Novocure and US Oncology Research Announce Collaboration on PANOVA-3 Trial for Patients with Advanced Pancreatic Cancer

Novocure and US Oncology Research are collaborating on PANOVA-3, a phase 3 pivotal trial testing the efficacy of Tumor Treating Fields combined with nab-paclitaxel and gemcitabine in patients with unresectable locally advanced pancreatic cancer. Tumor Treating Fields is a cancer therapy that uses electric fields tuned to specific frequencies to disrupt cell division, inhibiting tumor growth and causing affected cancer cells to die. US Oncology Research, supported by The US Oncology Network – one of the largest networks of integrated, community-based oncology practices – will open 10 clinical trial sites enrolling patients in Novocure’s PANOVA-3 trial.

“Pancreatic cancer is one of the most aggressive forms of cancer and was the third leading cause of cancer death in the U.S. last year,” said Daniel D. Von Hoff, M.D., F.A.C.P., Principal Investigator for PANOVA-3, Physician in Chief, Distinguished Professor at the Translational Genomics Research Institute in Phoenix and the Chief Scientific Officer for US Oncology Research. “I believe Tumor Treating Fields has the potential to improve survival in this disease. I am pleased to have US Oncology Research’s support.”

PANOVA-3 is a randomized, open-label trial that will include 556 patients with unresectable locally advanced pancreatic cancer. Patients should have an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) score of 0-2 and no prior progression or treatment. Patients in the experimental arm will use a Tumor Treating Fields delivery system tuned to 150 kHz for at least 18 hours a day until the disease progresses. The primary trial endpoint is overall survival. The secondary endpoints include progression free survival, local progression free survival, objective response rate, one-year survival rate, quality of life, pain-free survival, resectability rate and toxicity.

“Our strategic collaboration with US Oncology Research is an important milestone as we aim to bring better treatment options to patients with pancreatic cancer,” said Dr. Eilon Kirson, Novocure’s Chief Science Officer and Head of Research and Development. “We believe this relationship will accelerate enrollment of patients in our PANOVA-3 trial. We look forward to working with US Oncology Research and The US Oncology Network to advance cancer care.”