ARC - II

Title: A trial adding nelfinavir to chemoradiotherapy for pancreatic cancer that cannot be removed with surgery (ARC-II)

Full title: ARC-II Akt-inhibition by nelfinavir plus chemoradiation with gemcitabine and cisplatin.

Phase II Trial

Why is this trial being carried out?

Chemoradiotherapy (chemotherapy and radiotherapy given together) is sometimes used to treat pancreatic cancer that cannot be removed with surgery. Researchers think that combining chemoradiotherapy with a drug called nelfinavir (brand name Viracept) may improve its effectiveness.

Although nelfinavir is not currently used to treat cancer it has been used safely to treat AIDS for many years. Now researchers have found that it may make cancer cells more sensitive to radiotherapy. It also seems to affect the blood supply that cancer cells need to grow, which may make them more sensitive to chemoradiotherapy.

This trial will look at how effective this treatment combination is.

Who is the trial suitable for?

This trial is suitable for patients with pancreatic cancer that cannot be removed with surgery and that has not spread to other parts of the body.

Trial centre

Oxford

Recruitment start date: May 2009

Recruitment end date:

For more information:

Gray Institute, Oxford and International Clinical Trials Registry Platform