TAPUR study - advanced PCa, looking for access to new therapies?

Hi!

I've been posting about my DH's starting Keytruda, and thought this link might be useful to others with advanced PCa which is not responding.

/www.tapur.org

This is a clinical trial run by ASCO (the oncologists' association):

"....The TAPUR study is a clinical trial for patients with advanced cancer who have not responded, or have stopped responding to standard treatment and who possibly have a genomic variation that can be targeted with anti-cancer drugs – so-called “actionable genomic variants.”"

It does not pay for the genomic or molecular test, you have to have that coming in - and note that the test should be done on a recent biopsy result, maybe best if of a metastasis (not sure about this). But the cost of the drugs, if you match eligibility for one, IS covered by the sponsoring companies. It is a single arm study, so if you're eligible, you get the drug.

Very sick people are excluded (out of bed and active at least half each day is the way they describe the requirement).

The 17 drugs and targeted gene variants are given here:

https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02693535


Olaparib/Lynparza (BRCA1/2) and pembrolizumab/Keytruda (MSI-H, high mutational load) are both on the list.

Hope this helps somebody.

-- Carolyn

It hasn't come back through our insurance yet.....Caris (who did Dave's) claims on their web site "Caris Molecular Intelligence® is typically reimbursed by insurance providers, as well as Medicare." I think the total billed cost is about $5500. We have long since paid up to our deductible, but if you haven't, you might end up paying $500 (again according to their website). I'm sure there are other companies that do this but I know even less about them.

The percentage of advanced PC patients who have the variant? That's the big Q for sure. 5% is commonly quoted, which is so rare as to make it not worth it - however, note that Dave's MO sent his biopsy without us asking for it or even knowing about all this, and boy are we glad he did (so far).

I don't think anybody really knows what the % is for sure. See my rant in post "Keytruda/pembrolizumab update"
about why I mistrust the 5% number, I won't repeat it (one study for ductal adenocarcinoma put the % at 40%).

There is also this trial (NCI-MATCH):
/clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02465060

which pays for genetic testing but doesn't have olaparib or pembrolizumab on its list.

-- Carolyn

Yes I do have that feeling - finally!