What Patients Need to Know about Immunotherapy Clinical Trials

With hundreds of promising immunotherapies currently in development--like ONCR-001, the lead oncolytic virus candidate from Oncorus--it’s more important than ever for patients with cancer to consider participating in clinical trials. According to the Cancer Research Institute, only about 3 percent to 6 percent of eligible individuals take part in clinical trials for cancer therapies. This low participation rate slows down the clinical development process significantly, and means that valuable new treatments can take much longer to reach the people who need them.

For patients who are thinking about participating in an immunotherapy clinical trial, the Cancer Research Institute offers some helpful information on how these treatments differ from other therapeutic approaches, and what prospective trial participants should look for. 

One of the most important things to understand is that immunotherapy is frequently used as a complement to or in combination with other treatments. This means that immunotherapy trials often require that patients be treated prior to or concurrently with the present standard of care. However, because immunotherapy does not have the same toxic side effects as conventional chemotherapies, participating in an immunotherapy trial may involve a lower degree of toxicity.

In addition, prospective participants should be aware that, while immunotherapies are safe and have demonstrated significant potential for curing “incurable” cancers, there is still much that remains to be discovered about them. This means that immunotherapy trials may require a more intensive level of participation, such as more visits over a longer period, or a greater frequency of certain procedures. Furthermore, immunotherapies typically take longer to have an effect than other therapies.

Patient participation in clinical trials is a key cornerstone of innovation to advance new therapies. Well-designed studies offer patients excellent care while allowing access to standard regimens in addition to the investigational product being studied.