Pittsburg

This research aims to evaluate and compare the effectiveness and safety of a new artificial tear formulation called ABBV-444 with Refresh Optive Unit Dose in adults diagnosed with Dry Eye Disease (DED), a chronic condition caused by insufficient or poor-quality tear production. The study is a Phase 3, multicenter, double-masked, randomized trial involving around 250 adult participants across approximately 20 sites in the United States. Participants begin the study with a 7-day run-in period using REFRESH PLUS eye drops. Those who meet eligibility criteria are then randomly assigned to receive either ABBV-444 eye drops or REFRESH OPTIVE Unit Dose eye drops. Both groups will use their assigned treatment for a 90-day period. These are topical eye drop treatments administered regularly during the study. During the study, participants will attend multiple visits at the study sites for medical assessments and to complete questionnaires. Researchers will monitor changes in symptoms using the Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) score from baseline to day 90 and track any adverse events. The study includes detailed eye tests such as tear breakup time and staining assessments to evaluate treatment effects and safety over the 90-day treatment period.

This research investigates dry eye disease by evaluating the safety and effectiveness of a fixed-dose combination of lifitegrast and perfluorohexyloctane given twice daily. The study is a 4-week, randomized, double-masked, parallel-group, active-controlled, multicenter trial focusing on improving signs and symptoms of dry eye disease. Participants must have a history of dry eye disease in both eyes for at least six months and meet specific symptom and sign criteria at screening and baseline. Participants will be assigned to one of several groups receiving topical eye drops for four weeks: the fixed-dose combination of lifitegrast and perfluorohexyloctane, lifitegrast alone, perfluorohexyloctane alone, or a vehicle drop without active ingredients. Each treatment is administered as an eye drop twice daily. The study compares these treatments to assess their impact on dry eye disease. Throughout the study, participants will undergo assessments including corneal fluorescein staining to measure changes from baseline at day 29. They will be monitored for adherence and safety, with evaluations of visual acuity and ocular health. The total participation time is approximately four weeks, during which researchers will track changes in dry eye disease signs and symptoms to evaluate treatment effects.

Researchers are evaluating the addition of olaparib, a PARP inhibitor, as maintenance therapy following surgery and chemotherapy in patients with pancreatic cancer that has been surgically removed and who have a pathogenic mutation in BRCA1, BRCA2, or PALB2 genes. This phase II randomized, double-blind study aims to determine if olaparib can improve relapse-free survival compared to placebo in these patients, who have completed perioperative chemotherapy and have no evidence of recurrent disease. Participants are randomly assigned to receive either olaparib or a placebo orally twice daily in 28-day cycles for up to 12 cycles, as long as there is no disease progression or unacceptable side effects. Throughout the treatment period, patients undergo imaging tests such as CT scans or MRI and blood sample collections. After completing the treatment cycles, patients are followed up at 30 days, every 4 months for the first year, and then every 6 months for up to 10 years after randomization to monitor their health and disease status. During the study, researchers assess relapse-free survival by documenting any return of cancer or death from 22 to 44 months after randomization. They also collect blood samples and perform imaging tests to monitor the disease and evaluate treatment effects. Safety is carefully monitored, and patients must have recovered from previous treatments before starting the study. The study includes long-term follow-up to observe survival outcomes and any differences based on genetic mutations or prior chemotherapy regimens.

Researchers are evaluating how well chemotherapy given before surgery and radiation therapy works compared to surgery and radiation therapy alone in treating patients with nasal and paranasal sinus squamous cell carcinoma that can be removed by surgery. This phase II randomized trial focuses on patients with locally advanced resectable tumors classified as T3 or T4a stages, aiming to preserve important structures like the skull base and orbit, and to improve overall survival. The study also examines additional outcomes such as progression-free survival, the accuracy of imaging predictions, and the effects of tobacco use on treatment and symptoms. Participants are randomly assigned to one of two groups. One group undergoes standard surgery followed by image-guided intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) daily for 30 treatments starting 4-6 weeks after surgery, with additional chemotherapy (cisplatin or carboplatin) if certain high-risk features are present. The other group receives up to three cycles of chemotherapy including docetaxel and cisplatin (or carboplatin if cisplatin is not suitable), followed by surgery within six weeks. After surgery, they receive the same radiation therapy and additional chemotherapy as needed. The study includes correlative biomarker and questionnaire analyses. Throughout the study, participants have evaluations including magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) scans before registration and during treatment. After completing therapy, patients are followed every three months for up to two years, then every six months up to five years to monitor structure preservation and survival outcomes. Researchers also assess treatment side effects, physical and psychological symptoms, and tobacco use behaviors during this time.

The goal of this trial is to determine the efficacy of advanced cognitive training for cancer survivors suffering from cancer- and cancer-treatment-related cognitive dysfunction. For millions of cancer survivors, cognitive dysfunction is a prevalent, severe, and persistent problem that has long been associated with poor work-related and health-related outcomes. Evidence suggests that a significant subset of breast cancer survivors (BCS) incur cognitive changes that may persist for years after treatment. Unfortunately, the scientific basis for managing these cognitive changes is extremely limited. Available evidence from pilot studies, including our work, suggests that advanced cognitive training, which is based on the principles of neuroplasticity (ability of brain neurons to re-organize and form new neural networks), may be a viable treatment option. However, previous trials to date have been limited by lack of attention-controlled designs, small samples of BCS, or limited outcome measures. Therefore, to overcome limitations of past studies and build on our pilot results, the purpose of this 2-group, double-blind, randomized controlled trial is to conduct a full-scale efficacy trial to compare advanced cognitive training to attention control in BCS.

