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vom 20.01.2025

PAMSARC: New study at the NCT Heidelberg links research and clinical action

Young patients suffering from two aggressive sarcoma types can now participate in the innovative PAMSARC therapy study at the NCT Heidelberg. The study uses molecular biological methods and tests the extent to which a new drug can improve the poor prognosis for these tumours.

The National Center for Tumour Diseases (NCT) Heidelberg is a joint institution of the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), the University Hospital Heidelberg (UKHD), the Heidelberg Medical Faculty of the Heidelberg University and the Thoraxklinik Heidelberg.

Desmoplastic small and round cell tumour (DSRCT) and synovial sarcoma (SySa) are rare, aggressive tumours of the soft tissue. Adolescents and young adults are disproportionately affected by the two types of sarcoma. The disease has been difficult to treat and relapses are common.

The PAMSARC clinical trial, which has now started at the NCT Heidelberg, is dedicated to finding better treatment options for the two types of sarcoma. It has emerged from the results of the DKFZ/NCT/DKTK MASTER programme and the HEROES-AYA consortium. The latter is a flagship project of the National Decade Against Cancer, led by the NCT Heidelberg and the Hopp Children's Cancer Center Heidelberg (KiTZ), which translates fundamental findings on the biology of specific sarcomas in adolescents and young adults into clinical action.

Richard Schlenk, head of the NCT Clinical Trial Center in Heidelberg, designed PAMSARC and is leading the study. He says: ‘When patients suffer a relapse, it is usually followed by intensive chemotherapy to reduce the tumour mass or at least stop its growth. In PAMSARC, we are investigating the extent to which the drug pasireotide can maintain this treatment success.’

Pasireotide inhibits growth by binding to special receptors, the somatostatin receptors. It is approved for the treatment of Cushing's disease and acromegaly, two disorders caused by tumours in the pituitary gland. The PAMSARC study is testing the drug outside of its originally intended and approved indications.

‘In developing PAMSARC, we worked very closely with the German Sarcoma Foundation as a research partner – it was a very valuable dialogue between equals,’ says Richard Schlenk.

Patients who are eligible to participate in PAMSARC are those in whom the somatostatin receptors are present on the tumour cell surfaces far more frequently than normal. The researchers use molecular biological methods, such as those used in the DKFZ/NCT/DKTK MASTER programme, to determine whether this is the case. Participants must be between 13 and 50 years old. A total of 28 people can be enrolled in the study.

‘The first four patients are currently being screened for PAMSARC. Through the connection to HEROES-AYA, we can recruit in a cohort of adolescents and adults,’ says Richard Schlenk. PAMSARC is the first study at NCT Heidelberg for adolescents and young adults and thus brings paediatric and adult oncology together.

In PAMSARC, all participants will receive a monthly injection of the active substance pasireotide. The study will monitor the extent to which the treatment affects the time to disease progression, overall survival and aspects of quality of life in patients.

Stefan Fröhling, Managing Director at the NCT Heidelberg and Head of Translational Medical Oncology at the DKFZ, says: ‘With the HEROES-AYA consortium, we are pursuing the goal of quickly translating research findings into clinical applications for sarcomas. The PAMSARC study, which was designed in a very short time, is an excellent example of this.’

PAMSARC is an NCT proof-of-concept study from Heidelberg that serves as a bridge study in the nationwide NCT. The NCT is a long-term collaboration between the DKFZ, excellent partners in university medicine and other outstanding research partners at various locations in Germany.

PAMSARC: Pasireotide as Maintenance Treatment with monthly deep intramuscular injection in SSTR2/3/5-Expressing Synovial Sarcoma and Desmoplastic Small Round Cell Tumor
HEROES-AYA: Heterogeneity, Evolution and Resistance of Fusion-driven Sarcomas in Adolescents and Young Adults
MASTER: Molecularly Aided Stratification for Tumor Eradication Research

Enrolment in the PAMSARC study
Enquiries by email to Prof. Dr. Richard Schlenk
E-mail: richard.schlenk@nct-heidelberg.de
 

A picture illustrating this press release is available free of charge on the Internet at:
https://www.nct-heidelberg.de/fileadmin/media/nct-heidelberg/news/pressemitteilungen/PAMSARC_NCT-Heidelberg.jpg

Terms of use for images accompanying press releases
The use of this material is free of charge. The NCT Heidelberg permits one-time use in connection with reporting on the subject of the press release. Please credit the copyright ‘Photo: Philip Benjamin/NCT Heidelberg’. Any further distribution of the image material to third parties is only permitted after prior consultation with NCT Communications (Tel.: +49 6221 42-1755, E-Mail: martin.staiger@nct-heidelberg.de). Use for commercial purposes is prohibited.

