News

INTACT Trial opens to recruitment

12 September 2018

INTACT is a feasibility, randomised controlled trial comparing intravenous iron to usual care in patients discharged from critical care with moderate-severe anaemia. The primary aim is to assess recruitment, randomisation and follow-up rates to inform the design of a future large multi-centre trial.

ASPECT Trial results

6 September 2018

The Aspirin Esomeprazole Chemoprevention Trial (AspECT) is to our knowledge one of the largest cancer prevention trials using aspirin and acid suppression in the world. In total 2557 patients with a common precancerous change in their oesophagus, called Barrett’s oesophagus, were followed up for an average of 9 years resulting in over 20,000 life-years of follow up. After informed written consent, patients were randomly allocated to four different combinations; Low acid suppression alone, High acid suppression alone, low acid suppression with 300mg aspirin and high acid suppression with 300mg aspirin. We wanted to see if we could prevent progression to local cancer/cancer in-situ (high grade dysplasia), invasive cancer or prevent death by all causes both cancer and non-cancer.

TARDOX Trial paper published

31 August 2018

Published in The Lancet Oncology journal, the 10-patient phase 1 clinical trial used focussed ultrasound from outside the body to selectively heat liver tumours and trigger drug release from heat-sensitive carriers, known as thermosensitive liposomes. Building on over a decade of preclinical studies, the study demonstrated the ultrasound technique to be feasible, safe, and capable of increasing drug delivery to the tumour between two-fold and ten-fold in the majority of patients.

BOOST Trial finishes recruitment!

30 August 2018

The BOOST Trial completed recruitment yesterday with the final recruit (number 438!) at Gloucester Care Services NHS Trust. The BOOST Trial is studying two different approaches to physiotherapy treatment for older people with back and leg pain due to lumbar spinal stenosis. Follow up assessment will continue for the next 12 months. Well done to the BOOST team and thank you to everyone taking part either as a patient or a centre.

WHiTE 8 COPAL opens to recruitment

28 August 2018

Personalized medicine – a new reality in psoriatic arthritis?

7 August 2018

New hope for patients with Dupuytren's disease

6 July 2018

The results are published today of a Phase 2a study conducted in OCTRU that investigated the effect of anti-TNF in patients with Dupuytren's disease

NEOPANC-01 opens to recruitment

2 July 2018

NEOPANC-01 is a window of opportunity study looking to assess gene expression in patients with resectable pancreatic cancer. It aims to evaluate the utility of whole transcriptome RNA sequencing as a potential biomarker for future window-of-opportunity trials that will assess existing and/or new treatments for pancreatic cancer. An understanding of the variability in the transcriptomic signature between biopsies will also inform power calculations for future studies. Lastly, the data generated will be available for use as historical controls for future studies. 2 sets of biopsy samples will be taken throughout the trial. Firstly during an endoscopic ultrasound procedure and then again, up to 6 weeks later, during the patients surgery to remove the cancer. Once all patients have been recruited, the mRNA from the samples will be sequenced and analysed. Further samples will also be taken at the same time points for storage into a biobank and for use in future research. This is a single site study opening at the Churchill Hospital looking to recruit 10 patients over 18 months.

NIHR Clinical Trials Fellowships Round 7 launched

21 June 2018

The NIHR TCC scheme have launched round 7 of the NIHR Clinical Trials Fellowships today.

New trials coming online in the coming weeks

21 June 2018

OCTRU are just undertaking final checks on some new trials about to open.

Sad loss of Professor Doug Altman

5 June 2018

Our CTU is expanding - would you like to join us?

17 May 2018

We currently have a vacancies in trial management, statistics and programming.

Randomised Controlled Trials Course

15 May 2018

Join our interdisciplinary faculty of clinicians, statisticians and trial managers with a wealth of RCT experience in this 16th year of the CSM RCT course

Research Day

11 May 2018

This week, saw the coming together of all the researchers in the Centre for Statistics in Medicine (CSM) to celebrate and learn about some of the research ongoing in the Centre including some of the OCTRU trials.

HOME Study recruits first patients!

3 May 2018

The HOME Study looking at how best to address prolonged hospital stays in older inpatients opened to recruitment earlier this week and has recruited its first 3 patients.

UK TAVI Trial completes recruitment!

1 May 2018

The UK TAVI trial closed to recruitment on 30th April 2018 and successfully recruited 913 patients. UK TAVI began recruiting in April 2014 with an accrual target of 808 patients and after a slow start recruited its 100th patient in April 2015. Due to a lower than expected mortality rate, the recruitment target was then increased to 890 in July 2016. A total of 34 sites were activated with 33 sites recruiting at least one patient. 58 patients were recruited in the final 2 months of accrual, a fantastic effort by all those involved.

WHITE 4 Trial completes recruitment!

27 April 2018

Well done all the surgeons, research nurses and the theatre staff - and of course all the patients! – 1140th patient has been recruited today into WHITE4. This is the biggest trial on extra capsular hip fractures that has ever been conducted in the UK!

OCTRU Apprentice Katie Chegwin wins Oxfordshire Apprentice of the Year 2018 Award!