Clinical trials

The aim of the REFRACT clinical trial is to find new therapies with improved outcomes compared to the current standard treatment available, in patients with relapsed or refractory follicular lymphoma. This will be done by comparing patients who have received a new treatment against patients who receive standard treatment based on their response to the treatment received.

ARISTOCRAT is a phase II, multi-centre, double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomised trial to compare the cannabinoid Nabiximols with placebo in patients with recurrent MGMT methylated glioblastoma (GBM) treated with temozolomide (TMZ).

A multi-centre phase II trial of GvHD prophylaxis following unrelated donor stem cell transplantation comparing Thymoglobulin vs. Calcineurin inhibitor or Sirolimus-based post-transplant cyclophosphamide.

The main aim of the Tessa Jowell BRAIN MATRIX - Platform Study is to more precisely determine the exact type of tumour patients have by developing the essential infrastructure to provide rapid and accurate molecular diagnosis. A large network of clinical hubs across the United Kingdom, with expertise in managing patients with brain tumours, will be developed. Once established this infrastructure will facilitate the rapid introduction of clinical trials testing targeted therapies tailored to the genetic changes of an individual's tumour.

FARGO is a randomised, phase IIa, multi-centre, placebo-controlled trial to compare Faecal Microbiota Transplant (FMT) with placebo in patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) and concomitant inflammatory bowel disease.

The trial will be a phase III, randomised-controlled, multi-centre, international, open-label trial consisting of ruxolitinib versus best available therapy, where best available therapy is a choice of interferon alpha, any formulation permitted (IFN) or hydroxycarbamide (HC), and which will be elected by the Investigator prior to randomisation.

This study aims to design, develop and optimise a non-invasive, saliva sample-based point-of-care lateral flow test for use in low and middle income settings that can return a qualitative result on whether an individual has or has not immunity to tetanus within 10-15mins. If successful, this approach would not require blood sampling or laboratory facilities, empower personalised decision making on vaccine needs and support the development of population level data-driven public health policies.

Background and study aims Idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) is a neurological condition characterised by increased pressure inside the skull, called intracranial pressure (ICP). It is more common in women of reproductive age with obesity. Common symptoms of IIH include headaches, blurred vision and ringing in the ears. If left untreated, the disorder may cause blindness. The majority of patients with IIH are managed with weight loss and medications. Fewer than 10% of patients develop progressive visual loss and require urgent intervention to reduce ICP and preserve vision. This trial will compare the two most common interventions performed in the UK and evaluate their clinical and cost-effectiveness. The first is called cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) shunting and involves a procedure where a thin tube called a shunt is implanted in the body to drain brain fluid. The second is called dural venous sinus stenting (DVSS) and involves a procedure where a metallic mesh tube called a stent is implanted inside a brain blood vessel. Both procedures can preserve vision, but there is no strong evidence to support one over the other. Participants will have the same chance to be treated with CSF shunting or DVSS. The aim of the trial is to know which intervention is the most effective to save the vision and the most cost-effective. Who can participate? Adults with a diagnosis of IIH at risk of permanent sight loss What does the study involve? The trial will be conducted in NHS hospitals located in England, Wales and Scotland. Participants are randomly allocated to undergo cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) shunting or dural venous sinus stenting (DVSS). Afterwards the participants will be asked to attend 11 hospital appointments and one telephone appointment. This follow-up will take 2 years from start to finish. Participants will be closely monitored for any side effects and potential device failure, and for changes in vision, headaches and quality of life. The researchers will also collect health data from NHS Digital (the national custodian of NHS health and social care data). What are the possible benefits and risks of participating? There are no direct benefits from taking part in the trial but the information gained from this trial may help improve treatment for adults with IIH in the future. Participants may be seen more often and/or feel more supported as a consequence of their involvement in the trial. As with any intervention, there are risks and complications, but there are no additional disadvantages or risks involved in taking part in this trial. Both CSF shunting and stenting are treatments for IIH (shunting is widely used internationally, and in some hospitals, stenting is used as part of the standard of care). Participants require an intervention to prevent sight loss. None of these treatments is experimental but at present, there is not enough information to determine which treatment is most suitable and provides the higher level of health benefits to the individual. Where is the study run from? University of Birmingham (UK) When is the study starting and how long is it expected to run for? The first site opened in July 2023, and the last patient last visit is expected in May 2028 Who is funding the study? National Institute for Health Research (NIHR, grant number: NIHR131211) (UK) Who is the main contact? IIH Intervention Trial manager, [email protected] (UK)

This clinical study aims to evaluate the feasibility and initial efficacy of Group Traumatic Episode Protocol (GTEP) for reducing trauma symptoms (measured by the PCL-5 and City BiTS) for individuals following a traumatic birthing experience. A secondary aim is to evaluate the efficacy of GTEP in improving parental wellbeing (measured through the CORE-10) and parent-infant bonding (measured through the PBQ) following a traumatic birthing experience. Participants (those who have experienced a traumatic birthing experience) will complete the GTEP intervention, delivered online. They will be asked to complete outcome measures and give feedback on their experience of the group.

