Can two targeted drugs boost chemo against a rare Bile-Duct cancer?

NCT ID NCT02711553

Ongoing Disease control Sponsor: Eli Lilly and Company Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

First seen Jul 22, 2026 · Last updated Jul 23, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This phase 2 trial is testing whether adding either ramucirumab (a blood-vessel blocker) or merestinib (a cell-signal blocker) to standard chemotherapy (cisplatin + gemcitabine) can help people with advanced or metastatic biliary tract cancer live longer without their disease worsening. About 300 participants will be randomly assigned to one of three groups: chemo plus ramucirumab, chemo plus merestinib, or chemo plus placebo. The study aims to see if either targeted drug improves progression-free survival compared to chemo alone.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance: ramucirumab or merestinib added to cisplatin and gemcitabine chemotherapy
What this could lead to: If successful, this could provide a new first-line treatment option for people with advanced biliary tract cancer, potentially slowing tumor growth and extending survival.
What could go wrong: This is an early-phase trial, so the added drugs may not improve outcomes over standard chemo alone. Side effects from combining multiple agents could be significant.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

ampulla of vater cancer bile duct adenocarcinoma biliary tract cancer Biliary Tract Neoplasms cancer extrahepatic bile duct carcinoma gallbladder cancer intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma metastatic malignant neoplasm Neoplasm Metastasis

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

ADVANCED CANCER BILIARY TRACT CANCER METASTATIC CANCER

Contacts and locations

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Locations

Aarhus Universitetshospital, Aarhus Sygehus

Aarhus C, 8000, Denmark
Akdeniz University Medical Faculty

Antalya, 07059, Turkey (Türkiye)
Alexander Fleming

CABA, BS, 1426, Argentina
Arke Estudios Clinicos S.A. de C.V.

Mexico City, Mexico City, 06700, Mexico
Arkhangelsk Clinical Oncological Dispensary

Arkhangelsk, 163045, Russia
Asan Medical Center

Seoul, Korea, 05505, South Korea
Austin Health

Heidelberg, Victoria, 3084, Australia
Baskent University Dr. Turgut Noyan Research and Training Center

Adana, 1250, Turkey (Türkiye)
Blokhin Cancer Research Center

Moscow, 115478, Russia
CHRU de Montpellier-Hopital St Eloi

Montpellier, 34295, France
CHU de Besancon Hopital Jean Minjoz

Besançon, 25030, France
CHU de Bordeaux Hop St ANDRE

Bordeaux, Gironde, 33075, France
Calvary Mater Newcastle

Waratah, New South Wales, 2298, Australia
Centre Antoine-Lacassagne

Nice, 06189, France
Centre Leon Berard

Lyon, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, 69008, France
Centro Medico San Roque

San Miguel de Tucumán, Tucumán Province, 4000, Argentina
Centro Polivalente de Asistencia e Inv. Clinica CER-San Juan

San Juan, J5402DIL, Argentina
Centro de Alta Especialidad Reumatologia Inv del Potosi SC

San Luis Potosí City, 78213, Mexico
Chang Gung Memorial Hospital - Kaohsiung Branch

Kaohsiung City, 83301, Taiwan
Chang Gung Memorial Hospital - Linkou

Taoyuan City, 33305, Taiwan
China Medical University Hospital

Taichung, 40447, Taiwan
Clinica Viedma

Viedma, Río Negro Province, R8500ACE, Argentina
Cliniques universitaires Saint-Luc

Brussels, Brussels Capital, 1200, Belgium
Debreceni Egyetem Klinikai Kozpont Onkologiai Tanszek

Debrecen, Hajdú-Bihar, 4032, Hungary
Del-pesti Centrumkorhaz - Orszagos Hematologiai es Infektologiai Intezet

Budapest, 1097, Hungary
Fakultni Nemocnice v Motole

Prague, 150 06, Czechia
Fakultni nemocnice Hradec Kralove

Hradec Králové, 500 05, Czechia
Florida Cancer Specialists

Nashville, Tennessee, 37203, United States
Fox Chase Cancer Center

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19111-2497, United States
Fundacion Ars Medica

