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Combretastatin Clinical Trials

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James P. Stevenson, MD
Last Modified: November 1, 2001

Dear OncoLink:  
Through the electronic media I became aware of clinical trials being conducted on a promising cancer drug called combretastatin. I would like to volunteer for your clinical testing program. I am currently being treated on a one day a week basis for colon cancer via chemotherapy.

James P. Stevenson, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine at the Abramson Cancer Center of the University of Pennsylvania, responds:

Thank you for your email and interest in Combretastatin. We recently reported the results of our phase I trial with Combretastatin, and were one of three sites that performed Combretastatin phase I trials (the others were in Cleveland and the UK).

Unfortunately, these trials are presently closed to accrual. The company that developed the drug, Oxigene of Boston, is planning for further studies in the near future. The phase I studies established a dose for use in larger studies, and while there were some hints of activity in a few of the patients treated, it is too early to say that this drug will be a cancer treatment in the future. I would direct you to Oxigene's website for further news about the drug, as further trials are expected to open in the coming months.

Other trials of investigational drugs are available here at Penn and may be options for you; please call 215-662-8947 for further information or to arrange a consultation with Dr. Stevenson or Dr. O'Dwyer. The website for the National Cancer Institute (www.cancer.gov/clinical_trials/) provides information about cancer clinical trials that open worldwide - this may be of help to you.