Contact for the press:

Dr. Martin Staiger
National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT) Heidelberg
Communication and Events
Im Neuenheimer Feld 460
69120 Heidelberg
Phone: +49 6221 42-1755
E-mail: martin.staiger(at)nct-heidelberg.de
www.nct-heidelberg.de

The National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT) Heidelberg

The National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT) Heidelberg is a joint institution of the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), the University Hospital Heidelberg (UKHD), the Heidelberg Medical Faculty of the Heidelberg University and the Thoraxklinik Heidelberg. The aim of the NCT Heidelberg is to transfer promising approaches from cancer research into clinical practice as quickly as possible, and thus to benefit patients. This applies to both diagnosis and treatment, in aftercare or prevention. Participation in clinical studies opens up access to innovative therapies. The NCT Heidelberg is thus a leader in transferring new research results from the laboratory to the clinic The NCT Heidelberg, founded in 2004, is part of the NCT with further locations in Berlin, Dresden, SouthWest (Tübingen-Stuttgart/Ulm), WERA (Würzburg, Erlangen, Regensburg, Augsburg) and West (Essen/Cologne).
 

German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ)

With more than 3,000 employees, the German Cancer Research Center (Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, DKFZ) is Germany’s largest biomedical research institute. DKFZ scientists identify cancer risk factors, investigate how cancer progresses and develop new cancer prevention strategies. They are also developing new methods to diagnose tumors more precisely and treat cancer patients more successfully. The DKFZ's Cancer Information Service (KID) provides patients, interested citizens and experts with individual answers to questions relating to cancer.

To transfer promising approaches from cancer research to the clinic and thus improve the prognosis of cancer patients, the DKFZ cooperates with excellent research institutions and university hospitals throughout Germany:

  • National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT, 6 sites)  
  • German Cancer Consortium (DKTK, 8 sites) 
  • Hopp Children's Cancer Center (KiTZ) Heidelberg 
  • Helmholtz Institute for Translational Oncology (HI-TRON Mainz) - A Helmholtz Institute of the DKFZ 
  • DKFZ-Hector Cancer Institute at the University Medical Center Mannheim 
  • National Cancer Prevention Center (jointly with German Cancer Aid) 

The DKFZ is 90 percent financed by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research and 10 percent by the state of Baden-Württemberg. The DKFZ is a member of the Helmholtz Association of German Research Centers.


Heidelberg University Hospital and Faculty of Medicine: Internationally Renowned Patient Care, Research and Teaching

Heidelberg University Hospital (Universitätsklinikum Heidelberg, UKHD) is one of the largest and most prestigious medical centers in Germany. The Medical Faculty of Heidelberg University (Medizinische Fakultät Heidelberg, MFHD) belongs to the internationally renowned biomedical research institutions in Europe. Both institutions have the common goal of developing new therapies and implementing them rapidly for patients. Heidelberg University Hospital and the Medical Faculty of Heidelberg University employs around 14.500 employees and is committed to providing trainings and qualifications. Every year, around 86,000 patients and more than 1.100.000 outpatient cases are treated in more than 50 clinical departments with almost 2.500 beds.

Together with the German Cancer Research Center (Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, DKFZ) and the German Cancer Aid, the UKHD established the first National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT) in Heidelberg. The goal is to provide care at the highest level as an oncology center of excellence and to rapidly transfer promising approaches from cancer research to the hospital. In addition, the UKHD operates in partnership with the DKFZ and the University of Heidelberg the Hopp Children’s Cancer center Heidelberg (KiTZ), a unique and nationally known therapy and research center for oncological and hematological diseases in children and adolescents.

