Berkeley Heights

Researchers are evaluating whether combining pelabresib with ruxolitinib improves clinical outcomes compared to ruxolitinib alone in adults with primary myelofibrosis, post-polycythemia vera myelofibrosis, or post-essential thrombocythemia myelofibrosis who have not previously received Janus kinase inhibitor therapy. This phase 3 study includes participants classified as intermediate-1, intermediate-2, or high-risk by the Dynamic International Prognostic Scoring System (DIPSS). The trial aims to assess spleen response and symptom changes over time. The trial consists of several periods: a screening phase up to 28 days before starting treatment to confirm eligibility and perform baseline assessments; a treatment phase with 21-day cycles where participants receive pelabresib or placebo for 14 days plus continuous ruxolitinib; a safety follow-up for 30 days after treatment ends; an efficacy follow-up every 12 weeks for those without disease progression; and a survival follow-up every 12 weeks for participants with disease progression or new therapy. Pelabresib is given as tablets, and ruxolitinib is administered continuously throughout treatment. Participants undergo regular site visits and assessments including spleen imaging, laboratory tests, bone marrow biopsies, and symptom questionnaires. Researchers monitor spleen volume reduction and changes in total symptom score at 24 weeks as primary outcomes. Safety is tracked during and after treatment, with long-term follow-up to gather survival data and ongoing disease status. The study continues until disease progression, unacceptable toxicity, withdrawal, or other protocol-defined reasons.

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 evaluating how to best recommend chemotherapy for patients with colon cancer after surgery by using the presence or absence of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) in the blood. This approach aims to identify microscopic residual tumor cells and may provide better risk prediction for cancer recurrence compared to traditional methods. The trial focuses on patients with Stage IIB, IIC, or III colon cancer who have undergone complete tumor removal. Participants will have their tumor tissue and blood tested centrally using the Signatera assay to determine ctDNA status. Patients without detectable ctDNA may avoid chemotherapy, while those with detectable ctDNA are considered at higher risk and will be randomly assigned to receive different chemotherapy regimens, including mFOLFOX6, CAPOX, or mFOLFIRINOX, given intravenously or orally over periods ranging from 3 to 6 months. The study includes initial screening, treatment, and possible second randomization for patients whose ctDNA status changes during monitoring. During the study, participants will undergo various assessments including blood tests, imaging scans, and performance evaluations to monitor their health and response to therapy. Researchers will track the time to ctDNA positivity and disease-free survival for up to 3 and 5 years, respectively. Safety and treatment effects will be closely observed throughout the study duration, ensuring thorough follow-up and monitoring for all participants.

Researchers are evaluating two digital mindfulness meditation programs to support mental health and well-being in younger breast cancer survivors who have elevated depressive symptoms. This phase III trial focuses on women diagnosed with breast cancer at age 50 or younger who have completed their main cancer treatments at least six months ago. The study aims to compare a live, instructor-led online program to a self-paced app-based program and also to explore factors that might influence how well these interventions work, including psychological distress levels and social factors like race and education. Participants will be assigned to one of three groups: a live online Mindful Awareness Practices (MAPs) program delivered over Zoom, a self-paced MAPs digital app, or a meditation-only control group. The live online program includes guided meditations, exercises to manage pain and emotions, and cultivating kindness, with daily home practice increasing from 5 to 20 minutes. The app program unlocks lessons sequentially as participants progress. Meditation use will be tracked across all groups to measure engagement. During the study, participants will report depressive symptoms two weeks after completing the intervention. Researchers will also collect information on emotion regulation strategies and social determinants of health, and monitor how much participants practice mindfulness to understand the programs' effects. The total intervention lasts six weeks, and participants must be able to use a digital device and communicate in English or Spanish. Safety and participation are closely monitored throughout the study.

PRIMARY OBJECTIVE: I. To determine investigator assessed progression-free survival using Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) version (v)1.1 (non-inferiority) for one versus (vs.) two years of maintenance olaparib. SECONDARY OBJECTIVES: I. To evaluate overall survival (OS360) in the modified intent to treat (ITT) population, with time at risk for progression/death starting 360 days after randomization. II. To evaluate progression-free survival (PFS), PFS2 and overall survival (OS) in the ITT population. III. To evaluate PFS, PFS2, and OS in the as-treated population. IV. To evaluate toxicity, including rates of myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), acute myeloid leukemia (AML), and other secondary malignancies, in the safety population. EXPLORATORY OBJECTIVE: I. To evaluate the moderating effect of physician-choice bevacizumab (as stratified) on randomized treatment effect estimates. TRANSLATIONAL OBJECTIVES: I. To assess BRCA reversion mutations in circulating tumor deoxyribonucleic acid (ctDNA) as a predictor of poor response in the BRCA mutated (BRCAm) population. II. To correlate a combined assay assessing quantitative BRCA1 and RAD51C promoter methylation and pathogenic variants in core homologous recombination repair (HRR) genes with clinical homologous recombination deficiency (HRD) testing and outcomes in the BRCA wildtype (BRCAwt) population. OUTLINE: Patients are randomized to 1 of 2 arms. ARM I (REFERENCE): Patients receive olaparib orally (PO) twice daily (BID) on days 1-21 of each cycle. Cycles repeat every 21 days for up to 2 years in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Patients may also receive bevacizumab IV on day 1 of each cycle. Cycles of bevacizumab repeat every 21 days for up to 1 year in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Patients also undergo blood sample collection and computed tomography (CT) and/or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) throughout the study. ARM II (EXPERIMENTAL): Patients receive olaparib PO BID on days 1-21 of each cycle. Cycles repeat every 21 days for up to 1 year in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Patients may also receive bevacizumab IV on day 1 of each cycle. Cycles of bevacizumab repeat every 21 days for up to 1 year in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Patients also undergo blood sample collection and CT and/or MRI throughout the study. After completion of study treatment, patients are followed up every 3 months for 2 years, then every 6 months for 3 years.