National Comprehensive Cancer Network Awards Research Grants To Five Investigators To Study Effectiveness Of Enzalutamide In Various Cancers

FORT WASHINGTON, PA--(Marketwired - January 13, 2016) - The National Comprehensive Cancer Network® (NCCN®) Oncology Research Program (ORP) has awarded five grants to investigators to evaluate and define the pre-clinical and clinical effectiveness of enzalutamide in mantle cell lymphoma and endometrial, hepatocellular, and prostate cancers. These grants are made possible through funding from Astellas Pharma, Inc. and Medivation, Inc.

"These five studies selected through peer review represent an excellent mix of both clinical and pre-clinical projects, which will further elucidate the activity and utility of this important therapeutic agent," said Robert C. Young, MD, Interim Vice President, NCCN ORP.

The following proposals have been awarded funding:

Albert Chang, MD, PhD, UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, "Phase II Trial of Dose Escalated Radiotherapy with Leuprolide and Enzalutamide in Patients with Very High Risk or Pelvic Node Positive Prostate Cancer" Ajay Gopal, MD, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center/Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, "Androgen Receptor Targeting in Mantle Cell Lymphoma: A Pilot Phase II Trial of Enzalutamide"

James Harding, MD, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, "A Multi-Center Phase I/II Study of Enzalutamide with and without Sorafenib in Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma Patients"

Gustavo Leone, PhD, The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center -- Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute, "Evaluating the Efficacy of Enzalutamide Therapy in Preventing Tumor Progression in a Preclinical Mouse Model of Type 1 Endometrial Carcinoma"

Shannon Westin, MD, MPH, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, "A Phase II Study with a Limited Safety Lead-In of Enzalutamide in Combination with Carboplatin and Paclitaxel in Advanced Stage or Recurrent Endometrial Cancer"

The awardees responded to a Request for Proposals issued by the NCCN ORP to the 26 NCCN Member Institutions. Submissions were peer reviewed by the NCCN Enzalutamide Scientific Review Committee. The funded concepts were selected based on several criteria, including scientific merit, existing data, and the types of studies necessary to further evaluate the efficacy of enzalutamide.

The NCCN ORP draws on the expertise of the investigators of the NCCN Member Institutions and NCCN Affiliate Research Consortium (ARC) to facilitate all phases of clinical research. This research is made possible by collaborations with pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies in order to advance therapeutic options for patients with cancer.

For more information about NCCN ORP, visit NCCN.org/ORP.

About the National Comprehensive Cancer Network

The National Comprehensive Cancer Network® (NCCN®), a not-for-profit alliance of 26 of the world's leading cancer centers devoted to patient care, research, and education, is dedicated to improving the quality, effectiveness, and efficiency of cancer care so that patients can live better lives. Through the leadership and expertise of clinical professionals at NCCN Member Institutions, NCCN develops resources that present valuable information to the numerous stakeholders in the health care delivery system. As the arbiter of high-quality cancer care, NCCN promotes the importance of continuous quality improvement and recognizes the significance of creating clinical practice guidelines appropriate for use by patients, clinicians, and other health care decision-makers.

The NCCN Member Institutions are: Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center, Omaha, NE; Case Comprehensive Cancer Center/University Hospitals Seidman Cancer Center and Cleveland Clinic Taussig Cancer Institute, Cleveland, OH; City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Los Angeles, CA; Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women's Cancer Center | Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Boston, MA; Duke Cancer Institute, Durham, NC; Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA; Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT; Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center/Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, Seattle, WA; The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins, Baltimore, MD; Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University, Chicago, IL; Mayo Clinic Cancer Center, Phoenix/Scottsdale, AZ, Jacksonville, FL, and Rochester, MN; Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY; Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, FL; The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center -- James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute, Columbus, OH; Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY; Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO; St. Jude Children's Research Hospital/The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN; Stanford Cancer Institute, Stanford, CA; University of Alabama at Birmingham Comprehensive Cancer Center, Birmingham, AL; UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center, La Jolla, CA; UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, San Francisco, CA; University of Colorado Cancer Center, Aurora, CO; University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center, Ann Arbor, MI; The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX; Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Nashville, TN; and Yale Cancer Center/Smilow Cancer Hospital, New Haven, CT.

Clinicians, visit NCCN.org. Patients and caregivers, visit NCCN.org/patients.

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