
Last year in the UK over 60,000 cancer patients enrolled on clinical trials aimed at improving cancer treatments and making them available to all.
Please note - this trial is no longer recruiting patients. We hope to add results when they are available.
This trial is looking at a drug called orvepitant to relieve itchiness caused by a cancer treatment. The trial is for people with a solid tumour whose cancer has epidermal growth factor receptors (). A solid tumour is any cancer apart from
or
.
Doctors treat EGFR positive cancers with biological therapies called cancer growth blockers. As with all treatments there are side effects. One of the most common side effects of these is severe itchiness. This can be so bad that it can lead to an interruption in your cancer treatment as well as affecting your , in particular how well you sleep at night.
We know from research that drugs similar to orvepitant can help people with itchiness. The researchers want to find out if orvepitant can help people with this side effect.
The aims of this trial are to compare orvepitant with a dummy drug () to find out
You may be able to join this trial if all of the following apply. You
You cannot join this trial if any of these apply. You
This is a phase 2 trial. The researchers need 40 people to join this trial.
It is a randomised trial. The people taking part are put into 1 of 2 treatment groups by a computer. Neither you nor your doctor will be able to decide which group you are in. And neither of you will know which group you are in. This is called a double blind trial.
Every evening during the 4 weeks you need to make a call using a Freephone number. You will be asked 2 questions about how itchy you are. Your doctor or nurse will give you a leaflet about this and will tell you what you need to do.
Or if you prefer you can use a diary to record each day how itchy you are. Your doctor or nurse will tell you how to do this.
The trial team will ask you to fill out questionnaires before you start treatment, when you start treatment, the 1st and last week of treatment and 4 weeks after you finish treatment. The questionnaire will ask about side effects and how you’ve been feeling. This is called a quality of life study.
You see the doctor to have some tests before taking part in this trial. These tests include
You see the doctor for the same tests
The most common side effects of orvepitant include
Your doctor will talk to you about all the possible side effects before you agree to take part in the trial.
Please note: In order to join a trial you will need to discuss it with your doctor, unless otherwise specified.
Professor Ruth Plummer
Experimental Cancer Medicine Centre (ECMC)
NIHR Clinical Research Network: Cancer
NeRRe Therapeutics Ltd
If you have questions about the trial please contact our cancer information nurses
Freephone 0808 800 4040
Last year in the UK over 60,000 cancer patients enrolled on clinical trials aimed at improving cancer treatments and making them available to all.