Panthera@theRutherford clinical trial partnership has commenced the first UK multicentre oncology trial in prostate cancer with ten more oncology trials in the pipeline

The first multisite oncology trial undertaken by the independent sector in the UK has started treating its first patient at the Rutherford Cancer Centre North East. This partnership between Rutherford Health and Panthera will expand the capacity of the UK to undertake oncology studies and provide more treatment options for cancer patients. The partnership already has more than 10 other oncology trials in the pipeline.

While the UK has some of the world’s leading cancer hospitals, the capacity to carry out oncology trials in the UK has become more limited due to Covid-19 with a growing backlog for treatment and diagnostics.

Professor Karol Sikora, Chief Medical Officer of Rutherford Heath and consultant oncologist commented, “It is very important that the UK grows its capacity to carry out oncology trials so that more patients have access to the latest treatments and that our world leading oncologists are at the cutting edge of research. There is a global shortage of top-class oncology research sites with access to leading oncology experts and our partnership with Panthera and their expertise in running clinical trials will provide both.”

There are more than 75,000 oncology related trials underway across the world with the number growing rapidly.

Stuart Young CEO of Panthera commented, “This partnership with Rutherford is creating enormous interest with pharma and CROs involved in cancer trials from across the world. The combination of our expertise in running trials and Rutherford’s state of the art facilities, links to more than 170 oncologists covering all types of cancer and access to their cutting-edge technologies which include MRI, CT and proton beam is very compelling.”

The phase II open label, non-randomised, prostate cancer trial which is investigating a new treatment for an advanced form of prostate cancer, known as metastatic castration-resistant cancer (mCRPC), is being run at two of the four Panthera@theRutherford Cancer Centres across the UK. It is believed that about 20% of patients with mCRPC possess the biomarker to make them eligible for this new treatment being trialled.

A 71-year-old patient from Middlesbrough, became the first person in the UK to receive this new drug. Over the course of 12 months +, he will receive treatment at the Rutherford Cancer Centre North East in Bedlington.


About Panthera Biopartners – an Independent Site Management Organisation:
Panthera Biopartners was founded by Dr Ian Smith – founder of Synexus - and Professor John Lyon – previously senior executive in Covance and serial entrepreneur - to provide CROs and pharma clients with services relating to the recruitment and running of clinical trials at customised clinical trial sites by GCP trained healthcare professionals.

Panthera has a growing network of sites across the UK managing studies in a variety of conditions in both primary care settings and hospital sites running trials in key secondary care conditions such as CNS, oncology, vaccines and NASH with specialist investigators. https://panthera-bio.com/

About Rutherford Health:
Rutherford Health plc is the UK incorporated holding company of a group committed to providing innovative cancer care of the highest quality. The Group's oncology centres in the UK, named The Rutherford Cancer Centres, offer a comprehensive range of cancer treatments to patients including proton beam therapy (“PBT”), conventional radiotherapy, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, imaging and wellbeing services. The company was founded in 2015 by Mike Moran and UK and international cancer experts, including Professor Karol Sikora, former head of the World Health Organisation’s cancer programme.

The Rutherford Cancer Centres feature the most advanced technologies and Rutherford Health Plc has formed a partnership with IBA (Ion Beam Applications), the world’s leading provider of proton beam therapy solutions and Philips, a leader in health technology.

All centres offer proton beam therapy to medically-insured private patients, self-paying patients and NHS patients where the Rutherford is commissioned to provide these services.

For more information on the Rutherford Cancer Centres, please visit: http://www.therutherford.com