University Hospital Cologne and Gustave Roussy launch Franco-German research project on lung cancer

Cologne, Paris, November 27, 2024

University Hospital Cologne and Gustave Roussy launch Franco-German research project on lung cancer

Project costs of EUR 1.5 million are covered by a German donor and the French entrepreneurial Oddo family

The University Hospital of Cologne and the French comprehensive cancer center Gustave Roussy are launching a joint study called REDUCE-LUNG with the aim of improving outcomes, particularly for patients over the age of 70 with advanced lung cancer.

The three-year study compares two treatment regimens: two cycles of chemo-immunotherapy followed by immunotherapy maintenance, compared to standard treatment with four cycles of chemo-immunotherapy.

Prof. Dr. Michael Hallek, Director of Clinic I for Internal Medicine and the Center for Integrated Oncology (CIO) Cologne, explains: "We are very much looking forward to this joint, cross-border project. We are grateful for the support of the donors for this important, potentially practice-hanging studym which will determine whether a reduced intensity of chemotherapy is similarly effective but better tolerated than standard therapy for the study group."

Prof. Fabrice André, Research Director of Gustave Roussy, adds: "We are deeply grateful to the donors for their generous support, which will help generate practice-changing results and insights that contribute to optimizing the treatment of patients with lung cancer."

The study will be conducted in selected centers in Germany and France. A total of 15 centers are to be activated.

The operational implementation in Germany will be carried out by the Lung Cancer Group Cologne under the direction of Prof. Dr. Jürgen Wolf at the University Hospital of Cologne and the "national Network Genomic Medicine Lung Cancer (nNGM)". In France, the study is being conducted by the internationally renowned Gustave Roussy Cancer Center in Paris. The head of the study there is Dr. Maxime Frélaut.

After completion of the study, its results will be incorporated into the International Treatment Guidelines, promising to significantly transform patient management strategies.

The study is being financed entirely by the German Dr. Rolf M. Schwiete Stiftung and the French Oddo family of entrepreneurs.

The handover of the donation (from left to right: Werner Taiber (Chairman of the Board of the ODDO BHF Foundation), Philippe Oddo, Perrine de Longevialle (Gustave Roussy), Prof. Dr. Michael Hallek, Dr. Sebastian Michels (both University Hospital of Cologne)

Background on Center for Integrated Oncology (CIO) at the University Hospital Cologne

The Cancer Center of the University Hospital Cologne - the CIO Cologne - is one of the leading international cancer centers and hosts several large national study groups. Together with the cancer centers of the University Hospitals of Aachen, Bonn and Düsseldorf, it forms the CIO Aachen Bonn Cologne Düsseldorf, one of 15 comprehensive cancer centers in Germany. With the West German Tumor Center Essen, it also forms the NCT West and is part of the National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT), a long-term cooperation between the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), excellent partners in university medical centers and other research institutions at various locations in Germany.

For further information: Center for Integrated Oncology (CIO) Köln