically establish the concentrations to be used when investigating hypersensitivity to a biotherapy, in line with best practice recommendations for drug skin testing.

Study of Belantamab Mafodotin as Pre- and Post-autologous Stem Cell Transplant and Maintenance for Multiple Myeloma

This is a single-institution, single-arm, phase 2 study in which belantamab mafodotin (GSK2857916), an antibody-drug conjugate targeting B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA), will be administered to patients with multiple myeloma prior to and following high-dose melphalan and autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT), in conjunction with standard lenalidomide maintenance. We hypothesize that administration of belantamab mafodotin as part of autologous stem cell transplant consolidation and maintenance will be safe, well tolerated, and efficacious in comparison to historical data.

Phase I/II Trial of Cord Blood-Derived NK Cells Genetically Engineered With NY-ESO-1 TCR/IL-15 Cell Receptor for Relapsed/Refractory Multiple Myeloma

To find the recommended dose of NY-ESO-1 TCR/IL-15 NK cells that can be given to patients with relapsed or refractory MM. To learn if the dose of NY-ESO-1 TCR/IL-15 NK cells found in Part A can help to control the disease.

Pilot Imaging Study of Leukemia

This is a prospective pilot study, the primary aim of which is to determine whether the presence of 18F FLT imaging signal uptake abnormalities correlate with clinically validated evidence of hematopoietic malignant disease (e.g. MRD, molecular, flow or histology) after immunotherapy and other treatments.

CD70.CAR for CD70+ Lymphoma, Myeloma and Solid Tumors

This study is for patients who have a type of cancer that expresses the protein CD70, which includes lymphoma (lymph gland cancer), myeloma and solid tumors including some sarcomas and kidney cancers, and the cancer has come back or has not gone away after standard of care treatment. As there are limited or no remaining standard treatments available to treat this cancer, patients are being asked to volunteer to be in a gene transfer research study using special immune cells to create a specialized immune cell that will recognize a protein called CD70 that is expressed on the outside surface of the tumor cells in the body. This research study combines different ways of fighting disease by using T cells and "arming" them to recognize a specific protein on cancer cells. T cells, also called T lymphocytes, are special infection-fighting blood cells that can kill other cells including tumor cells. T cells by themselves have been used to treat patients with cancers and have shown promise, but have not been strong enough to cure most patients. The protein used in this study is called anti-CD70. It has been developed from human CD27 on normal T cells, since it is the natural binding partner that can connect with CD70. This anti-CD70 protein sticks to tumor cells when it binds to CD70. CD70 binders have been used to treat people with different types of cancers. For this study, anti-CD70 has been changed so that instead of floating free in the blood it is now joined to the T cells. When binder is joined to a T cell in this way it is called a chimeric receptor or "CAR T cell". The doctors then made another change to cause these T cells to kill any cell that has CD70. This causes the "CAR T cells" to kill blood cancer cells which are confirmed to have CD70. In the laboratory, investigators have found that T cells work better if there are proteins added that stimulate T cells. The anti-CD70 (CD27) protein is unique because it can bind to CD70 on tumor cells but also stimulates the T cells that express it. Adding the CD27 makes the cells grow better and may help them to last longer in the body, thus giving the cells a better chance of killing the tumor cells. These CD70 "CAR" T cells are investigational products not approved by the Food and Drug Administration. The purpose of this study is to find a dose of CAR T cells that is safe, to learn what the side effects are and to see whether this therapy might help people with lymphoma (lymph gland cancer), myeloma and certain solid tumors including some sarcomas and kidney cancers.

Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS) Services Impact on Outcomes and Care

The purpose of this study is to learn about the impact that the services and programs provided by Blood Cancer United (formerly, The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society) have among patients with blood cancer, such as access to care, quality of life, and financial burden.

A Study of an MMSET Inhibitor in Patients With Relapsed and Refractory Multiple Myeloma

A Phase I study to evaluate the safety of a novel, orally available, selective, and potent small molecule inhibitor of the histone lysine methyl transferase MMSET (also known as NSD2/WHSC1) to prevent the dimethylation of H3K36 in adult patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM).

Multicenter Open Label Phase 3 Study of Isatuximab Plus Lenalidomide and Dexamethasone With/Without Bortezomib in the Treatment of Newly Diagnosed Non Frail Transplant Ineligible Multiple Myeloma Elderly Patients (≥ 65; < 80 Years).

