Northwestern University and ACORN Commence National Enrollment for Metastatic Breast Ca...( MEMPHIS Tenn. Nov. 12 /- Northwes...),Health

MEMPHIS, Tenn., Nov. 12 /PRNewswire/ -- Northwestern University announced today that it has begun enrollment for a national clinical research study for women with locally recurrent or metastatic breast cancer. The Northwestern trial will evaluate the efficacy of Nexavar(R) (sorafenib) tablets in combination with the anticancer drug paclitaxel for metastatic breast cancer. Nexavar, an oral multi kinase inhibitor being co-developed by Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals and Onyx Pharmaceuticals is currently approved for the treatment of kidney cancer.

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Northwestern University is collaborating with Accelerated Community Oncology Research Network (ACORN), the Contract Research Organization (CRO) for the trial. The University, primarily through the Feinberg School of Medicine, is part of the McGaw Medical Center of Northwestern University. The McGaw Medical Center is a consortium of urban, suburban, specialized, and general hospitals and the University. Chartered in 1966 and honoring the generosity of the late Foster G. and Mary McGaw, the center presents a greater range of clinical and research experiences than individual teaching hospitals are able to provide.

This research study is a double-blind, placebo-controlled randomized phase 2b study that will be conducted at about 50 sites in approximately 20 states. In addition to evaluating the effectiveness of combining the Nexavar and paclitaxel, the study will measure how well participants tolerate the study drug, and how a participant's quality of life is affected.

Dr. William Gradishar, professor of medicine at the Feinberg School of Medicine of Northwestern University, is the principle investigator of the study. "Sorafenib has demonstrated significant antitumor activity as reported in recent pivotal clinical trials. To further characterize the a
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