Miami/September 29, 2023/A phase II clinical trial hoping to silence the deadliest form of pancreatic cancer has started enrolling patients at SUNY Downstate Medical Center in Brooklyn, N.Y., The Cure Alliance announced today.
Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma Cancer (PDAC) ranks fourth among cancer deaths in the United States. Current therapy for advanced disease includes various chemotherapy treatments, such as Gemcitabine, which provide a survival advantage of just six months, according to the study overview on www.clinicaltrials.gov.
The trial is now recruiting twenty-five participants who will be given a combination of three generic drugs, C3, in addition to Gemcitabine, to test if PDAC can be silenced. According to the website, the first 3 patients enrolled in the study will receive metformin (850 mg twice a day), digoxin (0.25 mg once a day), and simvastatin (20 mg once a day) for 28 days. If there are no toxic effects, the remaining 22 patients will begin the same treatment or, if needed, the dosages may be reduced. Patients will be provided C3 medications every 28 days and will continue on the C3 medication for at least two years unless their cancer advances.
Given the decades-long safety profile of the three generic drugs, researchers, led by principle investigator Mohan Preet, M.D., are hopeful this treatment will improve the disease outcome and prolong life.
One hundred percent of funding for the trial was provided by The Cure Alliance, a boutique 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to ending human suffering by helping medical researchers move their successes in the lab to the patient’s bedside.