Overall the issue of patients above 65-70 years of age being that it is impossible for most of them to undergo an intensive treatment like autologous stem cell transplant with little prospect of debulking effectively the bone marrow with chemotherapy, and also few possibilities to harass the bone microenvironment in the tumoral niche. If, advanced age in frail patients is predictive of an increased risk of treatment-related toxicity, there is a growing number of elderly patients in regards to transplantation, but still fit if one considers the objectives of life characterized with prolonged survival. These patients might have the same treatment as to the transplant eligible, but without the transplant procedure. The development of immunotherapy has transformed the treatment landscape of cancer, particularly in MM, increasing the treatment possibilities with possibly fewer adverse events. The therapeutic strategy and treatment options for NTE patients moved from melphalan-based induction regimens to lenalidomide-based associations, which is now the backbone of most treatment for NTE patients. Even though the latest melphalan, bortezomib and prednisone (MPV) association was considered somewhat effective it was not so well tolerated. Furthermore, MPV hardly prolonged PFS beyond 2 years. It was recently improved with the addition of Daratumumab, first in class anti CD38 Mab in the phase III ALCYONE. The association lenalidomide and dexamethasone (Rd) has significantly improved the easiness of treating the NTE population and all drugs seem to be possible to combine to Rd. In that extent, proteasome inhibitors have always been one of the most impactful family of agents in MM, and as expected Bortezomib plus Rd has become a very relevant and commonly used regimen in NTE NDMM. These groundbreaking results have favored the development of 2 randomized phase 3 studies for registration of combination of antiCD38Mab (Daratumumab (Cepheus, NCT03652064), Isatuximab (Imroz, NCT03319667) +Rd +Velcade in comparison to VRd. Both studies have used as a comparator the VRd regimen which is today one of the safest, active and popular triplet based Rd regimen, approved, and therefore the best control arm possibly for these studies. However, as much as there has been no direct head to head comparison of VRd to Dara Rd, when looking at the data from Maia it is anticipated that DRd will become a standard of care, and might challenge strongly VRd. Yet, multiple questions remain still, anticipating the change in backbone from VRd to antiCD38 +Rd becoming the new standard of care for NTE NDMM patients. The investigators have therefore planned to answer the critical question of the role of proteasome inhibitors in NTE non frail NDMM when considering anti CD38 +Rd as the backbone.

Multimodal Telerehabilitation in Patients Undergoing CAR-T Cell Immunotherapy

The proposed multimodal telerehabilitation model allows a rehabilitation therapy team to set up individualized rehabilitation plans using a web-based care management portal and monitor patient progress online. Patients at home follow a safe and effective personalized exercise and nutrition plan guided by interactive touch-screen technology combined with behavioral counseling, social support, and interactive education and empowerment. The design of the telerehabilitation system is based on the cloud-based Internet-of-Things architecture allowing real-time monitoring of cardiovascular parameters and exercise performance. The patient's level of exertion during exercise is automatically identified by a validated AI-driven algorithm supporting exercise safety and efficacy. The ultimate goal of this pilot feasibility project is to establish the extent of the impact of the proposed patient-centered cancer telerehabilitation model on disease-specific quality of life, and functional and symptom outcomes and to obtain sufficient evidence for a definitive randomized clinical trial evaluating this approach in a multi-center study.

PET Imaging of Cancer Patients Using 124I-PUH71: A Pilot Study

The purpose of this study is to see how a new drug, named PUH71, accumulates in the different parts of the body \& inside tumors and how long PUH71 lasts in the blood, when given to study participants in tiny amounts. The results of this study will help researchers (1) plan how they will use PUH71 as an experimental new drug (at much-higher doses) for the treatment of cancer, in clinical trials; and (2) know whether PUH71 might be used as a drug for detecting tumors with scanner machines.

