Kaunas

Researchers are studying adults with confirmed Primary Biliary Cholangitis (PBC) and cirrhosis, a scarring of the liver caused by damage to bile ducts. PBC is a slowly progressing disease that causes bile acid buildup and further liver damage, which can lead to cirrhosis. This study aims to evaluate if elafibranor, a daily medication, can prevent worsening clinical outcomes such as the need for liver transplant or death, compared to a placebo. It also looks at the safety of long-term elafibranor use and its effect on symptoms like itching and tiredness. Participants will take either an 80 mg tablet of elafibranor or a matching placebo once daily for up to 3.5 years in a double-blind setup, meaning neither the participants nor researchers know who receives which treatment. This long-term treatment period is designed to monitor the drug's impact over time. The study includes two groups: one receiving elafibranor and the other receiving placebo, with treatment lasting up to approximately 42 months. During the study, participants will be regularly assessed from the start until 4 weeks after treatment ends, with a maximum involvement of 3.5 years. Researchers will measure event-free survival, tracking if participants avoid clinical events indicating disease worsening. Safety monitoring will include tracking side effects and overall health, while symptom impact will be evaluated. Participants will provide informed consent and follow the study protocol throughout this extended observation period.

Researchers are collecting a set of ultrasound images and video clips from patients who undergo routine lower limb ultrasound scans due to suspected deep vein thrombosis (DVT). This effort aims to create a labeled data set that will be used to train artificial intelligence (AI) models for automated detection of DVT. The importance of this research lies in improving early diagnosis of DVT, a condition that can lead to serious complications such as pulmonary embolism, which is a leading cause of preventable death in hospitals. The study gathers ultrasound images from patients referred for scans based on a conventional diagnostic DVT algorithm or suspicion of DVT. The collected data includes not only images but also metadata like patient demographics, referral notes, known medical conditions at the time of the scan, anonymized operator IDs, and details about the ultrasound equipment used. The data set will include various types of scans, such as those negative for DVT, positive for DVT, positive for other diagnoses, and scans of insufficient quality, all anonymized according to regulations. Participants will undergo routine ultrasound scans, and the data collected during these scans will be used solely for research purposes. The study does not involve any interventions. Researchers will evaluate the ultrasound data collected on the first day. The anonymized data set will be made publicly available through the European Open Science Cloud portal to support further research and AI model training. The participation involves consenting adults who are undergoing ultrasound scans due to suspected DVT.

Researchers are conducting a phase 3 open-label, randomized, controlled, multicenter study to compare petosemtamab with investigator's choice monotherapy in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) who have incurable metastatic or recurrent disease. This study focuses on patients with progressive disease after anti-PD-1 therapy and platinum-containing therapy and aims to evaluate the treatments as second- or third-line options. Participants will receive either petosemtamab or one of the investigator's choice monotherapies, including cetuximab, methotrexate, or docetaxel. The study involves treatment administration under controlled conditions with monitoring for efficacy and safety. The goal is to assess the treatments over time with a focus on response rates and overall survival. During the study, participants will undergo regular assessments including radiologic imaging to measure tumor response, and evaluations of overall survival up to approximately three years. The primary outcomes include objective response rate assessed by blinded independent central review and overall survival. Researchers will monitor patient health, side effects, and treatment effectiveness throughout the study duration.

Researchers are evaluating the safety and effectiveness of combining petosemtamab with pembrolizumab compared to pembrolizumab alone as a first treatment for people with recurrent or metastatic PD-L1 positive head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). This Phase 3, randomized, open-label study focuses on patients who have not received previous systemic therapy for incurable recurrent or metastatic disease, though prior therapy for locally advanced disease is allowed under certain conditions. The study excludes patients who have been treated with anti PD-(L)1 or anti-EGFR therapies except in specific cases. Participants will receive either the combination of petosemtamab plus pembrolizumab or pembrolizumab alone as their first-line treatment for this condition. The study includes detailed eligibility criteria based on tumor location, PD-L1 expression, health status, and prior treatments. Treatment effects will be observed over time with a focus on overall survival and tumor response rates measured according to standard criteria. During the study, participants will undergo assessments including tumor biopsies, imaging scans to measure disease progression, heart function tests, and evaluations of organ function. Safety and treatment response will be closely monitored up to approximately three years. The study also tracks overall survival and tumor response rate as primary outcomes, ensuring continuous follow-up and support throughout the trial period.

Researchers are evaluating ziltivekimab as a treatment for people living with heart failure and inflammation. This Phase 3 study compares ziltivekimab to a placebo in participants with heart failure who have mild to preserved ejection fraction and systemic inflammation. The study aims to assess the effect of ziltivekimab on cardiovascular death, heart failure hospitalization, or urgent heart failure visits over a period of up to 4 years. Participants will receive monthly injections of either ziltivekimab or a placebo using a pre-filled syringe or a pen-injector. The study medication is administered subcutaneously once a month for up to 4 years. The trial includes up to 20 clinic visits during which participants will be monitored and assessed. During the study, participants will use a study app on their phone to record all injections and complete questionnaires. Researchers will monitor participants for key outcomes like cardiovascular events and heart failure episodes from the time of randomization until the end of the study. Safety and health status will be regularly evaluated throughout the study period, which may last up to 48 months.

