Collaboration on cancer research in Ankara

Meltem Özgenç - ANKARA

A partnership protocol for clinical research has been signed between Ankara Oncology Training and Research Hospital and AstraZeneca.

The collaboration aims to provide assistance in the training of hospital study teams and field coordinators, enhance patients' ability to receive new treatments through innovative research initiatives, and contribute to Türkiye's emergence as a prominent figure in clinical research within the area.

Thus far, AstraZeneca and Ankara Oncology Training and Research Hospital have conducted a total of 10 clinical investigations, with nine focusing on the field of oncology and one pertaining to hematology.

Five separate researchers participated in the 10 clinical research studies conducted at the hospital between 2016 and November 2023. A total of 74 patients were screened during this period, of which 31 were selected to participate in clinical research treatments. Five additional oncology studies are anticipated to commence in 2024.

According to Fevzi Altuntaş, the Chief Physician of the hospital, there is a need for fresh alternatives in the treatment of patients once they have completed 50 percent of the traditional treatment. "We also aspire to address this requirement," he stated.

According to Serkan Barış, the President of AstraZeneca Türkiye, the company intends to establish protocols for conducting preliminary trials in Türkiye for novel drugs now undergoing global testing and emphasized the importance of phase one research.

"Phase one research is the most difficult phase of research to obtain approval. The approvals obtained at this particular phase serve as indicators of a country's level of expertise and professionalism in the field of clinical research. Our objective is to achieve a 50 percent augmentation in clinical research," Barış stressed.