About us

Patient access to investigational drugs

Today, many seriously ill cancer patients do not have satisfactory standard treatment options. Many patients wish to be enrolled in clinical phase I and early phase II trials to gain access to new investigational therapies. In the Nordic countries, the number of such trials have been limited. It is important to ensure a continued access to new investigational therapies and the patient recruitment is critical to the drug development program.

Nordic NECT

The network was designed to promote patient access to new investigational drugs and access to phase I and early phase II programs in the Nordic countries.

Collaboration

The network was founded by volunteers in March 2011 and was based on a collaboration between:

Clinical Cancer Research Unit, Department of Oncology, Oslo University Hospital, Norway
The Phase I Unit, Department of Oncology, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
Center for Cancer Research, Department of Oncology, Herlev Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
Clinical Trial Unit, Department of Oncology, Helsinki University Central Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
Early Clinical Trial Unit, Department of Oncology, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.
Clinical Trial Unit, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway
Clinical Trial Unit, Aarhus University Hospital, Denmark attended the collaboration in 2013 and 2014.

The departments included have all been involved in drug development for many years. Thus, all departments have considerable experience and reputation for scientific and medical expertise.

In 2017 The Early Phase Clinical Trials Program, Skane University Hospital, Sweden also attended the collaboration, and Tampere University Hospital in April 2018. Clinical Trial Unit at Turku University Hospital, Finland and Unit for Experimental Cancer Therapy at Odense University Hospital, Denmark attended in November 2018. In March 2019, Oslo Myeloma Center, Norway and Uppsala University Hospital, Sweden was included.

Objectives

To make the Nordic region more attractive for early clinical studies.
To perform state-of-art phase I and early phase II trials in oncology and hematology, to ensure the patients access to new investigational therapies.
To work for a bilateral agreement between the Nordic countries allowing for inclusion of patients in early clinical trial protocols across the borders.
To promote “One point of entry” for early clinical trials and common approval for the Nordic countries.

The collaboration addresses the following:

Standard phase I (-II) studies
First-in-man through proof of concept programs
Other complex studies requiring scientific expertise

Achievements

A network of colleagues working with phase 1 and 2 trials in oncology and haematology has been established in the Nordic countries.
Semi-annual face-to-face or virtual meetings have been arranged, with presentations and discussions of relevant issues regarding phase 1 and 2 trials.
Exchange of personnel between the Nordic sites has been performed, to inspire each other to run early clinical trials.
Co-organizer for the NRI-conference 2017 and organizer of a parallel session on Nordic Cross Border Patients for Clinical Trials
Phase 1 courses has been performed for study coordinators and investigators, to ensure knowledge of phase 1 for new colleagues in the Nordic region and thereby ensure quality of personnel.
Discussions on the possibility of cross-border patients to early clinical trials have been performed several times. This is an ongoing issue and also discussed in other groups.
A one-point entry of clinical trials has been discussed in Nordic NECT, but such a one-point entry has not been established. However, in all Nordic countries, trials and feasibilities are handled through organisations such as Trial Nation in Denmark, NorTrials in Norway, Kliniska studier in Sweden and in Finland the trial entry and feasibilities are handled at the different hospitals.
Nordic NECT will end in October 2024, as the continued Nordic collaboration will be in the Nordic Tumor Board (NTB).

Finances

Nordic NECT web-site has been supported by the Norwegian Cancer Society.

Nordic NECT has previously received funding from the Nordic Cancer Union and The Norwegian Radium Hospital Foundation for a Project Manager.

Contact

Rikke Løvendahl Eefsen MD, PhD, Phase 1 Lead
Department of Oncology, Herlev Gentofte Hospital
Copenhagen, Denmark
mail: rikke.helene.loevendahl.eefsen@regionh.dk

Katriina Jalkanen MD, PhD, Phase 1 Lead
Early Phase, Clinical Trial Unit
Helsinki University Central Hospital

Helsinki, Finland
mail: katriina.jalkanen@hus.fi

Secretary and WEB master
Kirsten Thorin Hagene