Siric > Research > Clinical Research

Clinical Research

Clinical research is an essential component of the therapeutic progress in cancerology. It is positioned at the interface between the world of care and that of research and helps patients to benefit from recent diagnostic and therapeutic innovations.

The clinical research activity conducted at the Montpellier Regional Cancer Institute (ICM ) and at the University Hospital of Montpellier is multidisciplinary, involving all organ pathologies and all therapeutic modalities used in cancer treatment.

The assessments focus on anticancer molecules, radiotherapy techniques, surgery, imaging, diagnosis, and on supportive care and new research strategies in human and social sciences.

Delegation for Clinical Research and Innovation (DRCI) and Clinical investigation structures in oncology

Thanks to a dedicated structure and qualified staff, DRCI ensures the promotion of Clinical Research, the Pharmacovigilance of trials promoted by the ICM, the regulatory monitoring of Clinical Research and the valorisation of clinical trials.

The CRC is responsible for the investigation of clinical research for all clinical trials accepted and set up at the ICM.

 

Delegation for Clinical Research and Innovation (DRI) at Montpellier University Hospital

At Montpellier University Hospital, the DRI plays a key role in the development and implementation of research (clinical and translational) and innovation policy. As a promoter of research activities, it leads, supports and encourages hospital teams to develop research projects and implement innovations to improve patient care.

Early Clinical Trial Centre

The Early Clinical Trial Centre of Montpellier is dedicated to the implementation of phase I and II clinical trials. It is member of the network of Centers accredited by the INCa for early clinical trials (Center Labellisé INCa de Phase Précoce, CLIP2). The clinical activity of the Centre is conducted at on two sites, the ICM (for solid cancer trials) and the Montpellier CHU (for hematological cancer trials).

In addition to the clinical research activities, the CLIP² implement preclinical research projects on two main areas:

1. The development of synergistic combinations of targeted drug based on phosphokinomics characterization of drug interaction and synergy detection. This research programme is developed at the Institut de Recherche en Cancérologie de Montpellier (IRCM) by Dr Diego Tosi and Dr Céline Gongora, and addresses several methodological and preclinical issues, with the aim to provide data backing the rationale of early clinical trials of targeted drugs combined between them, with chemotherapy or with hormonal therapy. We are now elaborating proposals of early clinical trials on the basis of the first results obtained in this programme.

2. The development of early clinical trial of target drugs combined with ionizing radiations. In the past years, the Professor Azria team, in collaboration with the Radiobiology INSERM unit at IRCM, has conducted designed and conducted several phase I/II trials of new drugs combined with ionizing radiation at the CEPP in concomitance with a preclinical research programme on combination of targeted drugs and ionizing radiation. The purpose of this preclinical programme is to investigate the action mechanisms induced by the association of therapeutic antibodies (anti_EGFR, HER2, HER3) with ionizing radiation in order to improve the radiosensitivity of the tumour cells in different pre-clinical models of cancer such as cancer of breast, pancreas, colon, rectum, anal canal, cervix and upper aero-digestive tract.