Turkish Scientists Complete Significant Study

Turkish Scientists Advance Important Research Prof. Dr. Rana Nomak Sanyal, Faculty Member at Boğaziçi University Chemistry Department, and her team have advanced to clinical trials with a drug developed against lung cancer, after completing laboratory work. Prof. Dr. Fevzi Altuntaş stated in his remarks that Turkey must become self-sufficient in the healthcare industry as much as in the defense sector, and that they are collaborating with other scientists to advance the domestic and national pharmaceutical manufacturing to a higher level. Phase-1 studies of the drug developed for patients with recurrent, metastatic or advanced lung cancer began at the Phase-1 Clinical Research Center of Ankara Oncology Training and Research Hospital. The study, which will be conducted on a total of 16 patients, will determine the maximum tolerated dose in 6 volunteer patients during the phase-1a stage, and will evaluate efficacy and safety in 10 volunteer patients during the phase-1b stage. Prof. Dr. Fevzi Altuntaş, Head of Phase-1 Clinical Research Center at Ankara Oncology Training and Research Hospital, stated that they are collaborating with other scientists to ensure Turkey becomes self-sufficient in the healthcare industry as much as in the defense sector, and to advance domestic and national pharmaceutical manufacturing to a higher level. In this regard, Altuntaş noted that they are proud that one of the first drugs developed against lung cancer in Turkey will be conducted as a clinical trial at the hospital's Phase-1 Clinical Research Center, and stated: "A ray of hope for lung cancer patients. A new molecule, a targeted agent. I would like to state that we have started the clinical phase at Ankara Oncology Training and Research Hospital in patients aged 18-75 with recurrent or advanced disease who have previously received treatments including immunotherapy. I believe it is a chance for our cancer patients in particular who have exhausted standard treatment options to benefit from this treatment option."

This is Teamwork

Prof. Dr. Altuntaş explained that Ankara Oncology Training and Research Hospital, as an institution, bears important responsibilities not only in the delivery of healthcare services, but also in advancing clinical research on both national and international levels. Altuntaş noted that the Clinical Research Center hosted approximately 114 international phase-2 and phase-3 studies in the cancer field in 2021, and 7 phase-1 studies in the cancer field apart from studies on the domestic VLP vaccine and CAR-T cell therapy phases, and said they hope this cancer drug will proceed to phase-2 and phase-3 stages upon completion of phase-1 studies. Prof. Dr. Altuntaş said: "May it be auspicious for our country. I thank everyone who contributed. This is teamwork. It has laboratory, clinical, academic, and administrative components. We work here as a whole. We hope that in the coming period we will gather more data on both their efficacy and reliability." What is a Phase-1 Study? The phase at which efficacy, dosage and side effect studies of a drug or molecule whose efficacy has been proven under laboratory conditions are evaluated in patients is called a phase-1 clinical study. Phase-1 study represents the first clinical starting point of a new drug. In many cases it is defined as the stage where a drug or molecule is tested in humans for the first time.