Breast and gynecologic cancers (ovarian, uterine, and cervical cancer) are a highly active area of clinical research at Parexel. We know the devastating effect these diseases have on women’s health and are fully engaged in fighting women’s cancer.
One of our primary areas of focus is ovarian cancer, which represents an ongoing challenge due to its high rate of recurrence after initial surgery and chemotherapy. Our global studies on maintenance therapy following chemotherapy have significantly increased the amount of time before progression, utilizing a class of agents known as “PARP inhibitors.” These take advantage of a cancer cell’s inability to repair DNA defects, thus creating “synthetic lethality.”
One of our more challenging projects was a Phase III global breast cancer study that involved 4,000 patients, 200 sites, and 20 countries over 4 continents. In enrollment, we faced strong competition for patients, as well as complex inclusion/exclusion criteria and the need for cultural sensitivity in several regions. The need to import and export comparator drugs complicated the logistics. By assigning an experienced team that understood medical practices, cultural norms, and regulatory variations in each country, we delivered a full-service solution that met all milestones. Global and local experts succeeded in achieving patient recruitment six months ahead of schedule.
In the past 5 years, we have conducted 100+ trials in breast cancer and prostate cancer.