A Phase 1 With Extension Cohort, Single Arm, Single Center, Open Label Trial of Belantamab Mafodotin for the Treatment of High-Risk Smoldering Multiple Myeloma

This is a single-center, single arm, phase I study designed to determine the safety and find the recommended Phase 2 dose (RP2D) or maximum dose level (MTD) of Belantamab Mafodotin in patients with high-risk smoldering multiple myeloma. The study will have a dose-finding part and a dose-expansion part. The maximum number of enrolled patients will be 30 with 18 patients for the dose-finding part and 12 patients for the dose-expansion part. Once we determine the MTD or RP2D in the dose-finding part, we will enroll and treat 12 additional patients at the MTD or RP2D in the expansion part. Efficacy will be assessed through the overall response rate (ORR) at the end of the study. With the limited number of patients for the dose-expansion part, we will not have formal futility monitoring rule.

A Multicentre, Non-Blinded Study Exploring Self-Administration of Chemotherapy in the Home Environment

This study is to see if the standard of care subcutaneous injection of bortezomib can safely be administered at home by the patient or caregiver. All tests and assessments are based on standard of care procedures.

Elotuzumab + Iberdomide + Dexamethasone Post Ide-Cel in RRMM

The aim of this research study is to evaluate the efficacy of Elotuzumab and Iberdomide therapy post-Idecabtagene Vicleucel in participants with relapsed and refractory multiple myeloma. The names of the study drugs involved in this study are: * Iberdomide (a type of cereblon E3 ligase modulator) * Elotuzumab (a type of monoclonal antibody) * Dexamethasone (a type of steroid)

Elranatamab Post Cilta-cel in Patients With Clinical High Risk Relapsed Myeloma

The purpose of the study is to evaluate the effect of Elranatamab therapy after cilta-cel measuring how long a patient with high risk relapsed myeloma lives without the myeloma getting worse(progressing), also known as progression-free survival (PFS). Patients with clinical high-risk myeloma, defined as having history of myeloma that has grown outside of the bones or having high risk mutations in the myeloma cells, benefit less from cilta-cel compared to myeloma patients without these characteristics.

Liquid Biopsy Evaluation and Repository Development at Princess Margaret

The objective of this protocol is to develop an institution-wide liquid biopsy protocol that will establish a common process for collecting blood and corresponding archived tumor specimens for future research studies at the University Health Network's Princess Margaret Cancer Centre. Circulating cell-free nucleic acids (cfNA), including cell-free DNA (cfDNA) and cell-free RNA (cfRNA), are non-invasive, real-time biomarkers that can provide diagnostic and prognostic information before cancer diagnosis, during cancer treatment, and at disease progression. Cancer research scientists and clinicians at the Princess Margaret are interested in incorporating the collection of peripheral blood samples ("liquid biopsies") into research protocols as a means of non-invasively assessing tumor progression and response to treatment at multiple time points during a patient's course of disease.

Kappa-CD28 T Lymphocytes, Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia, B-cell Lymphoma or Multiple Myeloma, CHARKALL

Patients have a type of cancer called NHL, Multiple Myeloma (MM) or CLL that has come back or has not gone away after treatment. There is no standard treatment for the cancer at this time or the currently used treatments do not work completely in all cases like these. This is a gene transfer research study using special immune cells. The body has different ways of fighting infection and disease. No single way seems perfect for fighting cancers. This research study combines two different ways of fighting disease, antibodies and T cells, that investigators hope will work together. Antibodies are types of proteins that protect the body from bacterial and other diseases. T cells, also called T lymphocytes, are special infection-fighting blood cells that can kill other cells, including tumor cells. Both antibodies and T cells have been used to treat patients with cancers; they have shown promise, but have not been strong enough to cure most patients. The antibody used in this study recognizes a protein on the lymphoma, MM or CLL cells called kappa immunoglobulin. Antibodies can stick to lymphoma, MM or CLL cells when it recognizes the kappa molecules present on the tumor cells. For this study, the kappa antibody has been changed so that instead of floating free in the blood it is now joined to the T cells. When an antibody is joined to a T cell in this way it is called a chimeric receptor. These chimeric receptor-T cells seem to kill some of the tumor, but they don't last very long and so their chances of fighting the cancer are limited. In the laboratory, investigators found that T cells work better if they also add a protein that stimulates T cells to grow called CD28. By joining the anti-kappa antibody to the T cells and adding the CD28, the investigators expect to be able to make cells that will last for a longer time in the body (because of the presence of the CD28). They are hoping this will make the cells work better. Previously, when patients enrolled on this study, they were assigned to one of three different doses of the kappa-CD28 T cells. We found that all three dose levels are safe. Now, the plan is to give patients the highest dose that we tested. These chimeric T cells (kappa-CD28) are an investigational product not approved by the FDA.

