Co-authored by leading experts in oncology, a review article recently published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology (JCO)* provides an overview of the scope, structure, funding, and achievements of 15 early phase clinical trials (EPCT) consortia and networks across different continents, including Cancer Core Europe (CCE) which has Josep Tabernero, VHIO’s Director, at the helm of its Board of Directors.
“The past 15 years have marked a remarkable expansion in both the number and complexity of early phase clinical trials in oncology. The number of sites, trials, sponsors, and contract research organizations has increased exponentially, leading to new directions in research,” said Elena Garralda, Medical Oncologist and Director of VHIO’s Research Unit for Molecular Therapy of Cancer (UITM) – CaixaResearch, and a co-author of this present review.
“Despite the many advances in oncology drug development, early phase clinical trials operations still face several challenges including cumbersome and lengthy start-up processes, which are particularly important when drug safety and the recommended phase II dose must be established in a timely manner,” added Garralda.
First authored by Jia (Jenny) Liu, Medical Oncology Staff Specialist at The Kinghorn Cancer Centre, St Vincent’s Hospital (Darlinghurst, Sydney Australia), the authors explored the promise of networks and consortia in overcoming some of the current challenges including enrolling suitable patients and streamlining start-up, particularly in view of considerations such as distance and disease trajectory.
Assembled through their systematic review of the literature and snowball sampling methodology, fifteen EPCT consortia were identified including two in the United States, three in Europe, five in Asia-Pacific, two intercontinental consortia, and three within private oncology networks. While the authors recognized that this list is by no means exhaustive, and that these consortia vary in their scope, funding, and structure—from government-funded models such as the National Cancer Institute Experimental Clinical Trials Networks through charitably funded and private research organizations—this present article highlights the importance of collaboration among the respective project partners as well as tightly connected teamwork in the delivery of goals.
In their summary of the efforts and accomplishments of each featured consortia, the authors demonstrate how EPCT networks play a key role in collaborative research, molecular tumor boards to provide patient-centric biomarker-matched treatments, and the streamlining of clinical trial conduct to improve timelines and cost efficiency.
“By actively engaging with regulatory bodies and pharmaceutical and contract research organization industries, consortia will continue to play an essential part in resolving the evolving challenges in this field and accelerating the translation of cancer discovery into clinical practice,” concluded Garralda.
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Reference
*Liu J, Farrow M, Seymour L, Desai J, Loong HH, Ivy P, Koyoma T, Cook N, Blagden S, Garralda E, Massard C, Tolcher AW, Adashek JJ, Zhang L, Zhao S, Shen L, Kurzrock R, El-Deiry WS, Subbiah V, Joshua AM. Accelerating the Future of Oncology Drug Development: The Role of Consortia in the Delivery of Precision Oncology Early Phase Clinical Trials. J Clin Oncol. 2025 Feb 20;43(6):735-747. doi: 10.1200/JCO-24-01534. Epub 2025 Jan 14.
