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Contact the study team using the details below to take part. If there are no contact details below please ask your doctor in the first instance.
Francesca Yates, PhD
+44 (0)121 371 7867
STELLAR@trials.bham.ac.uk
Joseph Rogers, MSc
+44 (0)121 371 7867
STELLAR@trials.bham.ac.uk
Syndrome
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The STELLAR trial will assess the effect of acalabrutinib taken in combination with CHOP-R compared to taking CHOP-R alone in patients with newly diagnosed Richter's Syndrome (RS). It will also be a platform to test other new drugs that show potential for treating RS. Chronic lymphocytic Leukaemia (CLL) is the most common blood cancer in adults, usually in their 70s or older. In a few patients, CLL can transform from a slow-growing cancer into an aggressive lymphoma called Richter's Syndrome. RS is very difficult to treat and patients have a short life-expectancy - usually a few months after diagnosis. Treatment for Richter's Syndrome in the UK is CHOP (four chemotherapy drugs) plus rituximab ('R' - an antibody treatment). The CHOP-R treatment is given as a standard of care for RS but has limited benefit - it is often temporary to extend life. Richter's Syndrome returns in most patients who then die from this disease. The STELLAR trial will investigate if a new drug called acalabrutinib, which is effective used by itself in patients with relapsed CLL and also some with Richter's Syndrome, will improve outcomes for newly diagnosed patients with RS. Acalabrutinib blocks a protein in CLL which can stop the cancer growing.
Participants who have Richter's Syndrome and are suitable for CHOP-R will be recruited by specialised hospitals across the UK. People with another cancer, heart problems, or recent stroke cannot take part. Participants will have a lymph node biopsy, 3-4 bone marrow biopsies, blood samples, and PET-CT and CT scans. CHOP-R is given in a hospital every three weeks up to 6 times. All participants will receive CHOP-R; half will also receive acalabrutinib. When treatment with CHOP-R ends the patients who had acalabrutinib can continue to take it; patients who had CHOP-R alone may have acalabrutinib if their Richter's Syndrome returns after CHOP-R.
Start dates may differ between countries and research sites. The research team are responsible for keeping the information up-to-date.
The recruitment start and end dates are as follows:
"Klintman J, Appleby N, Stamatopoulos B, Ridout K, Eyre TA, Robbe P, Pascua LL, Knight SJL, Dreau H, Cabes M, Popitsch N, Ehinger M, Martin-Subero JI, Campo E, Mansson R, Rossi D, Taylor JC, Vavoulis DV, Schuh A. Genomic and transcriptomic correlates of Richter transformation in chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Blood. 2021 May 20;137(20):2800-2816. doi: 10.1182/blood.2020005650."; "33206936"; "Appleby N, Eyre TA, Cabes M, Jackson A, Boucher R, Yates F, Fox S, Rawstron A, Hillmen P, Schuh A. The STELLAR trial protocol: a prospective multicentre trial for Richter's syndrome consisting of a randomised trial investigation CHOP-R with or without acalabrutinib for newly diagnosed RS and a single-arm platform study for evaluation of novel agents in relapsed disease. BMC Cancer. 2019 May 20;19(1):471. doi: 10.1186/s12885-019-5717-y."; "31109313"
You can take part if:
You may not be able to take part if:
This is in the inclusion criteria above
Below are the locations for where you can take part in the trial. Please note that not all sites may be open.
Francesca Yates, PhD
+44 (0)121 371 7867
STELLAR@trials.bham.ac.uk
Joseph Rogers, MSc
+44 (0)121 371 7867
STELLAR@trials.bham.ac.uk
The study is sponsored by University of Birmingham and is in collaboration with Bloodwise; Acerta Pharma, LLC.
Your feedback is important to us. It will help us improve the quality of the study information on this site. Please answer both questions.
You can print or share the study information with your GP/healthcare provider or contact the research team directly.
