Research Update from Dr. O’Donohue at Memorial Sloan Kettering.

TeamConnor was honored to fund a research grant to Dr. Tara O’Donohue at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York. 

She has been conducting a clinical trial for pediatric patients with relapsed neuroblastoma.  Neuroblastoma is an aggressive cancer in young children in which treatment is extensive and long-term survival is less than 50%.  This trial is working to use a new investigational drug, carefully designed to avoid the ways in which cancer cells become resistant to treatment, and additionally to target secondary pathways that could slow the tumor’s growth.  This phase I study is combining the new investigational drug with conventional chemotherapy, in attempts to improve the effectiveness of treatment and bolster patient’s responses.

We received the following research update last week from Dr. O’Donohue and her team from Memorial Sloan Kettering.  

We are excited to announce that our Phase 1/2 trial evaluating repotrectinib in combination with irinotecan and temozolomide in pediatric patients with relapsed and refractory solid and CNS tumors is gaining momentum. Two patients have already been treated with this novel combination therapy at dose level 1 and have completed the dose-limiting toxicity evaluation period. The initial starting dose has been administered safely with no intolerable adverse events reported thus far. We have three patients who are slated to start the consent/screening process in the coming weeks and two additional patients who have been identified as potential candidates for the trial. As our accrual has been steadily increasing, we are looking forward toward the Phase 2 portion of our trial. We will be able to open Phase 2 once approximately 18 patients are treated in Phase 1 (which we estimate will be in the next 12-18 months). While in Phase 1 we are defining the safety and recommended phase 2 dose of this therapy, in Phase 2 we will be evaluating the efficacy of repotrectinib plus chemotherapy in three separate disease cohorts (1- Neuroblastoma, 2-Desmoplastic Small Round Cell Tumor, 3-Exploratory Cohort). We are so grateful for your support, and without the generosity of your organization, we would not have been able to make this trial a reality for our patients.

TeamConnor Medical Advisory Board Chair, Dr. Amy Pass shared the following sentiments regarding this research update.  “This is incredible!!! TeamConnor is truly funding childhood cancer research that is novel, clinically helpful, and a reality for patients now, and going forward! The Medical Advisory Board and Board of Directors carefully chose to fund Dr. O’Donohue’s trial and now relapsed cancer patients are getting new therapies.”  

The research grants that TeamConnor Childhood Cancer Foundation surpasses over $5M to date.  Thank you to our generous and supportive donors who have made this possible.  We know that through research better treatments will be unlocked for our children.