Hannover

Researchers are evaluating sotatercept as a potential treatment for pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), a condition where blood vessels in the lungs thicken and narrow, causing high blood pressure in the lungs and overworking the heart. PAH symptoms include difficulty breathing and reduced ability to be active. Current standard treatments address symptoms but do not stop disease progression. This Phase 3 study focuses on the long-term safety and tolerability of sotatercept when added to standard PAH therapy. Participants in this long-term follow-up study receive sotatercept through subcutaneous injections every three weeks. Only individuals who completed prior sotatercept PAH studies without early discontinuation may join. This study continues the observation and assessment of participants over an extended period to learn about the effects and safety of sotatercept combined with background PAH treatments. During the study, participants will be regularly monitored for adverse events, treatment discontinuations, and the presence of anti-drug antibodies for up to approximately 90 months. Laboratory tests will evaluate blood components such as platelets, hemoglobin, creatinine, bilirubin, and liver enzymes. Changes from baseline in body weight, blood pressure, and electrocardiogram readings will also be tracked. The study involves adherence to visit schedules and compliance with study procedures to ensure comprehensive long-term safety data collection.

Researchers are studying the safety and early effectiveness of a new cell therapy called CLDN6 CAR-T, with or without an RNA-based vaccine, in patients who have CLDN6-positive advanced solid tumors that have returned or not responded to prior treatments. This Phase I, first-in-human, open-label trial involves multiple sites and focuses on patients with tumors expressing the CLDN6 protein at a high level. The study aims to find the best dose of these therapies and gather initial evidence of their activity against these difficult cancers. The trial has two main parts. The first part tests increasing doses of CLDN6 CAR-T cells made using manual and automated processes to determine the maximum tolerated dose or recommended dose for future studies. The second part adds the CLDN6 RNA-based vaccine to the CAR-T cells, exploring dose levels to optimize treatment effects. The CAR-T cells and RNA vaccines are given through intravenous infusions or injections at scheduled times. An optional dose decrease may be evaluated to further assess safety and effectiveness. Participants will be followed for up to 25 months in the main trial, with ongoing assessments of side effects, dose adjustments, and treatment tolerability. After the main study, patients may join a long-term follow-up period lasting up to 15 years to monitor delayed effects and long-term outcomes. Researchers will collect medical information through scans, lab tests, and clinical evaluations to measure safety events, including serious and dose-limiting toxicities, as well as treatment responses over time.

Researchers are evaluating the safety, tolerability, and therapeutic effects of a combination treatment using BNT113 and pembrolizumab compared to pembrolizumab alone for patients with unresectable recurrent or metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) that is positive for human papillomavirus 16 (HPV16+) and expresses the PD-L1 protein with a combined positive score of 1 or higher. This Phase II/III trial includes patients whose cancer cannot be treated with local therapies and who have not received prior systemic anticancer therapy for their current disease condition. The trial consists of two parts. Part A is a non-randomized Safety Run-In Phase to confirm the safety and tolerability of BNT113 combined with pembrolizumab at the selected dose. Part B is a randomized phase that compares BNT113 plus pembrolizumab against pembrolizumab alone as first-line treatment. Patients in Part A continue their treatment without randomization. Treatments are given by intravenous injection or infusion, and patients may receive either combination therapy or monotherapy for up to 24 months. There is also an optional pre-screening phase to test tumor samples for HPV16 DNA and PD-L1 expression before entering the main trial. Participants undergo regular assessments including tumor measurements based on RECIST 1.1 criteria confirmed by independent review. Researchers monitor treatment-emergent adverse events for up to 27 months in Part A and evaluate overall survival and progression-free survival for up to 48 months in Part B. Tumor tissue samples are collected before treatment to confirm eligibility. The study involves ongoing safety monitoring and efficacy evaluations throughout the treatment and follow-up periods.

Researchers are investigating two psychotherapy programs, the Cognitive Behavioral Analysis System of Psychotherapy (CBASP) and Behavioral Activation (BA), for adults with persistent depressive disorder (PDD) who have treatment-resistant depression. This study aims to compare the effectiveness of these therapies over 16 weeks in inpatient settings, including acute and continuation treatment phases. It also explores factors that influence treatment results and the reasons why these therapies may work differently for individuals. The trial includes a long-term follow-up 48 weeks after treatment to evaluate lasting effects and assesses cost-effectiveness to inform healthcare decisions. Participants will receive either CBASP or BA therapy delivered through structured sessions during a 5-week inpatient phase and a subsequent 6-week outpatient continuation phase. Both therapies include multiple weekly individual and group sessions, nurse contacts, and exercise therapy during inpatient care, followed by weekly group therapy during outpatient treatment. Alongside psychotherapy, all participants will receive algorithm-based antidepressant medication adjusted according to clinical guidelines to optimize treatment. Throughout the study, participants undergo regular assessments, including the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS-24), to measure changes in depression symptoms over 16 weeks. Researchers will also analyze moderators such as childhood maltreatment and genetic factors and mediators like interpersonal problems or activity levels to understand treatment mechanisms. The study involves comprehensive monitoring of symptom changes, therapy adherence, and safety over the treatment and follow-up periods, aiming to improve personalized care for this challenging patient group.

