Myeloma research funded by national clinical research program KLINBEFORSK
Fredrik Schjesvold, head of the Oslo Myeloma Center at Oslo University Hospital, receives 20 mill NOK from The national programme for clinical therapy research - KLINBEFORSK.
The supported project is entitled "The REMNANT study – Does early treatment of relapse increase survival in myeloma?"
This is one of four projects coordinated from OUH receiving funding from KLINBEFORSK in 2018. The other three are headed by Michael Bretthauer, Guro Elisabeth Lind and Øyvind Molberg.
Article from the Oslo University Hospital "Expert hospital" blog:
20 millioner til forskning på benmargskreft
English version:
20 million for research on bone marrow cancer
Chief physician Fredrik Schjesvold, head of Oslo Myelomatosis Center, has been awarded 20 million to the REMNANT study, which will determine how to get treatment as early as possible when the patient has a relapse, and if this can improve survival.
Myeloma, or bone marrow cancer, is a disease with many treatment lines, which have traditionally been treated when patients have been clinically affected by the disease again.
"In recent years it has become more common to treat when you see a large increase in the amount of disease although this is not accompanied by symptoms, and this approach has yielded better results," explains Schjesvold.
Nevertheless, the situation is such that most patients have a high load of disease when they receive relapse treatment, leading to poorer drug tolerance and more resistance development.
- In this study we will randomize between attacking the disease again at the earliest sign of the disease and the level we currently start treatment. We can measure relapses down to 1 / 10,000-part of the level we are using today, and wer believe this will significantly improve survival in relapse treatment, "Schjesvold said.
He further states that this is a study without industry funding and that it is impossible to do such studies without significant means. Public funds like this make it possible to implement.
"It is a significant responsibility to get such funds and we hope we can deliver as planned. We are underway, but there is still a lot of work left, "concludes Schjesvold.
It is the National Clinical Treatment Research Program (KLINBEFORSK) that has awarded the funds. This is one of four projects at OUS that were allocated funds. In addition, two projects from St. Olavs Hospital in Trondheim and one from Helse Bergen received funds of between 15 and 20 million.
Title of the study is The REMNANT study - Does early treatment of relapse increase survival in myeloma?
Links:
From the home page of Helse Sør-Øst (The South-Eastern Norway Regional Health Authority):
Syv prosjekter får store forskningsbevilgninger
From Dagens Medisin - major national health newspaper:
135 millioner til forskning på behandling