FLAIR Trial 2018 update

[Myrddin]

This trial is comparing ibrutinib alongside rituximab with fludarabine, cyclophosphamide, rituximab and venetoclax for chronic lymphocytic leukaemia. This trial is for people who haven’t yet had treatment for their chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL). The CLLSA supports this research.

The Flair Trial researchers think that ibrutinib with rituximab, or venetoclax, might work well for people with CLL who haven’t yet had treatment. To find this out they want to compare:

fludarabine, cyclophosphamide and rituximab (FCR)

ibrutinib and rituximab (This arm is of the trial is now closed)

ibrutinib and venetoclax

ibrutinib

The aims of this trial are to find out:

which treatment is the best for people with CLL that hasn't been treated

how safe these treatments are

what are the side effects of these treatments

Read the full article here. cllsupport.org.uk/article/f...

This article includes a list of all the UK centres running the Flair trial as well as a link to a map showing these centres.

[AdrianUK]

Thanks for adding the link to the map. I notice you also have a list of site addresses. I have a spreadsheet which the FLAIR people sent me which included the chief investigator at each sites name (as per the map). I can forward it to you to put on the site. Also it’s worth adding a note to the site about the fact the rituximab arm as it was the first to open is now fully recruited and so has now been closed to new enrollment . I was given up to date patient information for the study at my last visit and will almost certainly be enrolling next month. That info made it clear that for new patients this is a three arm study.

If you felt it appropriate you could also say that if a patient is interested in the study they should ask their haematologist or GP to refer them to one of the study centers for a second opinion and consideration of enrollment in the trial. Some patients are finding problems getting some local haematologists not involved in the study to refer them for consideration. It would be great to embolden those patients that they can go to their GP and simply ask for a second opinion referral if their current consultant isn’t willing to do so.

Dr Dearden made the point to me that one good thing about the FLAIR study is that people’s need for treatment is systematically assessed and so if their are still doctors advocating treatment too early for CLL the assessment would pick it up.

I would encourage CLL patients facing imminent first treatment who aren’t 17p deleted to consider whether they would like to at least doing the initial FLAIR discussion / consent. That would be helpful to understand available treatments even if they then decide a trial is not for them (or indeed they are not suitable for some reason)

[Myrddin in reply to AdrianUK]

Adding the Clinical lead would be helpful. Will contact you directly

[Havemercy in reply to AdrianUK]

Out of interest do you know how many patients are being recruited for this trial ( which I am on )? My centre in Southampton has recruited about 25 apparently.

[AdrianUK in reply to Havemercy]

The goal is 1500 patients! Which is quite a high proportion of the patients who will be treated in the next year or two. The more of us who volunteer the quicker their goal will be reached and the quicker results will be in.

[Havemercy in reply to AdrianUK]

Wow - that's some number! Presumably the recruitment is going well as they've closed one of the arms.

[AdrianUK in reply to Havemercy]

I believe it’s going ok. The arm that’s closed was open for a while. But as always I’m sure they’d love recruitment to go even faster!

[AdrianUK]

There’s a map of the centers at the link below with his name as the PI for the Christie

I have heard good things about him from other patients in terms of his communication style.

From his bio page you can glean he is indeed a cll expert. Probably premier league whilst Peter Hillmen would be in the champions league!

christie.nhs.uk/internal-li...

He trained in Cambridge and UCLH which is a definite plus.

He’s academic. Heavily involved in research and many of his publications are about CLL.

Also there’s a Maggie’s center next to the outpatients I believe. Make sure you access the informal support and free cups of tea and marvel at the architecture.

If I lived in Manchester sounds like I’d be happy to be treated by him. Even if it got confusing as he shares my first name! But hey that’s another plus he has a cool name!

google.com/maps/d/viewer?mi...