A System to Support Development and Success of NCI-Sponsored Trials for Rare Diseases

R50 Abstract – Reiss Gastrointestinal maligancies remain lethal and difficult-to-treat, with poor outcomes for many patients. In spite of this, we are in a moment of a scientific and clinical revolution with the development of biomarker-driven therapies for selected patients. With these advances come multiple new questions for the field, many of which the NCTN infrastructure is optimally suited to address. To date, I have demonstrated a strong commitment to clinical and translational research for populations of patients with rare subsets or biomarkers, including via the development and implementation of NCI-trials at my own institution: I am the international study chair and lead accruer for EA2192 as well as the study champion and lead national accruer for SWOG-2001. On the larger scale, I hold leadership roles within the Abramson Cancer Center (ACC) at the University of Pennsylvania and at the NCTN. I serve as the co-chair of the ECOG- ACRIN GI Committee, I am the co-leader of the ACC Cancer Therapeutics Program and I am the co-leader of the ACC Pancreatic Clinical Trial Program. These leadership positions are optimal platforms upon which to spearhead programs that (1) formally and longitudinally assist junior and mid-career oncology faculty in their quests to develop investigator-initiated studies and (2) develop a program at the NCTN that focuses on developing realistic trials for rare populations and then on accruing them successfully. To date, I have demonstrated a persistent and strong commitment to the NCI research enterprise. I have been involved with NCI-related research since my early career, initially attending meetings and later developing my own protocol, EA2192. Based on my steady engagement and input, I was appointed as the co-chair of the GI Committee in 2022 alongside Jordan Berlin (see LOS). Together, we have made a commitment to improving the process of clinical trial development, a mission that will be critical in order for the NCTN to remain competitive in an ever-changing landscape. Over the past three years, we have employed multiple initiatives including boosting the education of our investigators about the NCTN process, leaning on the excellent Working groups chairs to fine-tune concepts prior to Committee Presentation and providing substantial assistance during the submission process. With the support of the R50 Research Specialist award, I will build further on this approach in two ways: At the ACC, I will develop a sustainable program for early and mid-career investigators to provide longitudinal support in the development of investigator-initiated trials, with a particular focus on rare disease studies that can be best executed via the ECOG-ACRIN system. Within the NCTN, I will employ a novel program assisting investigators in the development and successful enrollment of trials for rare disease populations, a subset of studies that have lost ground since the COVID pandemic. Specifically, I will create a living resource for NCTN investigators that focuses on methods to design practical, feasible studies and will provide longitudinal support to those across the NCTN who are developing studies in this space. My ultimate goal is to develop and implement pragmatic clinical trials that address key questions in the field of gastrointestinal malignancies, particularly for patients with rare subsets of disease. Project Number: 1R50CA305057-01 | Fiscal Year: 2025 | NIH Institute/Center: National Cancer Institute (NCI) | Principal Investigator: Kim Reiss Binder | Institution: UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA, PHILADELPHIA, PA | Award Amount: $122,610 | Activity Code: R50 | Study Section: Special Emphasis Panel[ZCA1 SRB-5 (M1)] View on NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/11224331