The National Comprehensive Cancer Network® (NCCN®) Oncology Research Program (ORP) has announced it has been awarded a $2 million grant from Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc. to develop a program to scientifically evaluate and define the safety and clinical effectiveness of the investigational compound nintedanib* (BIBF 1120) in the treatment of colorectal and non-small cell lung cancers.
Nintedanib is an investigational orally administered triple angiokinase inhibitor that targets three of the receptor tyrosine kinases shown to aid in the regulation of angiogenesis: fibroblast growth factor receptor, platelet-derived growth factor receptor, and vascular endothelial growth factor receptor. All three receptors are associated with tumor angiogenesis, and their blockade may lead to the inhibition of tumor growth and spread.
“We are grateful to collaborate with Boehringer Ingelheim on this groundbreaking research initiative,” said Diane E. Paul, MS, RN, Vice President, NCCN ORP. “The research supported by this grant gives investigators from NCCN Member Institutions the opportunity to advance the field of oncology by evaluating the use of nintedanib in multiple tumor types.”
Proposals Development Team
The first phase of the program will involve the establishment of an NCCN Nintedanib Request for Proposals Development Team to evaluate existing data and to discuss and define the data and type of studies necessary to further characterize the safety and clinical effectiveness of nintedanib in colorectal and non-small cell lung cancers.
The NCCN ORP draws on the expertise of investigators at NCCN Member Institutions and the NCCN Affiliate Research Consortium to facilitate all phases of clinical research. This research is made possible by collaborations with pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies in order to advance therapeutic options for patients with cancer. The NCCN ORP will utilize the grant from Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc. to support investigator-initiated clinical and correlative studies at NCCN Member Institutions and their affiliate community hospitals for nintedanib. To date, this successful research model has received approximately $44 million in research grants and supported 116 studies that have produced a number of publications in peer-reviewed journals.
To learn more about the NCCN ORP and ongoing clinical trials, visit NCCN.org. ■
* This compound [nintedanib] is investigational and not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Its safety and efficacy have not been established.