The Glo-BNHL trial is trying to find better medicines for children and young people with B-cell non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (B-NHL) that does not go away (refractory B-NHL) or does but comes back again (relapsed B-NHL). B-NHL is a type of cancer that develops inside or outside of lymph nodes (glands) and organs such as the liver or spleen. Examples of B-NHL are Burkitt Lymphoma and Diffuse Large B Cell Lymphoma, which may be other names used to describe this type of cancer. It is very difficult to cure relapsed or refractory B-NHL. The medicines used now are very powerful with many side effects and only cure around 30 in every 100 children treated. It is very important that investigators quickly find better medicines for these children and young people. The Glo-BNHL trial will include three groups of children and young people, each given a new medicine (either alone or with chemotherapy). The investigators are looking to make sure the new medicines are safe and that they work to treat the cancer. If the medicine in one group does not work for a child in the trial, then they may be able to join a different group to have another new medicine. Experts from around the world will carefully pick the medicines most likely to be helpful to be part of the trial. If one of the new medicines seems not to be working as well as hoped then the investigators will take it out of the trial as soon as possible. This will let other new medicines be added to the trial and tested. If a medicine does seem to be working well, then it will continue in the trial to make sure it really is the most useful medicine available. Children from around the world will be invited to take part in the trial. The investigators will then check on them for at least two years after they finish the trial treatment to look for possible side effects of the new medicine.

Neuroblastoma is one of the most common solid childhood tumours, and a major cause of cancer-related death in children. More than 1200 children/young adults a year are diagnosed in USA and Europe. Around 600 of these cases are considered high-risk, which means the cancer is more difficult to treat successfully. Despite improvements in survival over recent decades, a significant proportion of patients with high-risk neuroblastoma have disease that does not respond to standard treatments (refractory neuroblastoma) or comes back after completion of standard frontline treatment (relapsed neuroblastoma). Therefore, there is a need to develop new treatment strategies and test new drugs to improve outcomes for children with neuroblastoma. Aims Of The BEACON2 Trial * To improve survival for patients with relapsed neuroblastoma by developing new treatment combinations * To evaluate new treatment combinations in relapsed neuroblastoma, within a phase I/II trial that can impact clinical practice, while also allowing dose confirmation for new promising combinations * To evaluate the safety, activity, efficacy and impact on quality of life of these new treatment combinations in relapsed neuroblastoma patients * To improve our understanding of relapsed neuroblastoma biology and advance the development of targeted therapies using biomarkers, by conducting a comprehensive biomarker sample collection. Trial Design BEACON2 is a randomised phase I/phase II, open label, international trial. The trial will have two tiers: Tier 1 will be the main randomisation for two treatment arms initially. Participants will be randomised at trial entry to receive one of the available regimens, treatment A or treatment B. Tier 2 will include smaller dose expansion/confirmation cohorts for more novel experimental treatment combinations (Arm C and future arms), with the potential for them to be moved to Tier 1. Current Tier 1 (Randomisation Tier) Treatment Arms in the BEACON2 Trial: Arm A: dbIT Treatment with dinutuximab beta, irinotecan, and temozolomide, 3 weekly x12 cycles Arm B: BIT Treatment with bevacizumab, irinotecan, and temozolomide, 3 weekly x12 cycles Current Tier 2 (Registration Only Tier) Treatment Arms in the BEACON2 Trial: Arm C: dbBIT Treatment with dinutuximab beta, bevacizumab, irinotecan, and temozolomide, 3 weekly x12 cycles Patient Population and Sample Size Patients aged ≥1 years of age with relapsed neuroblastoma. For each arm in Tier 1, up to 75 patients will be recruited to complete phase 2 investigations. For each arm in Tier 2, 10 patients will be recruited to complete phase I investigations. Approximately 160 participants are initially planned, 75 in each arm of Tier 1 and 10 participants for one dose-confirmation cohort in Tier 2. The study is expected to recruit patients for 3 years, and then finish patient follow-up after an additional 5 years. Translational Sub-study / Biological Studies It is standard of care for patients diagnosed with relapsed neuroblastoma to: * Have had a tumour sample collected at point of initial diagnosis (either during biopsy or surgery) * Have bloods collected before they start and during treatment for their relapsed neuroblastoma * Have a bone aspirate/trephine procedure in order to help confirm relapse. These samples provide very important opportunities for further research, and the study investigators would like to make full use of these opportunities by collecting the analysis already performed on these samples and collect some additional samples (at the same time as the standard ones) to learn and understand more about neuroblastoma and its treatment. Samples will undergo research analysis at the national SIOPEN reference laboratories.