Researchers are evaluating the safety, how the body processes the drug, and the effectiveness of calderasib alone or combined with other treatments in adults with advanced solid tumors that have a specific KRAS G12C mutation. This is a Phase 1, open-label, multicenter study focusing on participants with this genetic mutation in their tumors, aiming to understand how calderasib works alone and with other drugs. Participants receive calderasib as an oral dose, and some may also receive other medications such as pembrolizumab through intravenous infusion, or drugs like carboplatin, pemetrexed, cetuximab, oxaliplatin, leucovorin, and 5-fluorouracil according to standard guidelines. The treatments may be given alone or in combination depending on the study arm, with dosing schedules following label instructions or protocol specifications. During the study, participants will be closely monitored for any dose-limiting toxicities and adverse events, including reasons for stopping treatment. Researchers will assess these effects for up to about 21 days for dose-limiting toxicities and up to 56 months for adverse events and treatment discontinuation. The study involves regular evaluations to track safety, tolerability, and how well the treatment works over time.

Researchers are evaluating how well elritercept (TAK-226, KER-050) works in reducing the need for red blood cell (RBC) transfusions in adults with very low, low, or intermediate risk myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) who require regular blood transfusions. The study is a Phase 3, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial that also aims to assess the safety and tolerability of elritercept over both short and longer periods, including in adults with high transfusion needs. Participants will be randomly assigned in a 2:1 ratio to receive either elritercept or a matching placebo by subcutaneous injection every 4 weeks. The study includes a Primary Phase lasting 24 weeks and a Secondary Phase lasting an additional 24 weeks, during which participants continue the same treatment. Following these phases, an Extension Phase allows eligible participants to continue treatment until discontinuation or study unblinding. Study visits occur every 2 weeks during the first 6 cycles and every 4 weeks thereafter. Treatment continuation depends on meeting disease assessment criteria every 24 weeks. Participants will undergo various assessments including bone marrow aspirates, transfusion evaluations, and disease status checks throughout the study. Safety follow-up lasts for 8 weeks after the last dose, with visits every 4 weeks during this time. Afterward, long-term follow-up occurs quarterly for up to 5 years or until withdrawal, death, loss to follow-up, or study closure. The main outcome measured is the percentage of participants achieving transfusion independence for at least 8 weeks during the first 24 weeks of treatment.

This research aims to compare intismeran autogene combined with pembrolizumab versus placebo with pembrolizumab as an additional treatment after surgery for people with stage II, IIIA, or IIIB (with nodal involvement) non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) that has been fully removed with clear margins. The study is a phase 3 trial investigating whether the combination including intismeran autogene improves disease-free survival compared to the placebo combination. Participants will receive either intismeran autogene by intramuscular injection plus pembrolizumab by intravenous infusion or a placebo injection plus pembrolizumab. The treatments are given after surgery and standard platinum-based chemotherapy. No more than 24 weeks can pass from surgery to the first pembrolizumab dose. The study evaluates these treatments as adjuvant therapy to reduce cancer recurrence. During the trial, researchers will monitor participants for disease-free survival for up to approximately 78 months. Participants undergo regular assessments including medical evaluations to track cancer status and treatment effects. The study excludes those with prior neoadjuvant therapy, certain infections, or other cancer treatments that might interfere. Safety and long-term outcomes are carefully observed throughout the study period.

Researchers are evaluating the effectiveness and safety of opevesostat combined with hormone replacement therapy compared to alternative treatments with abiraterone acetate or enzalutamide in people with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) who have already been treated with one next-generation hormonal agent. This Phase 3 study aims to determine whether opevesostat improves radiographic progression-free survival, assessed by independent central review, in participants with or without androgen receptor ligand binding domain mutations. Participants will receive either oral opevesostat along with hormone replacement therapy drugs such as dexamethasone and fludrocortisone acetate, or they will receive alternative oral treatments including abiraterone acetate with prednisone acetate or enzalutamide. Hydrocortisone can be used as a rescue drug if needed. The study is open-label and randomized, comparing these treatment strategies in participants who have progressed after prior hormonal therapy. During the study, participants will undergo assessments including imaging scans to monitor disease progression. Researchers will measure radiographic progression-free survival up to approximately 52 months. Safety and overall survival are also monitored as secondary outcomes. Participants must attend scheduled visits for evaluations, provide tumor tissue samples, and have ongoing monitoring of organ function, hormone levels, and other relevant health parameters throughout the study period.

Researchers are evaluating the effects of the drug orforglipron compared with a placebo on cardiovascular outcomes in adults who have atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) and/or chronic kidney disease (CKD). This is a Phase 3, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study designed to investigate major adverse cardiovascular events over a long period. Participants will receive either orforglipron or a placebo orally. The study is event-driven and will continue until the occurrence of major cardiovascular events or up to about 5 years. The treatments are administered without revealing to participants which group they are in to ensure unbiased results. During the study, participants will be monitored for the time to the first occurrence of a major cardiovascular event. Researchers will collect data from baseline through the end of the study, which lasts approximately 5 years. Regular assessments will help evaluate the safety and effects of the treatments on cardiovascular health in this population.