Role of Antibiotic Therapy or Immunoglobulin On iNfections in hAematoLogy Dosing Immunoglobulin (Dose Ig)

This study is being conducted to find out how safe and effective different strategies of infection prevention are in comparison to each other, for preventing infection in patients with blood cancers. The best way to find out this information is to directly compare the effect of different treatment strategies in patients with blood cancers. We want to know how these different treatments impact on your health and your use of healthcare services. This research project uses an Adaptive Platform Design. This design allows the researchers to compare multiple infection prevention strategies within the same trial at the same time (rather than running separate trials), to analyse results as the trial occurs and to add new research questions during the course of the trial. The treatments that you may receive as part of the study will be determined by which domain(s) of the platform you participate in. By combining data collected within each domain as part of the platform, the researchers can investigate and compare treatment strategies and infection outcomes across a broader range of participants.

Role of Antibiotic Therapy or Immunoglobulin On iNfections in hAematoLogy: Starting Immunoglobulin (Start Ig)

This study is being conducted to find out how safe and effective different strategies of infection prevention are in comparison to each other, for preventing infection in patients with blood cancers. The best way to find out this information is to directly compare the effect of different treatment strategies in patients with blood cancers. We want to know how these different treatments impact on your health and your use of healthcare services. This research project uses an Adaptive Platform Design. This design allows the researchers to compare multiple infection prevention strategies within the same trial at the same time (rather than running separate trials), to analyse results as the trial occurs and to add new research questions during the course of the trial. The treatments that you may receive as part of the study will be determined by which domain(s) of the platform you participate in. By combining data collected within each domain as part of the platform, the researchers can investigate and compare treatment strategies and infection outcomes across a broader range of participants.

Role of Antibiotic Therapy or Immunoglobulin On iNfections in hAematoLogy Immunoglobulin Stopping or Extension (Stop Ig)

This study is being conducted to find out how safe and effective different strategies of infection prevention are in comparison to each other, for preventing infection in patients with blood cancers. The best way to find out this information is to directly compare the effect of different treatment strategies in patients with blood cancers. We want to know how these different treatments impact on your health and your use of healthcare services. This research project uses an Adaptive Platform Design. This design allows the researchers to compare multiple infection prevention strategies within the same trial at the same time (rather than running separate trials), to analyse results as the trial occurs and to add new research questions during the course of the trial. The treatments that you may receive as part of the study will be determined by which domain(s) of the platform you participate in. By combining data collected within each domain as part of the platform, the researchers can investigate and compare treatment strategies and infection outcomes across a broader range of participants.

Role of Antibiotic Therapy or Immunoglobulin On iNfections in hAematoLogy Platform Trial (RATIONAL-PT)

This is an adaptive platform study to find out how safe and effective different strategies are in comparison to each other, for preventing infection in patients with blood cancers. It is a comparison between Immunoglobulin and antibiotics use.

Daratumumab, Carfilzomib, Lenalidomide and Low Dose Dexamethasone (DKRd) in Newly Diagnosed, Multiple Myeloma

The purpose of this study is to determine response rate after 8 cycles of D-KRd (daratumumab, carfilzomib, lenalidomide (Revlimid) and dexamethasone in patients with multiple myeloma.

HEME Home Transfusion Program

This research study is evaluating whether a new care delivery program that provides access to home blood transfusions in hospice (i.e, HEME-Hospice) compared to regular standard of care improves quality of life, mood, and end-of-life health care utilization for patients with hematologic malignancies.

Intensified Treatment With Carfilzomib in Myeloma Patients Still PET-positive After First Line Treatment.

A PET-CT will be performed on patients with myeloma after a standard first-line treatment. The PET-positive patients will receive 4 cycles of Carfilzomb-Revlimid-Dexamethason (KRd), before a new PET-CT will be performed.

A Phase II Study of Siltuximab for CRS/ICANs After CAR-T in Multiple Myeloma

This is a prospective Phase II study evaluating Siltuximab for CRS and ICANS after CAR-T infusion in multiple myeloma patients.