High blood pressure (hypertension) affects 1 in 3 adults and can lead to serious health issues like strokes and heart attacks. Medication can lower blood pressure (BP) and reduce complications. Choosing the right medication can be challenging, potentially leading to side effects or poor control. HYPERMARKER is testing whether providing doctors with additional information when they make a blood pressure prescription choice can improve a patient's overall blood pressure management. This includes relevant clinical information and personalised results from blood tests, brought together using computer programs (machine learning)- 'smart approach'. The blood tests check for small substances naturally produced by the body called metabolites Developed with patient and public involvement, this proof-of-concept clinical trial will recruit 400 people across four sites in the UK, Spain, the Netherlands, and Germany. Participants must have a recent high blood pressure reading with a clinical need for medication. After providing written consent, they will provide a blood sample (to measure their metabolites) and receive a BP monitor connected to a smartphone app allowing them to measure and record their BP at home throughout the trial. The study's main outcome is home BP readings. Participants will also complete web-based questionnaires about their health, diet, treatment experience, and healthcare usage. Participants will be randomly assigned to two groups. Group A will receive medication based on standard clinical practice up-front, then investigators will receive output from the smart approach to refine the choice of treatment. In Group B, investigators will receive the output from the 'smart approach' initially, with further updates provided later. Only medications licensed for hypertension will be used. All prescriptions are determined by clinicians throughout the trial. The trial lasts 9-16 weeks. At the end, participants and their usual doctor get a copy of their BP readings and medication to guide their long-term care.

The main aim of the current study is to investigate whether consuming grapes rich in flavonoids just before mental stress can protect cerebrovascular and peripheral vascular function, mood and cognition, from the negative effects of mental stress in young healthy adults. A second, exploratory aim, will further address whether quality of habitual diet, microbiome health (composition; metabolites production e.g. Short-chain fatty acids) and levels of cardiorespiratory fitness play a role on the beneficial effects of grapes during mental stress. All participants will receive a high-flavonoid grape intervention (60 g freeze-dried grape powder, equivalent to 300 g fresh grapes) and a low-flavonoid grape intervention (60 g powdere isocaloric-matched control). It is hypothesized that the high-flavonoid grape intervention will improve cortical oxygenation and cognitive function in the context of mental stress, and prevent the stress-induced decline in peripheral endothelial function following stress. Furthermore, it is hypothesized that individuals with poorer diets, cardiorespiratory fitness and a poorer gut microbiome will benefit more from the grape intervention in the context of mental stress.

The goal of this placebo-controlled, partial crossover design study is to identify the impact of consuming whey protein before meals on free-living glucose control in older adults living with type 2 diabetes. The primary specific objective is to determine the effect of a thrice daily whey protein pre-meal supplementation at two doses, on glucose excursions over a 7-day free-living period in adults aged 75-90 years of age, living with type 2 diabetes, compared with a non-protein placebo. Participants will consume the whey protein and placebo for 7 days each, before each meal. All participants will consume the placebo and one of two doses of whey protein, in a randomised order.

The aim of this trial is to find out if a tablet called apixaban can reduce blood clots in people with lung cancer having chemotherapy or similar treatments. Apixaban is a type of oral anticoagulant ("blood thinner") that makes the blood less sticky to prevent blood clots forming. The trial is trying to find out if apixaban it can reduce blood clots in people with lung cancer. Participants will receive the following treatment: • Apixaban or placebo, 2.5mg taken by mouth twice a day for 6 months. This treatment will be taken in addition to any treatment that they are receiving to treat their lung cancer. Participants will need to: * Sign a consent form to enter the trial. * Take the trial treatment as directed by the research team * Complete a participant diary to record when they took the trial treatment * Complete the Quality of Life and Health resource use questionnaires. * Female participants of childbearing potential must use adequate contraception during the trial and for at least 2 days after trial treatment has finished.

