Nigeria has begun enrolling patients in its first-ever clinical trial using immunotherapy to treat colorectal cancer, a major step that could change how the disease is treated in the country and across sub-Saharan Africa.
The study, approved by Nigeria’s National Health Research Ethics Committee (NHREC) and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), will test whether a type of immunotherapy can work better than standard treatments for a specific group of colorectal cancer patients.
Immunotherapy is a form of treatment that helps the body’s own immune system recognise and attack cancer cells, rather than directly killing them with chemotherapy or radiation.
Why This Trial Matters
Colorectal cancer is becoming a growing public health problem in Nigeria. Fewer than half of Nigerian patients diagnosed with the disease survive beyond one year, according to researchers involved in the study.
About 30% of colorectal cancer patients in Nigeria have a genetic feature that makes their cancer less responsive to chemotherapy. This feature is known as mismatch-repair deficiency (dMMR) — meaning the cancer cells are poor at fixing DNA errors and tend to grow aggressively.
Research in Europe and the United States has shown that immunotherapy works particularly well for this group of patients, often with fewer side effects than chemotherapy.
Until now, such treatments have largely been unavailable to Nigerian patients outside of rare overseas care.
What the Study Will Do
The Phase II trial, titled “PD-1 Blockade in Mismatch-Repair Deficient Colorectal Cancer in Nigeria,” will test a drug called tislelizumab, supplied by BeOne Medicines.
Tislelizumab belongs to a class of drugs known as PD-1 blockers. In simple terms, PD-1 blockers remove the “brakes” that stop the immune system from attacking cancer.
Patients will be recruited and treated at Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital (OAUTHC) in Ile-Ife, Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) and Medserve’s NSIA-Umuahia Diagnostic Centre in Lagos.
The study is being carried out in collaboration with Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) in New York, one of the world’s leading cancer hospitals. MSK will also serve as the study’s data coordination centre.
What Researchers Are Saying
“This approval marks an important milestone in the fight against colorectal cancer in Nigeria,” said Prof. Olusegun Isaac Alatise, co-principal investigator and professor of surgery at Obafemi Awolowo University.
“Our research could provide vital insights into new treatment strategies, particularly for patients with limited options due to genetic mutations,” he said, adding that the study would follow strict ethical and patient-safety standards.
Prof. Fatimah Abdulkareem, co-principal investigator and professor of pathology at LUTH, said the trial brings cutting-edge treatment closer to Nigerian patients.
“This collaboration shows our commitment to ensuring that Nigerian patients benefit from the best of global cancer research,” she said.
Global Backing
The trial builds on earlier research conducted at MSK that helped transform treatment for colorectal cancer patients in high-income countries.
“We hope this trial will lead to a similar shift in treatment possibilities for Nigerian patients,” said Dr. T. Peter Kingham, director of MSK’s Global Cancer Research and Training programme.
Funding for the study comes in part from the Thompson Family Foundation, while BioVentures for Global Health supported Nigeria’s regulatory approvals.
Medserve, Nigeria’s sovereign-backed healthcare investment company, said the trial reflects a broader push to make advanced cancer care more accessible.
“Quality oncology care should not be a privilege,” said Dr. Tolulope Adewole, Medserve’s chief executive. “It must be the minimum standard, regardless of location.”
If successful, the trial could improve survival rates for colorectal cancer patients, reduce reliance on chemotherapy that often fails for certain genetic types and open the door to more advanced cancer trials in Nigeria and Africa.
Discover more from Pluboard
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.