The University of Birmingham has launched the Glo-BNHL clinical trial, a global initiative designed to evaluate novel therapies for pediatric patients suffering from relapsed or refractory B-cell Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (B-NHL). With sites opening across the UK and plans to expand to 45 locations in 19 countries across Europe, Asia, North America, and Australia, the trial represents a significant step forward in addressing this rare and challenging cancer.
Innovative Trial Design
Unlike traditional clinical trials that compare a single new treatment to the current standard of care, Glo-BNHL will simultaneously test multiple new drugs. This approach is particularly crucial for B-NHL, where effective treatments for relapsed or refractory cases are lacking, and survival rates are low. Advanced statistical methods will be employed to rapidly assess the efficacy of each treatment with a minimal number of patients. Treatments that prove ineffective will be promptly replaced, while those showing promise will be advanced towards potential adoption as standard care.
Professor Amos Burke, Director of the Cancer Research UK Clinical Trials Unit at the University of Birmingham and Chief Investigator of the Glo-BNHL trial, emphasized the importance of this new approach: “Launching the first sites for Glo-BNHL is a hugely important moment and a step change for children with rare disease like relapsed/refractory B-NHL. This trial uses a new design, developed with ongoing input from our patient advocates.”
Addressing Unmet Needs in Pediatric B-NHL
B-NHL is a cancer that develops in the lymph nodes and organs, such as the liver and spleen. While approximately 90% of children with B-NHL are cured with current treatments, those who relapse or do not respond to initial therapy face a grim prognosis. The Glo-BNHL trial aims to improve these outcomes by identifying more effective and less toxic treatments.
Professor Pamela Kearns, Director of the Institute of Cancer and Genomic Sciences at the University of Birmingham and co-investigator of the Glo-BNHL trial, highlighted the need for innovative trials: “There are a lot of new drugs in clinical trials for this type of disease in adults, but in rare diseases like childhood lymphomas, there are not enough patients to test them using conventional approach to clinical trials. We need to select only the most promising drugs to test in children and then get the answers as fast as possible.”
Patient Advocacy and Collaborative Funding
The Glo-BNHL trial is distinguished by its integration of patient advocates into the steering committee. This ensures that the trial design and research priorities align with the needs and perspectives of patients and their families. Dave Hulme, who lost his son Alex to B-NHL, is now part of the steering committee. “You know, if we were where we are now, then things may have been different for Alex, we would have added a lot more choice but we can't change that. But we have changed it to give somebody else that opportunity now and I think that's all we wanted to do when we set up the Alex Hulme Foundation.”
The trial is supported by significant funding from Cancer Research UK and Fight Kids Cancer, with over £20 million already committed by pharmaceutical companies. This collaborative effort underscores the commitment to finding better treatments for pediatric B-NHL.
