The National Comprehensive Cancer Network® (NCCN®) Oncology Research Program (ORP) has awarded four grants to investigators to evaluate and define the clinical effectiveness of the investigational compound nintedanib (BIBF 1120) in non-small cell lung, colorectal, and gastrointestinal cancers. These grants were made possible by funding through Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
"NCCN is proud to support the research efforts of investigators at NCCN Member Institutions," said Robert W. Carlson, MD, Chief Executive Officer, NCCN. "These grants, funded by Boehringer Ingelheim, allow researchers to further advance evidence-based medicine through clinical trials at world-class academic cancer centers."
Nintedanib is an investigational orally-administered triple angiokinase inhibitor that targets three of the receptor tyrosine kinases shown to aid in the regulation of angiogenesis: fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR), platelet-derived growth factor receptor (PDGFR), and vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR). Angiogenesis, or the formation of new blood vessels, is also involved in the growth of cancerous tumors by supplying nutrients and oxygen - often referred to as tumor angiogenesis. All three receptors are associated with tumor angiogenesis, and their blockade may lead to the inhibition of tumor growth and spread.
The following proposals have been awarded funding:
•Patrick Boland, MD, Roswell Park Cancer Institute; A Phase I/II Study of Nintedanib and Capecitabine in Refractory Metastatic Colorectal Cancer
•Ramaswamy Govindan, MD, Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine; A Pilot Study of Nintedanib in Molecularly Selected Patients with Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC)
•Renuka Iyer, MD, Roswell Park Cancer Institute; Multicenter Phase II Trial of Nintedanib (BIBF 1120) in Patients with Carcinoid Tumors
•Alex Adjei, MD, PhD, Roswell Park Cancer Institute; A Phase II Randomized Study Evaluating Nintedanib versus Placebo as Prophylaxis against Radiation Pneumonitis in Patients with Unresectable NSCLC Undergoing ChemoRadiation Therapy
The awardees responded to a Request for Proposals issued by the NCCN ORP to the 25 NCCN Member Institutions. Submissions were peer reviewed by the NCCN Nintedanib Scientific Review Committee. The funded concepts were selected based on several criteria, including scientific merit, existing data, and the types of studies necessary to further evaluate the efficacy of nintedanib.
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