Researchers are evaluating the retention rates of two treatments, Upadacitinib (UPA) and tumor necrosis factor inhibitors (TNFi), in adults with moderate to severe active rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The study is observational, conducted in Germany, and aims to compare how long patients stay on each treatment under real-world conditions according to local labels and standard care. About 678 participants will be enrolled across approximately 80 sites in Germany. Participants will have been prescribed UPA or TNFi independently of the study, following approved labels and local regulations. The study will observe participants receiving either UPA or TNFi therapy over a period of up to 24 months. Participants will be followed for up to 24 months to assess treatment retention. Researchers will monitor how long participants remain on their prescribed treatment and collect related clinical data. The total study duration, including recruitment and follow-up, is expected to last about 48 months.

Researchers are conducting an international multicenter retrospective observational study to better understand the progression and clinical outcomes in patients with Essential Thrombocythemia (ET) who have the JAK2V617F mutation and later develop Polycythemia Vera (PV). The study follows updated 2022 diagnostic criteria for these myeloid blood disorders and includes two parts: a nested case-control study and a comparative retrospective cohort study. In the first part, patients who progressed from ET to PV by the end of 2020 are matched 1:1 with ET patients who have the same mutation but did not progress, based on year and age at ET diagnosis and disease duration. The second part compares patients with newly diagnosed PV who never had ET, matched similarly by year and age at diagnosis and disease duration, ensuring at least 5 years of follow-up for these patients. Participants' medical records will be reviewed retrospectively to compare clinical features and outcomes up to their baseline dates. The study aims to clarify phenotypic changes and clinical results in these patient groups. No interventions are administered, and the study focuses on analyzing existing data to assess progression and outcomes in these blood conditions.

Researchers are evaluating the long-term safety and effects of nerandomilast in people with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) or progressive pulmonary fibrosis (PPF) who have previously completed treatment with nerandomilast in earlier studies. The study aims to understand how well participants tolerate nerandomilast over time, and whether it helps improve lung function, delays symptom worsening, reduces hospital visits, or impacts survival. This is a Phase 3 open-label extension trial. Participants take nerandomilast tablets daily for up to 1 year and 10 months while continuing their usual pulmonary fibrosis treatments. The study follows an open-label design where all participants receive nerandomilast. There are no placebo or comparator groups in this extension phase. Throughout the study, participants regularly visit their doctors for health assessments and lung function tests. Doctors monitor any health problems or side effects experienced during treatment. The main outcome measured is whether participants experience any adverse events up to the final follow-up visit, which occurs at week 99. This close monitoring helps evaluate the long-term safety and potential benefits of nerandomilast in this patient group.

Researchers are evaluating the safety and effectiveness of rilvegostomig compared to pembrolizumab, both combined with platinum-based doublet chemotherapy, as initial treatments for patients with metastatic non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer (mNSCLC) whose tumors express PD-L1. This Phase III, randomized, double-blind, global study focuses on patients whose tumors meet the PD-L1 expression threshold of 1% or higher and do not have certain genetic mutations or rearrangements that would require other targeted therapies. Participants receive either rilvegostomig or pembrolizumab intravenously on the first day of each 21-day treatment cycle. Both groups also receive platinum-based chemotherapy drugs such as carboplatin or cisplatin, administered intravenously up to four cycles, along with pemetrexed given intravenously on Day 1 of each cycle. The study monitors these treatments as first-line therapy for metastatic non-squamous NSCLC. During the study, participants undergo regular assessments including imaging scans to measure tumor size and response, as well as evaluations of organ and bone marrow function. Researchers track overall survival and progression-free survival for up to approximately five years. Safety is closely monitored throughout, and patients are followed long-term to assess outcomes related to treatment effectiveness and tolerability.

This is a Phase III, two-arm, randomized, double-blind, global, multicenter study assessing the efficacy and safety of rilvegostomig compared to pembrolizumab, both in combination with platinum-based doublet chemotherapy, as a first-line (1L) treatment for patients with squamous metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (mNSCLC) whose tumors express PD-L1 (tumor cells (TC) ≥ 1%).

The trial investigates the use of volrustomig in participants with unresected locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (LA-HNSCC) who have not shown disease progression after receiving definitive concurrent chemoradiotherapy (cCRT). The study aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of volrustomig compared to observation in this patient population. Participants have tumors that express PD-L1 and the study is conducted as a Phase III, randomized, open-label, multi-center global trial. Participants are assigned to receive either volrustomig as sequential therapy following cCRT or to an observation group. The treatment period involves monitoring participants who have completed definitive cCRT but remain unresected and have no evidence of metastatic disease. The study focuses on participants with Stage III, IVA, or IVB LA-HNSCC according to AJCC criteria, who have not undergone tumor resection before cCRT and have not been treated with radiotherapy alone. During the study, participants are regularly evaluated for progression-free survival, with follow-up lasting up to approximately 8 years to assess long-term outcomes. Researchers will monitor safety and disease progression closely. The overall participation duration includes screening, treatment or observation, and extended follow-up to capture both efficacy and safety data over time.