The Heidelberg Curriculum Medicinale (HeiCuMed) is one of the top medical training programs in Germany. Currently, there are about 4.000 future physicians studying in Heidelberg.

vom 20.01.2025

PAMSARC: New study at the NCT Heidelberg links research and clinical action

Young patients suffering from two aggressive sarcoma types can now participate in the innovative PAMSARC therapy study at the NCT Heidelberg. The study uses molecular biological methods and tests the extent to which a new drug can improve the poor prognosis for these tumours.

The National Center for Tumour Diseases (NCT) Heidelberg is a joint institution of the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), the University Hospital Heidelberg (UKHD), the Heidelberg Medical Faculty of the Heidelberg University and the Thoraxklinik Heidelberg.

Desmoplastic small and round cell tumour (DSRCT) and synovial sarcoma (SySa) are rare, aggressive tumours of the soft tissue. Adolescents and young adults are disproportionately affected by the two types of sarcoma. The disease has been difficult to treat and relapses are common.

The PAMSARC clinical trial, which has now started at the NCT Heidelberg, is dedicated to finding better treatment options for the two types of sarcoma. It has emerged from the results of the DKFZ/NCT/DKTK MASTER programme and the HEROES-AYA consortium. The latter is a flagship project of the National Decade Against Cancer, led by the NCT Heidelberg and the Hopp Children's Cancer Center Heidelberg (KiTZ), which translates fundamental findings on the biology of specific sarcomas in adolescents and young adults into clinical action.

Richard Schlenk, head of the NCT Clinical Trial Center in Heidelberg, designed PAMSARC and is leading the study. He says: ‘When patients suffer a relapse, it is usually followed by intensive chemotherapy to reduce the tumour mass or at least stop its growth. In PAMSARC, we are investigating the extent to which the drug pasireotide can maintain this treatment success.’

Pasireotide inhibits growth by binding to special receptors, the somatostatin receptors. It is approved for the treatment of Cushing's disease and acromegaly, two disorders caused by tumours in the pituitary gland. The PAMSARC study is testing the drug outside of its originally intended and approved indications.

‘In developing PAMSARC, we worked very closely with the German Sarcoma Foundation as a research partner – it was a very valuable dialogue between equals,’ says Richard Schlenk.

Patients who are eligible to participate in PAMSARC are those in whom the somatostatin receptors are present on the tumour cell surfaces far more frequently than normal. The researchers use molecular biological methods, such as those used in the DKFZ/NCT/DKTK MASTER programme, to determine whether this is the case. Participants must be between 13 and 50 years old. A total of 28 people can be enrolled in the study.

‘The first four patients are currently being screened for PAMSARC. Through the connection to HEROES-AYA, we can recruit in a cohort of adolescents and adults,’ says Richard Schlenk. PAMSARC is the first study at NCT Heidelberg for adolescents and young adults and thus brings paediatric and adult oncology together.

In PAMSARC, all participants will receive a monthly injection of the active substance pasireotide. The study will monitor the extent to which the treatment affects the time to disease progression, overall survival and aspects of quality of life in patients.

Stefan Fröhling, Managing Director at the NCT Heidelberg and Head of Translational Medical Oncology at the DKFZ, says: ‘With the HEROES-AYA consortium, we are pursuing the goal of quickly translating research findings into clinical applications for sarcomas. The PAMSARC study, which was designed in a very short time, is an excellent example of this.’

PAMSARC is an NCT proof-of-concept study from Heidelberg that serves as a bridge study in the nationwide NCT. The NCT is a long-term collaboration between the DKFZ, excellent partners in university medicine and other outstanding research partners at various locations in Germany.

PAMSARC: Pasireotide as Maintenance Treatment with monthly deep intramuscular injection in SSTR2/3/5-Expressing Synovial Sarcoma and Desmoplastic Small Round Cell Tumor
HEROES-AYA: Heterogeneity, Evolution and Resistance of Fusion-driven Sarcomas in Adolescents and Young Adults
MASTER: Molecularly Aided Stratification for Tumor Eradication Research

Enrolment in the PAMSARC study
Enquiries by email to Prof. Dr. Richard Schlenk
E-mail: richard.schlenk@nct-heidelberg.de
 

A picture illustrating this press release is available free of charge on the Internet at:
https://www.nct-heidelberg.de/fileadmin/media/nct-heidelberg/news/pressemitteilungen/PAMSARC_NCT-Heidelberg.jpg

Terms of use for images accompanying press releases
The use of this material is free of charge. The NCT Heidelberg permits one-time use in connection with reporting on the subject of the press release. Please credit the copyright ‘Photo: Philip Benjamin/NCT Heidelberg’. Any further distribution of the image material to third parties is only permitted after prior consultation with NCT Communications (Tel.: +49 6221 42-1755, E-Mail: martin.staiger@nct-heidelberg.de). Use for commercial purposes is prohibited.

