Early Phase Clinical Trials Provide New Hope for Children and Families Facing Pediatric Cancer
Researchers participating in 25 clinical trials for brain tumors, blood cancers, hematologic disorders, and solid tumors
Hackensack Meridian Children’s Health’s Pediatric Hematology Oncology team continues to lead in pediatric cancer research. The team is bringing novel treatments — and new hope — to children and families across New Jersey through their participation in 25 clinical trials for brain tumors, blood cancers, hematologic disorders, and solid tumors.
“Our pediatric cancer experts are dedicated to advancing clinical research and finding new ways to treat all types of pediatric cancers,” said Alfred Gillio, M.D., director, Children’s Cancer Institute, Hackensack Meridian Children’s Health, and chief, Pediatric Stem Cell and Cellular Therapy Division at Joseph M. Sanzari Children’s Hospital at Hackensack University Medical Center. “Through our research, we hope to push the science forward and improve cure rates while offering promising treatment options to our young patients.”
“We understand the impact a pediatric cancer diagnosis can have on children and families,” said Ihor Sawczuk, M.D., FACS, president of Academics, Research and Innovation, Hackensack Meridian Health. “With every study and every participant, we get one step closer to finding a cure — and our mission is to give our young patients access to the latest, most promising cancer therapies today, when they need them most.”
Principal investigators for these early-stage clinical trials from Hackensack Meridian Children’s Health include Derek Hanson, M.D., Katharine Offer, M.D., Burton Appel, M.D., Jing Chen, M.D., and Alfred Gillio, M.D.
Current clinical trials include:
Brain and Nervous System Cancers
- NMTT- Neuroblastoma Maintenance Therapy Trial Using Difluoromethylornithine (DFMO); Principal Investigator: Derek Hanson, M.D.
- Eflornithine (DFMO) and Etoposide for Relapsed/Refractory Neuroblastoma; Principal Investigator: Derek Hanson, M.D.
- DFMO as Maintenance Therapy for Molecular High/Very High Risk and Relapsed Medulloblastoma; Principal Investigator: Derek Hanson, M.D.
- A Phase 1 Study of Mebendazole for the Treatment of Pediatric Gliomas; Principal Investigator: Derek Hanson, M.D.
- Reduced Craniospinal Radiation Therapy and Chemotherapy in Treating Younger Patients with Newly Diagnosed WNT-Driven Medulloblastoma; Principal Investigator: Derek Hanson, M.D.
- Dabrafenib Combined with Trametinib after Radiation Therapy in Treating Patients with Newly Diagnosed High-Grade Glioma; Principal Investigator: Derek Hanson, M.D.
- A Study of the Drug Selinexor with Radiation Therapy in Patients with Newly Diagnosed Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine (DIPG) Glioma and High-Grade Glioma; Principal Investigator: Derek Hanson, M.D.
- A Study of a New Way to Treat Children and Young Adults with a Brain Tumor Called NGGCT; Principal Investigator: Derek Hanson, M.D.
- Irinotecan Hydrochloride, Temozolomide, and Dinutuximab with or without Eflornithine in Treating Patients with Relapsed or Refractory Neuroblastoma; Principal Investigator: Katharine Offer, M.D.
- Study of LAM561 Acid in Pediatric Patients with Malignant Glioma and Other Advanced Solid Tumors; Principal Investigator: Derek Hanson, M.D.
- HUMC 1612: Optune NovoTTF-200A System in Combination with Chemotherapy in Patients with Recurrent High-Grade Glioma and Ependemoma; Principal Investigator: Derek Hanson, M.D.
- Trametinib and Everolimus for Treatment of Pediatric and Young Adult Patients with Recurrent Gliomas; Principal Investigator: Derek Hanson, M.D.
- Combination Therapy for the Treatment of Diffuse Midline Gliomas; Principal Investigator: Derek Hanson, M.D.
Blood Cancers and Hematologic Disorders
- A Phase 2 Study of the JAK1/JAK2 Inhibitor Ruxolitinib With Chemotherapy in Children With Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia; Principal Investigator: Burton Appel, M.D.
- Inotuzumab Ozogamicin in Treating Younger Patients with B-Lymphoblastic Lymphoma or Relapsed or Refractory CD22 Positive B Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia; Principal Investigator: Burton Appel, M.D.
- Bosutinib in Pediatric Patients with Newly Diagnosed Chronic Phase or Resistant/Intolerant Ph + Chronic Myeloid Leukemia; Principal Investigator: Burton Appel, M.D.
- Enasidenib for the Treatment of Relapsed or Refractory Acute Myeloid Leukemia Patients with an IDH2 Mutation; Principal Investigator: Jing Chen, M.D.
- Safety and Efficacy of Pembrolizumab (MK-3475) in Children and Young Adults with Classical Hodgkin Lymphoma; Principal Investigator: Burton Appel, M.D.
- A Study with Tovorafenib (DAY101) as a Treatment Option for Progressive, Relapsed or Refractory Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis; Principal Investigator: Katharine Offer, M.D.
- A Phase II Pilot Trial to Estimate Survival After a Non-Total-Body Irradiation (TBI) Based Conditioning Regimen in Patients Diagnosed with B-Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL); Principal Investigator: Alfred Gillio, M.D.
- A Study of SNDX-5613 in R/R Leukemias Including those with an MLLr/KMT2A Gene Rearrangement or NPM1 Mutation; Principal Investigator: Jing Chen, M.D.
- Conditioning SCID Infants Diagnosed Early; Principal Investigator: Alfred Gillio, M.D.
Solid Tumors
- Study of Palbociclib Combined with Chemotherapy in Pediatric Patients with Recurrent/Refractory Solid Tumors; Principal Investigator: Katharine Offer, M.D.
- Osteosarcoma Maintenance Therapy with OST31-164; Principal Investigator: Katharine Offer, M.D.
- A Study of Combination Chemotherapy for Patients with Newly Diagnosed DAWT and Relapsed FHWT; Principal Investigator: Katharine Offer, M.D.
