ALLG and Snowdome Partner to beat Follicular Lymphoma with International Clinical Trial

The partnership will see the implementation of an important international clinical trial designed to measure the benefits of different treatment options for people with advanced follicular lymphoma.

The ALLG CEO, Delaine Smith said the partnership will help to fill the gap in knowledge by addressing one of the biggest unmet needs in follicular lymphoma research.

“Follicular lymphoma is the second most common lymphoma in Australia with approximately 800 new diagnoses per year.”

“While the majority of patients experience prolonged survival, approximately 20 per cent experience early progression and have a very poor prognosis, with 50 per cent dying of lymphoma after five years”, said Ms Smith.

Snowdome Foundation CEO, Miriam Dexter said Snowdome is targeting a real need not currently being addressed effectively: To bring next-generation, improved treatments to Australian patients faster.

“International evidence shows patients have better outcomes on a clinical trial.”

“Snowdome is pleased to be helping Australian blood cancer patients to participate in this global research.  Unfortunately, our small population relative to say, the US or Europe, means Australian patients often lack the opportunity to be included in trials”, said Ms Dexter.

Initiated by the United Kingdom (UK) National Cancer Research Institute (NCRI), the ALLG will be working in collaboration with Prof Judith Trotman and the NCRI to conduct a phase 3 randomised controlled clinical trial in patients with newly diagnosed, advanced follicular lymphoma.

Prof Judith Trotman said the study is designed to see if good-risk patients who are likely to have a long remission can be spared two years of expensive infusions as well as the associated side effects.

“We are trying to measure and improve the treatment outcomes for poor risk patients by adding an immune therapy to their treatment.”

“Our main aim is to achieve a progression free survival, which is freedom from the follicular lymphoma returning.”

“If the study can confirm the benefit of this different approach, it will establish a new standard of care for follicular lymphoma globally”, said Prof Trotman.

The study, also supported by the Leukaemia Foundation with an application pending for additional funding with the Medical Research Future Fund. Commencing in 2019, the study will aim to recruit at least 840 patients globally with 80 to 120 patients from Australia and New Zealand recruited through ALLG sites for a period of four years.