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April 5, 2012 MEMPHIS, TN The West Clinic is currently conducting a Phase I trial using a new class of drug called a check point inhibitor. Their relationship with Eli Lilly has allowed their patients unique access to this novel agent. This study is currently being directed by Jason Chandler, MD, the acting Phase I director. According to Dr. Chandler,“ This trial is for patients who have exhausted all current standard therapies. It has an exciting mechanism of action which will hopefully make standard chemotherapy work better.”

Traditional chemotherapy kills cancer cells by damaging their DNA. The cancer cells detect this damage by receiving signals from check point proteins. The proteins are able to stop the cells from dividing while they try to repair any damage. By inhibiting these signals, the cancer cells are unable to repair the damage and thus undergo apoptosis or programmed cell death. The hope is these treatments will make standard chemotherapy more effective.

This is a phase I trial currently open only at The West Clinic. It is for any cancer patients who have exhausted all current life sustaining therapies. There are specific eligibility requirements which patients must meet to be included in the trial. The study drug, which is called LY2603618, is given during the 2 week induction phase and then in combination with pemetrexed or gemcitabine, two standard chemotherapies, during the extension phase. The main purpose of this trial is to determine how this drug is metabolized and how it interacts with other medications.

For further information or to express interest in this research study, please call Tracy Stewart, RN, BSN, OCN, CCRC, Director of Research with The West Clinic, 901-683-0055 ext. 1075 or email research@westclinic.com. This study is only available at The West Clinic’s Humphreys location.