Table 1.
Clinical trials assessing the role of targeted agents in pancreatic cancer.
| Study | Study design | Targeting agent | Molecular mechanism |
Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rinehart et al. [16] | Phase II clinical trial in multiple types of advanced cancers |
CI-1040 alone | Oral MEK inhibitor |
No significant clinical benefit (no objective responses) |
| Infante et al. [17] | Phase II randomized clinical trial in advance stage pancreatic cancer |
Trametinib (GSK1120212) combined with gemcitabine |
Oral MEK inhibitor |
No significant clinical benefit (95% CI, 0.67 – 1.44 p = 0.453) |
| Philip et al. [27] | Phase III randomized clinical trial in advanced stage pancreatic cancer |
Cetuximab combined with gemcitabine |
EGFR monoclonal antibody |
No significant clinical benefit (HR; = 1.06; 95% CI, 0.91 – 1.23; p = 0.23) |
| Moore et al. [28] | Phase III randomized clinical trial in advanced stage pancreatic cancer |
Erlotinib combined with gemcitabine |
EGFR small molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitor |
Superior to gemcitabine alone [HR of 0.77 (95% CI 0.64 – 0.92; p = 0.004)] |
| Wolpin et al. [41] | Phase II trial in gemcitabine- resistant pancreatic cancer |
Everolimus | Mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) inhibitor |
No complete or partial responses |
| Daud et al. [106] | Phase I trial in multiple advanced stage cancers |
MK-8776 ± gemcitabine |
Chk1 inhibitor | Two PR’s and 13 stable disease in N = 30 |
| Bramhall et al. [125] | Phase III double blind, placebo- controlled randomized trial in pancreatic cancer |
Marimastat combined with gemcitabine |
MMP inhibitor | No survival benefit in experimental arm vs gemcitabine alone (165.5 days vs 164 days p = 0.95) |
| Moore et al. [126] | Phase III randomized clinical trial in advanced stage pancreatic cancer |
Bay12 – 9566 | MMP inhibitor | Gemcitabine superior to Bay12 – 9566 (6.59 months vs 3.74 months p < 0.001) |
| Kim et al. [154] | A single arm pilot clinical trial in advanced stage pancreatic cancer |
Vismodegib combined with gemcitabine |
SHH inhibitor | Progression free survival and OS; 2.8 and 5.3 months respectively |
| Ross et al. (NCT01130142) |
Randomized clinical trial in advanced stage pancreatic cancer |
Saridegib combined with gemcitabine |
SHH inhibitor | Study suspended due to progressive disease in experimental arm |