Renowned Cancer Researcher Dan Von Hoff, M.D. Advocates for 'The Lost Opportunity in Phase I Oncology Tr...( Renowned onc...),Health

Renowned oncology researcher Dr. Daniel Von Hoff, a member of President Bush's National Cancer Advisory Board, provides an in-depth look at the "lost opportunity" in phase I oncology clinical trials. While most biotechnology companies use the phase I trial to evaluate a drug's toxicity and tolerability, Dr. Von Hoff advocates that it can also provide valuable efficacy data and a compelling rationale for further study and investment, which ultimately lead to improved patient care. The complete interview is available for download from Medelis, an oncology contract research organization providing worldwide oncology clinical trial design, management and execution.

Phoenix, Arizona (PRWEB) December 22, 2008 -- Cancer drug developers traditionally use the phase I trial solely to assess the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of a drug. Today, Medelis, Inc., an oncology contract research organization, has published a free downloadable abstract, "The Lost Opportunity in Phase I Oncology Trials," an interview with renowned oncology investigator Daniel D. Von Hoff, M.D., who advocates for a phase I approach that looks beyond toxicity and gleans meaningful efficacy data, creating a more compelling rationale for further investment and improved patient care.

"A Chief Medical Officer looking at the phase I typically sees it as a toxicity trial, not a therapeutic trial, because of course it is not randomized," Dr. Von Hoff explains. "But we - doctors at the bedside and the patients themselves - do not see it that way. We are looking for improvement and survival."

Dr. Von Hoff supports an additional analysis that uses a cancer patient as his or her own co
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