RTFCCR and KFS Co-Fund Three Innovative Clinical Trials in Switzerland
December 15, 2025
The Rising Tide Foundation for Clinical Cancer Research (RTFCCR) and Krebsforschung Schweiz (KFS) are proud to announce the co-funding of three Swiss clinical trials aimed at improving patient outcomes and advancing cancer research.
Improving Quality of Life in Metastatic Prostate Cancer
Led by Dr. Fabio Turco at the Oncology Institute of Southern Switzerland, this trial investigates whether intermittent use of Maximum Androgen Blockade (MAB)—a combination of Androgen Deprivation Therapy and Androgen Receptor Inhibitors—can reduce treatment-related side effects without compromising survival.
While MAB effectively slows cancer progression, it often causes fatigue, hypertension, emotional distress, and reduced libido. De-escalating treatment could significantly improve patients’ quality of life.
This study, which spans multiple European countries, also received a prestigious EU Horizon 2020 award.
“Determining whether overtreatment occurs is crucial, and we strongly support this research question because improving the quality of life for these patients is essential”, said the Patient Advisory Board of the Swiss Cancer Institute.
Repurposing Vortioxetine for Glioblastoma Treatment
The second trial, led by Dr. Michael Weller and Dr. Emilie Le Rhun at the University of Zurich, evaluates adding vortioxetine, an antidepressant, to standard temozolomide-based chemoradiotherapy in patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma.
Using an innovative approach called pharmacoscopy—an ex vivo drug sensitivity profiling method—researchers identified vortioxetine as a promising candidate. Preclinical studies published in Nature Medicine demonstrated potent anti-glioma activity across 35 glioblastoma samples and confirmed efficacy in complementary in-vitro and in-vivo models.
Glioblastoma is the most aggressive primary brain tumor, with a median survival of just 12 months. If successful, the ReVoGlio trial will not only assess overall survival but also evaluate whether vortioxetine improves quality of life due to its favorable safety profile.
This trial highlights the potential of pharmacoscopy-guided drug selection to benefit cancer research.
“People living with brain cancer desperately need new treatment options. This trial gives us hope that a readily available medication could not only help us live longer but also improve our quality of life during treatment. This innovative approach of testing existing drugs in new ways could finally give us a fighting chance, and knowing that patient voices helped shape this trial from the beginning makes it even more meaningful”, said the Patient Partner, Helen Bulbeck from Brianstrust, England, and member of the steering committee of the trial.
Pressurized IntraThoracic Hyperthermic Aerosol Cisplatin (PITHAC) for Pleural Carcinosis in NSCLC
The third study is PITHAC trial, led by Dr. Jean Perentes and Dr. Sara Colomer-Lahiguera from the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (CHUV) in Lausanne. It introduces a novel approach for patients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and pleural carcinosis—a condition marked by cancer spread to the pleura, causing fluid buildup and breathing difficulties.
This Phase I study will enroll 30 adults and follow a dose-escalation design with an expansion cohort to define the maximum tolerated dose of PITHAC. The primary objective is to evaluate safety and tolerability and to explore patient experiences compared with standard care. A distinctive feature of this trial is its integration of patient-reported outcomes (PROMs) —rare in early-phase research.
RTFCCR supports PROMs and trial coordination, while Krebsforschung Schweiz funds cover complementary translational research using patient samples to study immune responses.
“We believe that the PITHAC immune modulating effect on tumors can be exploited in combination with immunotherapies. Thus, PITHAC will evolve into more complex combinations within phase II-III trials. Knowing upfront how patient experiences affect the likelihood of proceeding with therapy seems mandatory to us for the optimization of these approaches”, said Dr. Sara Colomer-Lahiguera, representing the PatientLab.
Building on Previous Collaboration
This marks the second joint funding initiative between RTFCCR and KFS, following their support for the LYMPH trial led by Dr. Elisabeth Kappos at University Hospital Basel, which investigates surgical versus conservative treatment for breast cancer-related lymphoedema.