Oxford BioMedica PLC (OXBDF)

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Case Studies
TACTICC


Despite advances in potentially-curative therapies, bowel cancer remains one of the leading causes of death from cancer. Researchers at Cardiff ECMC are looking for ways to improve standard treatment.

TACTICC is a randomised trial looking at how the TroVax vaccine and cyclophosphamide affect the immune system in people with advanced bowel cancer. The trial was designed in Cardiff, based on local lab data and recruitment was successfully completed with patients from Cardiff.

Eligible patients had stable or responding disease, following completion of an initial 12 weeks of palliative chemotherapy, and were randomised to one of four groups:

Group 1: Watch and wait, i.e. no additional treatment unless clinically indicated.
Group 2: Metronomic cyclophosphamide only.
Group 3: Vaccination with TroVax® (intra-muscular administration) only
Group 4: Metronomic cyclophosphamide, followed by TroVax® vaccination.
A total of 54 patients were randomised: 9 to each of groups 1 and 2 and 18 to each of groups 3 and 4.

The study was not powered to compare survival, but investigated immune response, following administration of the therapies, and clinical outcome.

The trial has successfully completed in March 2016, and follow-up data will be collected until February 2017. Preliminary results are not yet ready for release, but are suggestive of a positive correlation between specific anti-cancer immune responses and both increased Progression Free and Overall Survival. Potential future randomised Phase II/III trials look likely with survival end-points which, if positive, would potentially change clinical practice.

HTTP://www.ecmcnetwork.org.uk/network-centres/cardiff/contacts/Cardiff%20ECMC