NEW DIRECTIONS IN MEDICAL ONCOLOGY AND HAEMATOLOGY

In 2022 Icon’s research portfolio formally extended its scope with global expansion, increase in uptake of Investigator Initiated Trials (IITs) and a resource commitment to Real-World Evidence (RWE) projects. This investment in dedicated IIT and RWE teams has the potential to augment Icon Group’s trial capability and attract new opportunities in our longstanding medical oncology and haematology portfolio. The following showcases some of the notable achievements in 2022 and how Icon is keeping abreast of industry trends through strategic partnerships.

New Medical Oncology And Haematology Trial Strategies

Calcium and Vitamin D Study

Last year saw a significant uplift in Real World Evidence activities rising from the 2021 level of 2% of recruitment to 31% of total recruitment in 2022. This increase was due to Icon’s participation in an observational project assessing the compliance with Calcium and Vitamin D supplementations in patients receiving bone resorptive agents.

This project was led by A/Prof Jermaine (Jim) Coward as Principal Investigator with operational research leadership from Ashleigh Smith as Associate Investigator and Pharmacist. The study recruited 112 patients, and using pharmacist and patient conducted surveys, the project assessed:

• Rates of compliance to recommendations outlined by eviQ best practice

Patient adherence to prescribed Calcium and Vitamin D therapy

• Barriers to patient adherence

• Patient understanding of the rationale behind therapy

• Demographic factors for patients prescribed bone resorptive agents

Standout trials

The addition of research at Icon Cancer Centre locations at Adelaide (in 2020) and Hobart (in 2021) has allowed for wider clinical trial opportunities across multiple regions and efficient capability to conduct multisite sponsored clinical trials. Standout examples in 2022 include:

• ANZUP’s DASL-HiCaP study was the single highest recruiting externally sponsored clinical trial. This trial is significant as it recruited across both medical oncology and radiation oncology modalities and increased our research capacity across three locations – Adelaide, Gold Coast and Hobart.

• Roche’s GO42784 liDERA trial was Icon’s second highest recruiting externally sponsored clinical trial. LiDERA evaluates the efficacy and safety of an adjuvant selective estrogen receptor degrader / down regulator in participants with estrogen receptor-positive, HER2negative early breast cancer. This trial experienced high recruitment numbers at Adelaide, Hobart, and Wesley (Auchenflower) locations.

Gilead’s IMMU-132-13 TROPICS-04 trial evaluating patients with a diagnosis of metastatic or locally advanced unresectable urothelial cancer saw steady recruitment and was the first trial Icon has participated in across international borders with recruitment at Farrer Park (Singapore), Hobart and Wesley (Auchenflower).

Phase I opportunities

Across the industry globally, recruitment and patient activity in early phase oncology clinical trials decreased in 2021 with a follow-on effect in 2022. The cause of this anticipated decrease relates to significant improvements in the knowledge of how patients can be treated more effectively and with reduced toxicity, by offering more targeted therapies related to genomic profiling indicators.

The number of early phase clinical trials for patients where eligibility requires no specific genomic characteristics have unfortunately reduced in number. Icon’s experience in 2022 was indicative of this overall global trend across industry with the new much more difficult focus on treatment for very specific diagnoses or rare tumour types.

To maintain our strong Phase I capabilities and align with industry trends, Icon Group partnered with the Australian Genomic Cancer Medicine Centre (Omico) to participate in the Precision Oncology Screening Platform Enabling Clinical Trials (PrOSPeCT) This platform study will sequence the genomes of more than 20,000 cancer patients, many with rare and challenging tumours, to identify the best possible treatment and potential trial opportunity.

This collaboration between the private and public sector will allow Icon patients to have greater access to clinical trial opportunities and bring more externally sponsored trials for very specific indications to Icon cancer centres in 2023 and beyond.

increase in clinical trials