The DaRe2 approach (healthcare Data for pragmatic clinical Research in the NHS - primary 2 secondary) is designed to operationalise efficient, nationwide, primary care approaches for randomised trials embedded within the UK National Health Service (NHS), providing automated screening, targeted patient enrolment and 'no-visit' follow-up through innovations in big data and technology solutions. DaRe2THINK will be the first exemplar of this system, and is appropriately focused on the intersection of key national priorities for healthcare; atrial fibrillation (a heart rhythm condition that will double in prevalence in the next few decades) and the impact this condition has on stroke, thromboembolic events, cognitive impairment and vascular dementia. The trial will test the hypothesis that direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs), now commonly used in older patients with atrial fibrillation (AF), are effective and cost-effective at reducing major adverse clinical events in younger patients at low or intermediate risk of stroke, and can reduce the high rate of cognitive decline. The health technology innovations noted above will allow the investigators to answer this important clinical question, as well as demonstrate the capacity and potential of this system for future, large-scale healthcare-embedded clinical trials for patient benefit.

SurgPASS is a pilot randomised cluster trial utilising a pre-operative checklist with the aim of reducing deaths after surgery. If SurgPASS is successful, the intervention will be implemented in a separate full-scale cluster randomised trial.

This study aims to assess and improve the global management of appendicitis, the most common emergency surgery, by examining various aspects of emergency care systems worldwide. Appendicitis is a time-sensitive condition, and delays in diagnosis or treatment can lead to complications, affecting patient outcomes and increasing healthcare costs. The study uses appendicitis as a "tracer condition" to explore how different healthcare systems manage emergency care, focusing on factors like access, quality, and efficiency. By gathering data from hospitals worldwide, the study seeks to identify areas where emergency surgical care can be improved, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The main goal is to identify gaps in emergency care systems, using a set of key performance measures (KPMs) that assess access to care, the quality of surgical treatment, and patient safety. These include factors like the time from symptom onset to first surgical assessment, the rate of appendectomy performed via minimally invasive (laparoscopic) surgery, and postoperative complications. The study aims to collect data on at least 14,000 patients from around 500 hospitals globally between February and May 2025. The data will be analyzed by hospital income group (from low to high) to understand how different resource levels impact outcomes and to help guide future policy and practice improvements. The study also includes two sub-studies that focus on specific issues in surgical care. The Sustainability and Waste Management sub-study aims to explore how hospitals manage waste and sustainability practices in operating theatres. This sub-study is part of global efforts to reduce carbon emissions in healthcare settings. The Financing sub-study examines the financial burden of appendicectomy, particularly the out-of-pocket costs for patients in LMICs. It will explore how the costs of open vs. laparoscopic surgery differ and investigate the impact of these costs on patients. By combining global data on clinical outcomes with information on hospital resources and patient finances, this study hopes to provide valuable insights into how to improve emergency surgical care across diverse settings, making recommendations that can lead to better access to safe, timely, and affordable treatment for appendicitis worldwide.

The MPXV CARE study principally aims to use clinical and epidemiology data to target specific individuals willing and able to provide appropriate and proportionate biological samples to develop novel immune diagnostics that support models of disease burden and future vaccine utilisation.

PENGUIN is a pragmatic multi-center trial investigating the effects of pre-operative mouthwash and perioperative oxygen on the incidences of pneumonia and surgical site infection (SSI) following major abdominal surgery. Patients will be recruited from low and middle income countries and randomly assigned to a trial treatment arms: a) pre-operative chlorhexidine mouthwash and 80-100% FiO2; b) no pre-operative mouthwash and 80-100% fraction of inspired oxygen (FiO2); c) pre-operative chlorhexidine mouthwash and 21- 30% FiO2; or d) no pre-operative mouthwash and 21-30% FiO2.

Multicentre non-inferiority cluster randomised trial testing Disposable versus Reusable drApes and Gowns for green OperatiNg theatres. A pragmatic 1:1 international multi-centre non-inferiority cluster randomised controlled trial, with an internal pilot. Clusters are individual hospitals.

Concurrent vaccination scheduling for key target populations in Rwanda, such as healthcare workers, may confer significant advantages in the provision of vaccine coverage to several infectious diseases. This is a phase IV vaccine trial that looks to establish if two licenced vaccines, the rVSVΔG-ZEBOV-GP vaccine for protection against Ebola virus and messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) COVID vaccine for protection against SARS-CoV-2 virus, given concurrently to self selected healthy adult volunteers confers an acceptable safety profile and immunogenicity response.

MARLIN is a stratified, multi-arm, multi-stage factorial randomised platform trial aiming to reduce the incidence of post-operative surgical site infection (SSI).

TIGER is a multicentre, 2-arm, parallel group, assessor blinded, non-inferiority randomised controlled trial with an internal pilot to assess if non-surgeon physicians (NSPs) can effectively perform mesh inguinal hernia repair compared to fully trained surgeons in adult patients with non-complicated inguinal hernia.

FaR-RMS is an over-arching study for children and adults with newly diagnosed and relapsed rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS)