As a regional campus of the UCSF School of Medicine, research is a cornerstone of UCSF Fresno. UCSF Fresno’s research priorities focus on addressing health conditions pertinent to the San Joaquin Valley and central California and on bringing new treatments to the region such as through clinical trials. The UCSF Fresno Clinical Research Center (CRC) is currently recruiting study participants for three new clinical trials involving viral lung infections and progressive lung disease.
Clinical trials are research studies aimed at determining the effectiveness and safety of new medications, treatments and therapies. These studies offer several benefits including access to the latest treatments, high-quality medical care, and potential health improvements. There are four phases to clinical trials (i.e., safety, efficacy, better than existing treatments, and other implications). They are carefully regulated and monitored to ensure the safety and rights of study participants. Study participants must meet certain criteria depending on the clinical trial.
Mohamed Fayed, MD, UCSF associate clinical professor of Medicine in the Pulmonary and Critical Care Division at UCSF Fresno, and principal investigator of the three lung-related clinical trials, explains why making these studies available in the greater Fresno area is important.
“I’m a clinician and I want to give the best to patients,” said Dr. Fayed. “Sometimes when you don’t have treatment options, a clinical trial is an option or when current treatment isn’t working or when you want to offer something new, it’s a clinical trial.”
RSVHR, sponsored by Enanta Pharmaceuticals, is a Phase IIB, multi-center, international study evaluating the effectiveness and safety of EDP-938, a drug to treat adults with acute respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). RSV is a highly contagious virus that affects the lungs and respiratory tract. It is a common cause of respiratory infections in babies, young children and older adults. Symptoms of RSV range from mild cold symptoms to more severe illnesses including bronchiolitis and pneumonia.
“For inpatients, there might be some measures to be taken (for RSV) but not for outpatients,” Dr. Fayed said. “For example, for influenza, there’s Tamiflu. For COVID, there’s Paxlovid. There is no antiviral for RSV.”
RSVHR is enrolling nonhospitalized patients with up to 72 hours of respiratory tract symptoms and who test positive for RSV, are negative for influenza and meet other criteria for the study.
MOONSCAPE, is a Phase II multi-center study sponsored by Genentech to determine the effectiveness and safety of an experimental drug, Vixarelimab, in slowing the progression of disease in people living with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and people living with systemic sclerosis-associated interstitial lung disease (SSc-ILD).
IPF is a chronic fibrotic lung condition (i.e. progressive disorder involving thickening and scarring of lung tissue that impairs lung function and results in difficulty breathing). Unlike viral infections, which may get better with treatment, IPF progressively worsens but at varying rates and severity depending on the individual.
SSc-ILD is a complication of scleroderma, an autoimmune disease that attacks the body, leading to scarring in various organs including the liver and resulting in worsened lung function and difficulty breathing.
MOONSCAPE is enrolling two study groups, one for people living with IPF and another for people living with SSc-ILD.
TILIA is a Phase III multi-center study sponsored by AstraZeneca that is studying the efficacy and safety of Tozorakimab for hospitalized patients with viral lung infections who require supplemental oxygen. In addition to being hospitalized and requiring oxygen, study participants must be 18 years or older.
“Our goal is to select good clinical trials for the San Joaquin Valley,” said Dr. Fayed, “So patients don’t have to travel long distances to gain access to promising new treatments.”
The UCSF Fresno CRC opened in 2013 and houses research at UCSF Fresno in one centralized location. As of August 2024, there were over 90 clinical trials at UCSF Fresno.
For more information about the Moonscape and TILIA clinical trials, email [email protected] and for more information about RSVHR, email [email protected]
