Pancreatic Cancer Clinical Trials & Research

MSK is a major research institution. During your treatment for pancreatic cancer, your care team may ask if you want to join a clinical trial.

What is a clinical trial?

Clinical trials are research studies that test new treatments, procedures, or devices to see how well they work. They are an important part of helping to prevent, treat, and cure cancer. Almost every cancer treatment given to patients was first tested during a clinical trial.

MSK tests new treatments for pancreatic cancer. Treatment trials test new drugs, drug combinations, devices, and ways of doing procedures, surgery, or radiation therapy.

Sometimes a clinical trial gives you access to new therapies that are not yet available at most hospitals. Talk with your doctor about whether joining a clinical trial is right for you.

Clinical trials are designed to answer questions about:

  • Safety
  • Benefits
  • Side effects
  • Whether some people are helped more than others

MSK will start a clinical trial only if our researchers think we can improve methods for cancer:

  • Prevention
  • Treatment
  • Diagnosis
  • Screening

For more information, please read Clinical Trials at MSK: What You Need to Know

How MSK is researching new pancreatic cancer treatments  

We’re researching using new immunotherapy treatments for pancreatic cancer after surgery, and for metastatic pancreatic cancer. Our clinical trials are showing promise for using immunotherapy to treat advanced pancreatic cancer. 

One trial explores using 2 drugs to boost the immune system as an alternative to chemotherapy. Another trial explores immunotherapy for pancreatic tumors that were removed by surgery and have mutations in the KRAS or NRAS genes. 

Here are other ways MSK is exploring new treatments for pancreatic cancer:

  • An MSK clinical trial is testing a vaccine using messenger RNA along with another type of immunotherapy. We’re one of a few hospitals testing this treatment for pancreatic cancer.   
  • Biomarkers are measurable materials, such as proteins and genes. We’re exploring biomarkers that help us tell the difference between benign (not cancer) and precancerous lesions in the pancreas. We’re also evaluating whether biomarkers can tell us which treatment is best. For example, a biomarker may tell us which type of chemotherapy is best for you. 
  • We’re testing whether we can use pancreatic cancer stem cells to predict which chemotherapy treatments will be best for you. 
  • For localized tumors we may be able to operate on, we’re evaluating a new order for treatments. For example, we’re looking at a total neoadjuvant therapy (TNT) approach.
  • We’re working on targeted therapies, including using a class of drugs called PARP inhibitors. They’re for people at higher genetic risk for pancreatic cancer.
  • We’re evaluating a new targeted therapy, zolbetuximab. It’s for people who have a substance called claudin 18.2 on the surface of their tumor cells.
  • We’re evaluating new treatments for pancreatic cancers related to BRCA1/2 and PALB2 genes.
  • We’re evaluating new maintenance treatments for pancreatic cancer. Maintenance therapy can help after cancer symptoms respond to therapy. 
  • Through our Pancreatic Tumor Registry, we study environmental and inherited risk factors for pancreatic cancer. Many people who join this study are living with pancreatic cancer or have family members who had it. 

Our experts can talk with you about which clinical trial is right for you. Here are some of our new clinical trials:  

You can see a current listing of MSK’s clinical trials for pancreatic cancer below.

and/or
27 Clinical Trials found
A Phase I Study of RMC-6236 in People with Advanced Solid Tumors Containing Specific KRAS Mutations
The purpose of this study is to find the highest dose of the investigational drug RMC-6236 that can be given safely in people with advanced solid tumors containing mutations in the KRAS gene. RMC-6236 targets the KRAS protein made by the mutated gene. The KRAS protein sends signals that cause cancer cells to grow. RMC-6236 is designed to prevent the KRAS protein from sending these signals, and this blocking action may slow or stop the growth of cancer cells. RMC-6236 is taken orally (by mouth).
New York City, Commack, Basking Ridge, Westchester, Monmouth, Bergen, Nassau
A Phase I Study of TJ033721 Immunotherapy in People with Advanced Pancreatic or Esophagogastric Cancer
The purpose of this study is to find the highest dose of the investigational immunotherapy drug TJ033721 that can be given safely in people with advanced cancers of the pancreas, esophagus, stomach, or junction between the esophagus and stomach. TJ033721 is an antibody that binds to Claudin 18.2, a protein expressed on some cancers cells, and to 4-1BB, a protein found on immune cells. TJ033721 may strengthen the immune system's ability to fight cancer cells by activating a patient's own cells to destroy the tumor. It is given intravenously (by vein).
New York City, Commack, Basking Ridge, Westchester, Monmouth, Bergen, Nassau
A Phase II Study of Olaparib or Placebo in Patients with Surgically Removed Pancreatic Cancer Who Have a BRCA1, BRCA2 or PALB2 Mutation
The purpose of this study is to see if one year of treatment with olaparib is better than observation alone in patients who had pancreatic cancer surgically removed and who have mutations in the BRCA1, BRCA2 or PALB2 genes. Olaparib is a type of anticancer medication called a PARP inhibitor, which may slow down the process cancer cells use to repair their DNA. Cancer cells need to repair their DNA to survive and grow.
New York City, Commack, Basking Ridge, Westchester, Monmouth, Bergen, Nassau
A Study of Early Cancer Detection in People at High Risk of Developing Pancreatic Cancer
Researchers in this study are assessing a combination of imaging and blood tests to find pancreatic cancer early. The people in this study have an increased risk of this cancer due to pancreatic cysts. They are planning to have surgery to remove the cysts and check them for cancer. It is hoped that the imaging and blood tests can detect pancreatic cancer early so people can avoid surgery.
New York City, Commack, Basking Ridge, Westchester, Monmouth, Bergen, Nassau
A Study of Melphalan, BCNU, Vitamin B12b, Vitamin C, and Stem Cell Infusion in People with Advanced Pancreatic Cancer and BRCA Mutations
The purpose of this study is to see whether the combination of melphalan, BCNU, vitamin B12b, and vitamin C, followed by autologous (self) bone marrow stem cell infusion, is safe and effective for treating patients with advanced pancreatic cancer who have a BRCA1 and/or BRCA2 gene mutation. All of these treatments are given intravenously (by vein).
New York City, Commack
A Study of Radiation Therapy to Treat Solid Tumors That Spread to Soft Tissue
Researchers in this study want to see how a new form of radiation therapy works to treat metastatic cancer. Metastatic means the cancer has spread to another part of the body from its original place. The people in this study have solid tumors that spread to soft tissues in the chest, abdomen (belly), or pelvis. In addition, they need radiation therapy to help control symptoms such as pain.
New York City, Commack, Basking Ridge, Westchester, Monmouth, Bergen, Nassau
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center Pancreatic Tumor Registry
There are unknown factors in our environment and in people's genes that raise the risk of getting pancreatic cancer. To learn about these things, researchers at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center created a Pancreatic Tumor Registry. This registry includes people with pancreatic cancer, and also people who have a strong family history of this disease.
New York City, Commack, Basking Ridge, Westchester, Monmouth, Bergen, Nassau