Heidelberg

This research aims to evaluate the effects of litifilimab (BIIB059), a monoclonal antibody, in adults with active subacute or chronic cutaneous lupus erythematosus (CLE), with or without systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Participants have active skin symptoms of CLE that have not improved with antimalarial therapy or had difficulties continuing that treatment. The study focuses on reducing skin disease activity using several scores including CLA-IGA-R and CLASI, while also assessing safety, immune response, and quality of life. Participants will be randomly assigned to receive either litifilimab or a placebo injection under the skin every four weeks during a 24-week double-blind period where neither participants nor researchers know which treatment is given. After this, all participants will receive litifilimab injections every four weeks for an additional 28 weeks. Those who complete the treatment may join a long-term extension study or enter a follow-up safety period lasting up to 24 weeks. Total participation may last up to 80 weeks. Throughout the study, researchers will monitor skin disease activity using the CLA-IGA-R erythema score and the CLASI-A activity score to see how many participants improve. They will also assess safety, tolerability, immune system effects, and participants' quality of life using questionnaires. These evaluations occur regularly during both treatment periods and follow-up to understand the impact of litifilimab on CLE symptoms and overall health.

Researchers are evaluating the safety and effectiveness of ifinatamab deruxtecan (I-DXd) alone or combined with other treatments in people with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). This study aims to understand how well patients tolerate the treatment, find a safe dose for combining I-DXd with other drugs, and measure prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels during treatment. The study is part of a larger master screening protocol and includes patients with confirmed prostate adenocarcinoma who have progressive disease despite prior therapies. Participants receive treatments including I-DXd given through intravenous infusion, sometimes combined with other drugs such as docetaxel (IV), MK-5684, abiraterone, or enzalutamide (all oral). Before each I-DXd dose, patients take premedication to prevent nausea and vomiting. The study includes both a safety lead-in phase and an efficacy phase, with ongoing monitoring for side effects and tolerability. The combination therapies are carefully dosed and scheduled according to the study protocol. During the study, participants undergo regular assessments to monitor side effects, measure PSA response, and track any dose-limiting toxicities. Safety is closely followed, particularly during the first 21 days for combination treatments, and throughout up to 54 months for long-term outcomes. Researchers also observe if participants discontinue treatment due to adverse events. The study requires ongoing visits and evaluations to ensure participant health and collect data on treatment effects over time.

Researchers are studying intismeran autogene combined with pembrolizumab to see if it can stop advanced melanoma, a type of skin cancer that has spread and cannot be removed by surgery, from growing or spreading. This Phase 2 study compares this combination to pembrolizumab with a placebo, aiming to find out if the new treatment helps people live longer without cancer progression. Immunotherapy, which helps the immune system fight cancer, is a standard treatment for advanced melanoma, and intismeran autogene is designed to boost the immune response against a person's specific cancer. Participants receive either intismeran autogene or a placebo through intramuscular injection, along with pembrolizumab given as an intravenous infusion. The study is randomized, double-blind, and controlled, meaning neither participants nor researchers know who gets the active treatment or placebo. This design helps to better understand the effects of intismeran autogene when combined with pembrolizumab. During the study, researchers will monitor participants for up to about 36 months to measure progression-free survival, which means the length of time participants live without the cancer worsening. Assessments include imaging scans to track tumor changes, tumor tissue collection for biomarker analysis, and documentation of any side effects. Participants may also have their mutation status checked and will be observed for safety throughout the study period.

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 studying oligodendrogliomas, a type of brain tumor identified by specific genetic changes such as IDH1 or IDH2 mutations and 1p/19q co-deletion. These tumors are classified as CNS WHO grade 2 or 3, and the study aims to determine the best treatment approach to improve survival while preserving brain function and quality of life. This phase 3 trial compares current standard treatments because existing data is unclear about the best timing and combination of chemotherapy and radiotherapy for these tumors. The study compares two treatment approaches for adults with newly diagnosed grade 2 or 3 oligodendrogliomas. One group receives an initial chemotherapy regimen of lomustine and temozolomide (CETEG) with delayed radiotherapy plus PCV chemotherapy at progression. The other group receives standard radiotherapy followed by PCV chemotherapy. Radiotherapy doses vary based on tumor grade. The study plans to assess if delaying radiotherapy and adjusting chemotherapy can maintain survival while reducing side effects. Participants will undergo regular monitoring including MRI scans every three months, neurological assessments, quality of life questionnaires, and annual cognitive testing. Researchers will measure qualified overall survival, defined as survival without decline in function, cognition, or quality of life. The study will last up to 10 years, with close tracking of side effects, tumor response, and patients' well-being to determine the best balance of treatment effectiveness and quality of life.

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 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 evaluating the efficacy, safety, and tolerability of zorevunersen in patients with Dravet syndrome, a condition marked by reduced levels of the Nav1.1 protein due to mutations in the SCN1A gene. Zorevunersen is an investigational antisense oligonucleotide designed to increase the expression of the sodium channel Nav1.1 protein by boosting the production of its messenger RNA. This Phase 3, multicenter, randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled study aims to assess the potential of zorevunersen for disease modification by measuring changes in major motor seizure frequency and other health outcomes. The study has two treatment periods. In Treatment Period 1, participants assigned to zorevunersen receive the drug by intrathecal administration on Day 1, Day 57, Day 169, and Day 281 with doses of 70 mg initially and then 45 mg later. The sham group undergoes a procedure mimicking drug administration without receiving the drug. In Treatment Period 2, those initially on zorevunersen receive 45 mg doses on Day 393, Day 477, and Day 589. Participants initially in the sham group are then given zorevunersen doses of 70 mg on Day 393 and Day 477, and 45 mg on Day 589. Participants will be closely monitored throughout the study with a primary focus on seizure changes measured at Week 28. Secondary assessments include behavior, cognition, clinical status, and quality of life. The study includes an initial 8-week baseline period and a 6-week observation period to confirm seizure frequency and stability of other treatments. Patients may continue to an open-label extension study to receive zorevunersen if eligible. The study involves children aged 2 to under 18 years and tracks safety and tolerability alongside efficacy outcomes.

Researchers are creating a European registry and sample sharing network called EUREKA to collect all new cases of systemic AL amyloidosis from referral centers across Europe. This project aims to use advanced molecular technologies and big data analysis, including artificial intelligence, to better understand the disease mechanisms. The study focuses on improving early diagnosis, guiding treatment decisions, describing the disease course in patients, and detecting minimal residual disease after therapy. The registry will gather patient data along with biological samples for detailed molecular analysis of disease-causing light chains and plasma cells. A dedicated site will support the consortium with data analysis using advanced computational methods. This approach intends to refine technologies that detect residual disease with high sensitivity in patients who have achieved complete hematologic response to treatment. Participants will be followed over time at participating centers, with data collected on their clinical outcomes. The main outcome measure is mortality at 24 months from diagnosis. Patients will provide informed consent, and their disease progression and treatment responses will be monitored to understand the natural history of AL amyloidosis in the current era of effective therapies.