Researchers are collecting blood and tissue samples from people with and without cancer to study and evaluate tests that could help detect cancer early. The goal is to create a blinded reference set of samples to validate blood-based tests for early detection of multiple types of cancer, including leukemia, lymphoma, breast, lung, and others. The study also aims to assess how well these tests perform at the time of initial cancer diagnosis, considering different tumor types and cancer stages. Participants complete a baseline questionnaire and provide blood samples at registration and again 12 months later. Those diagnosed with cancer may also provide tissue samples at these times. The study includes patients aged 40 to 75 years, with cancer diagnoses at various stages or individuals without cancer. Special procedures are in place for patients with high suspicion of certain cancers before confirmation. During the study, researchers collect detailed information through questionnaires, blood draws, and tissue sampling to analyze test accuracy. Participants are monitored for up to one year after registration to follow outcomes. The primary measure is providing this blinded set of blood samples to help validate future cancer detection tests, supporting research that could improve early diagnosis and treatment.

This research collects data and biological samples from patients who have experienced side effects from immunotherapy treatments for cancer. The goal is to create a national collection of these samples and clinical information to help future studies understand, predict, prevent, and treat serious immune-related side effects, rare infections, or rapid tumor growth after immunotherapy. Participants provide tissue and blood samples when they join the study and again one month later. Some patients may also provide stool samples if they have certain side effects like colitis. Researchers also review participants' medical records for up to one year to gather detailed health information related to their treatment and side effects. During the study, patients undergo sample collections and have their health records examined. The main outcome measured is the establishment of a national biorepository containing these samples and data, which will be used in future research over the course of one year. This study aims to support better understanding and management of immunotherapy side effects in cancer treatment.

Researchers are evaluating a phase II Lung-MAP treatment trial testing combinations of targeted drugs—capmatinib, osimertinib, and ramucirumab—to treat patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) that has spread and shows EGFR and MET gene changes. Capmatinib and osimertinib are kinase inhibitors that block abnormal proteins signaling cancer growth, while ramucirumab is an antibody that may stop new blood vessel growth needed by tumors. Targeting these gene changes may help shrink or control the cancer. Patients are randomized into two groups: one group receives capmatinib and osimertinib orally along with ramucirumab intravenously, while the other group receives capmatinib and osimertinib orally without ramucirumab. Throughout the study, participants undergo CT or MRI scans and provide blood samples. The treatments are given according to the assigned group to compare their effects and safety. During the trial, participants are closely monitored with imaging and blood tests to assess cancer progression and treatment side effects. The main measure is progression-free survival, tracking time until cancer worsens or death, over up to 3 years. Researchers also evaluate response rates, overall survival, toxicity, and collect tissue and blood samples to study tumor DNA. Participants' health status and laboratory values are regularly checked to ensure safety and effectiveness of the treatments.

Researchers are comparing two approaches of standard therapy for patients with stage II to IIIB non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) that can be surgically removed. This phase III trial evaluates whether giving chemotherapy and immunotherapy before and after surgery (perioperative) is more effective than giving the same treatments only after surgery (adjuvant). The study aims to find out which method leads to better event-free survival and overall survival over several years. Participants are randomly assigned to one of two groups. In the adjuvant group, patients have surgery first, followed by up to four cycles of platinum-based chemotherapy and up to one year of immune checkpoint inhibitor treatment if there is no disease progression or unacceptable side effects. In the perioperative group, patients receive chemotherapy combined with immune checkpoint inhibitors before surgery, then have surgery, and continue immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy for up to one year afterward. Chemotherapy drugs used may include cisplatin, carboplatin, pemetrexed, gemcitabine, docetaxel, or vinorelbine, and immunotherapy drugs may include nivolumab, pembrolizumab, or atezolizumab. During the study, patients undergo imaging tests such as CT scans, MRI, or PET/CT scans to monitor their condition. After completing treatment, they are followed for up to 10 years with check-ups every six months. Researchers measure event-free survival at three years, overall survival up to 10 years, surgical outcomes, side effects, and other treatment-related factors to understand which approach offers better results for patients with resectable NSCLC.

Researchers are evaluating a new type of spectacle lens to control myopia progression in children aged 6 to 8 years. This randomized, controlled, multisite trial aims to confirm findings from previous studies and predict treatment effects over three years by assessing efficacy at 12 months. The study focuses on juvenile myopia and its progression. Participants are randomly assigned to one of two groups: one group uses a novel single vision, impact-resistant spectacle lens designed to reduce myopia progression, while the other group wears standard single vision, impact-resistant spectacle lenses. Both groups wear their assigned spectacles daily, except during sleep, swimming, or activities where wearing glasses is unsafe. The study runs for 24 months without allowing contact lens use. Children will undergo various eye measurements including visual acuity, axial length, and refractive error assessments at baseline and during follow-up visits. Researchers will measure spherical equivalent refraction after 12 months to evaluate treatment efficacy. Parents or guardians must consent and commit to the full study duration, ensuring adherence to spectacle wear and study procedures. The trial monitors safety and effectiveness through regular eye exams and data collection over two years.