Contact for the press:

Dr. Martin Staiger
National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT) Heidelberg
Communication and Events
Im Neuenheimer Feld 460
69120 Heidelberg
Phone: +49 6221 42-1755
E-mail: martin.staiger(at)nct-heidelberg.de
www.nct-heidelberg.de

The National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT) Heidelberg

The National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT) Heidelberg is a joint institution of the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), the University Hospital Heidelberg (UKHD), the Heidelberg Medical Faculty of the Heidelberg University and the Thoraxklinik Heidelberg. The aim of the NCT Heidelberg is to transfer promising approaches from cancer research into clinical practice as quickly as possible, and thus to benefit patients. This applies to both diagnosis and treatment, in aftercare or prevention. Participation in clinical studies opens up access to innovative therapies. The NCT Heidelberg is thus a leader in transferring new research results from the laboratory to the clinic The NCT Heidelberg, founded in 2004, is part of the NCT with further locations in Berlin, Dresden, SouthWest (Tübingen-Stuttgart/Ulm), WERA (Würzburg, Erlangen, Regensburg, Augsburg) and West (Essen/Cologne).
 

German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ)

With more than 3,000 employees, the German Cancer Research Center (Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, DKFZ) is Germany’s largest biomedical research institute. DKFZ scientists identify cancer risk factors, investigate how cancer progresses and develop new cancer prevention strategies. They are also developing new methods to diagnose tumors more precisely and treat cancer patients more successfully. The DKFZ's Cancer Information Service (KID) provides patients, interested citizens and experts with individual answers to questions relating to cancer.

To transfer promising approaches from cancer research to the clinic and thus improve the prognosis of cancer patients, the DKFZ cooperates with excellent research institutions and university hospitals throughout Germany:

  • National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT, 6 sites)  
  • German Cancer Consortium (DKTK, 8 sites) 
  • Hopp Children's Cancer Center (KiTZ) Heidelberg 
  • Helmholtz Institute for Translational Oncology (HI-TRON Mainz) - A Helmholtz Institute of the DKFZ 
  • DKFZ-Hector Cancer Institute at the University Medical Center Mannheim 
  • National Cancer Prevention Center (jointly with German Cancer Aid) 

The DKFZ is 90 percent financed by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research and 10 percent by the state of Baden-Württemberg. The DKFZ is a member of the Helmholtz Association of German Research Centers.


Heidelberg University Hospital and Faculty of Medicine: Internationally Renowned Patient Care, Research and Teaching

Heidelberg University Hospital (Universitätsklinikum Heidelberg, UKHD) is one of the largest and most prestigious medical centers in Germany. The Medical Faculty of Heidelberg University (Medizinische Fakultät Heidelberg, MFHD) belongs to the internationally renowned biomedical research institutions in Europe. Both institutions have the common goal of developing new therapies and implementing them rapidly for patients. Heidelberg University Hospital and the Medical Faculty of Heidelberg University employs around 14.500 employees and is committed to providing trainings and qualifications. Every year, around 86,000 patients and more than 1.100.000 outpatient cases are treated in more than 50 clinical departments with almost 2.500 beds.

Together with the German Cancer Research Center (Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, DKFZ) and the German Cancer Aid, the UKHD established the first National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT) in Heidelberg. The goal is to provide care at the highest level as an oncology center of excellence and to rapidly transfer promising approaches from cancer research to the hospital. In addition, the UKHD operates in partnership with the DKFZ and the University of Heidelberg the Hopp Children’s Cancer center Heidelberg (KiTZ), a unique and nationally known therapy and research center for oncological and hematological diseases in children and adolescents.

The Heidelberg Curriculum Medicinale (HeiCuMed) is one of the top medical training programs in Germany. Currently, there are about 4.000 future physicians studying in Heidelberg.