Blood Disorders Current Research

Characterising risk and biology Of Smouldering Myeloma for early detection Of Symptomatic myeloma

Study Overview: COSMOS is an observational study which means that there is no drug being tested. You will continue to be followed up regularly by your haematologist in clinic as normal. When you have a blood test or bone marrow test, we will use part of the sample for the study.

For more detailed information please visit the  COSMOS Trial website.

Principal Investigator: Alastair Whiteway 
Planned end date: 30/04/2027
Local Ref: 5754

MITHRIDATE: A phase III, randomised, open-label, Multicenter International Trial comparing ruxolitinib with either HydRoxycarbamIDe or interferon Alpha as first line ThErapy for high risk polycythemia vera

To see more detail about this study please visit  Mithridate - University of Birmingham who are sponsoring this study.

Study Overview: The MITHRIDATE study has been set up to investigate which treatment is most effective for patients who have high risk polycythemia vera (PV). The study will test how safe and effective a drug called ruxolitinib is when treating patients with PV compared to the current Best Available Therapy (BAT).

Principal Investigator: Alastair Whiteway
Planned end date: 01/07/2029
Local Ref: 5188

RADAR (UK-MRA Myeloma XV) is a clinical trial for newly diagnosed multiple myeloma patients who are suitable for a stem cell transplant. The trial will investigate precision medicine approaches to allocate treatment to patients based on the genetics of their myeloma and the patient’s response to initial treatment. Some patients have been found to have particular genetic abnormalities in the myeloma cells, and these ‘high risk’ patients do not respond well to standard treatment. It has also been found that some patients who don’t have these genetic abnormalities (‘standard-risk’) may not respond to initial therapy as well as others. This study will investigate treatment combinations for these two groups of patients. This study will also investigate whether a third group of patients, those who are standard-risk and also respond well to initial treatment, can receive treatment for a shorter period of time without coming to any harm.

Project Details
Principal Investigator: Dr Alastair Whiteway
Planned End Date: end 2025
Local Ref: 3959

STATIC

A Randomised Phase III Trial Comparing Intermittent with Continuous Treatment Strategies in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukaemia (CLL)

For more detailed information please visit the   STATIC Clinical Trial • CTRU Leeds Research Portal 

Study Overview: STATIC is a clinical trial to find out whether people with Chronic Lymphocytic Leukaemia (CLL) who have had a good response to ibrutinib or acalabrutinib can take a break from treatment, and only restart treatment if the CLL comes back. Therefore, we are comparing whether having a break from treatment with ibrutinib or acalabrutinib will work as well as continuing treatment without a break.

We will also test whether taking a break from treatment reduces side effects, whether it lowers the risk of CLL becoming resistant to ibrutinib or acalabrutinib, and whether there is any difference in the overall cost of CLL treatment. We also want to know whether having a break from ibrutinib or acalabrutinib changes how participants are feeling emotionally, and what they like and do not like about having treatment which includes breaks.

Principal Investigator: Dr Jaroslaw Sokolowski
Planned end date: 01/05/2032
Local Ref: 5122

Currently benign and malignant brain tumours are treated by surgery or radiation therapy plus or minus chemotherapy. The aim of the study is to discover and validate new molecular biomarkers and drug targets for brain tumours using laboratory research and comparing the findings with control tissue.

This includes also using tissues, blood fractions and cell culture from patients with brain tumours. We hope that in vitro research will reveal biomarkers for these tumours which in the future could indicate successful drug action or are specific for a genetic subtype of tumour. In addition, we hope that these biomarkers could aid early diagnosis of central nervous system (CNS) tumours.

Project Details
Principal Investigator: Dr Kathreena Kurian
Planned End Date: 20/07/2024
Local Ref: 4626