Brescia

Researchers are creating a national registry in Italy for multiple myeloma, a type of blood cancer that makes up about 1.3% of all tumor diagnoses in men and 1.2% in women. This registry aims to track current clinical practices and describe how patients with multiple myeloma are diagnosed and treated across various hematology centers in Italy. The study also includes a patient-powered registry to encourage patient involvement and better understand treatment patterns and outcomes. The study is observational, meaning it will not involve any experimental treatments but will collect data on routine care and outcomes for patients diagnosed with active or symptomatic multiple myeloma since January 1, 2019. Both physicians and patients will contribute information to the registry, which will help monitor standard care practices nationwide. Participants will be followed to measure important outcomes such as overall survival and the time until the next treatment over a three-year period. The registry will collect data to analyze treatment approaches, patient characteristics, and survival, helping to identify changes and differences in care across Italy. Patients aged 18 years and older who can provide informed consent are eligible to participate, and there are no exclusion criteria.

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 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 a chemo-free combination of rituximab and golcadomide (CC-99282) as a front-line treatment for older, frail patients newly diagnosed with diffuse large B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (DLBCL). This phase II, multicenter study focuses on patients aged 80 or older who are considered frail based on a simplified geriatric assessment (sGA) and are not eligible for standard anthracycline-based chemotherapy. The study aims to assess the effectiveness of this treatment approach in this vulnerable population. Participants will receive an induction phase of up to six 28-day cycles consisting of golcadomide, rituximab, and dexamethasone only during the first cycle. Response to treatment will be evaluated after four and six cycles to identify patients who are responding. Those achieving at least a partial response will continue as planned, while non-responders will stop protocol treatment and switch to alternative regimens. After induction, involved site radiotherapy is permitted for PET-positive disease. Patients with at least partial response at the end of induction may then enter a consolidation phase with up to six additional 28-day cycles of golcadomide. Interim response checks during consolidation will identify disease progression, leading to treatment discontinuation if needed. Throughout the study, participants will undergo assessments including PET/CT or CT scans to evaluate disease and sarcopenia at baseline and end of treatment. Quality of life will be measured at study entry, during treatment, and follow-up. Follow-up visits will occur every three months for the first year and every six months in the second year, with a total follow-up duration of 24 months. Progression-free survival at 24 months is the primary outcome. Patients with disease progression will be considered treatment failures and followed for survival until study completion.

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 studying mitral and tricuspid regurgitation in patients diagnosed with transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy (ATTR-CM). The goal is to better understand how common these valve problems are, measure their severity using new grading standards, and examine their impact on clinical outcomes. This study aims to improve on current assessment methods that do not fully capture the unique heart function changes seen in ATTR-CM. This prospective registry study involves collecting detailed echocardiographic data on mitral and tricuspid valve leakage, including semi-quantitative and quantitative measurements. The study will develop and apply new grading systems tailored to the restrictive heart condition caused by ATTR-CM. These new standards are designed to better reflect the severity of regurgitation in this specific disease. Participants will undergo a comprehensive baseline echocardiogram within six months of their ATTR-CM diagnosis. Researchers will monitor clinical outcomes, including all-cause mortality, for up to 60 months. The study includes regular follow-up assessments to track valve function and disease progression, aiming to link regurgitation severity with patient prognosis over time.

Researchers are evaluating the effects of pelacarsen (TQJ230), given as a monthly injection under the skin, in people with mild to moderate calcific aortic valve stenosis. This study aims to see if pelacarsen can safely slow the progression of this heart valve condition compared to a placebo. The trial is a phase 2, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study conducted at multiple centers. Participants will receive either pelacarsen 80 mg or a matching placebo once a month. Before starting the treatment, they must have elevated lipoprotein(a) levels and be optimally treated for existing cardiovascular risk factors. The study focuses on those aged 50 to under 80 years with mild or moderate calcific aortic valve stenosis. During the 36 months of participation, researchers will monitor changes in peak aortic jet velocity and aortic valve calcium score to assess disease progression. Safety, tolerability, and the impact of the treatment will be evaluated. Participants will undergo regular assessments, including laboratory tests and clinical evaluations, to track heart valve condition and overall health throughout the study.

Primary Progressive Aphasia (PPA) is a condition caused by different neurodegenerative disorders that mainly affect language abilities. This research aims to improve care for people with PPA by introducing and evaluating new treatments, including transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) combined with personalized language therapy. The study is designed as a randomized controlled pilot trial to test the effectiveness of this combined treatment in patients with mild PPA, assessed by the Progressive Aphasia Severity Scale (PASS).