San Salvador de Jujuy, Jujuy Province, Y4600APW, Argentina
Fundacion Favaloro

Ciudad de Buenos Aires, 1093, Argentina
Fundación CORI para la Investigación y Prevención del Cáncer

La Rioja, F5300COE, Argentina
Georgetown University Medical Center

Washington D.C., District of Columbia, 20007, United States
Gustave Roussy

Villejuif, 94805, France
HELIOS Klinikum Berlin-Buch

Berlin, 13125, Germany
Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine

Ankara, 06100, Turkey (Türkiye)
Hammersmith Hospital

Acton, London, W12 0HS, United Kingdom
Hospital Clinico de San Carlos

Madrid, 28040, Spain
Hospital Clínico Universitario de Valencia

Barcelona, 46010, Spain
Hospital Duran I Reynals

L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, 08908, Spain
Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañon

Madrid, 28007, Spain
Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre

Madrid, 28041, Spain
Hospital de Gastroenterologia Udaondo

Capital Federal, Buenos Aires, C1264AAA, Argentina
Hôpital C. HURIEZ

Lille, 59037, France
Istanbul Universitesi-Cerrahpasa Cerrahpasa Tip Fakultesi Yerleskesi

Istanbul, 34098, Turkey (Türkiye)
KH der Barmherzigen Brüder Wien

Vienna, 1020, Austria
Karmanos Cancer Institute

Detroit, Michigan, 48201, United States
Karolinska Universitetssjukhuset i Solna

Stockholm, 17176, Sweden
Landesklinikum Wr. Neustadt

Wiener Neustadt, Lower Austria, 2700, Austria
Masarykuv onkologicky ustav

Brno, Brno-město, 656 53, Czechia
Medizinische Hochschule Hanover

Hanover, Lower Saxony, 30625, Germany
National Cheng-Kung Uni. Hosp.

Tainan, 704, Taiwan
Odense Universitetshospital

Odense C, 5000, Denmark
Royal Adelaide Hospital

Adelaide, South Australia, 5000, Australia
Royal Marsden Hospital

Sutton, Surrey, SM2 5PT, United Kingdom
Russian Scientific Center of Radiology and Surgical Technologies

Saint Petersburg, Sankt-Peterburg, 197758, Russia
Saint-Petersburg City Clinical Oncology Dispensary

Saint Petersburg, 198255, Russia
Samsung Medical Center

Seoul, 06351, South Korea
Seoul National University Hospital

Seoul, Seoul, Korea, 03080, South Korea
Severance Hospital, Yonsei University Health System

Seoul, 03722, South Korea
Skåne universitetssjukhus

Malmö, 20502, Sweden
Taipei Veterans General Hospital

Taipei, 11217, Taiwan
Tennessee Oncology PLLC

Nashville, Tennessee, 37203, United States
The Christie NHS Foundation Trust

Manchester, Greater Manchester, M20 4BX, United Kingdom
The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre

Bebbington, Merseyside, CH63 4JY, United Kingdom
The University of Arizona Cancer Center

Tucson, Arizona, 85724, United States
Thomas Jefferson University

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19107, United States
Trakya University

Edirne, 22030, Turkey (Türkiye)
UCSF Medical Center at Mission Bay

San Francisco, California, 94158, United States
Universitaetsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf

Hamburg, 20246, Germany
Universitair Ziekenhuis Gent

Ghent, 9000, Belgium
Universitaire Ziekenhuizen Leuven - Campus Gasthuisberg

Leuven, 3000, Belgium
University College Hospital - London

London, Greater London, NW1 2BU, United Kingdom
University of Florida School of Medicine

Gainesville, Florida, 32608, United States
Universitätsklinikum Erlangen

Erlangen, Bavaria, 91054, Germany
Universitätsklinikum Salzburg

Salzburg, 5020, Austria
Universitätsklinikum Tübingen

Tübingen, Baden-Wurttemberg, 72076, Germany
Universitätsklinikum Ulm

Ulm, Baden-Wurttemberg, 89081, Germany
Washington University Medical School

City of Saint Peters, Missouri, 63376, United States
Washington University Medical School

Creve Coeur, Missouri, 63141, United States
Washington University Medical School

St Louis, Missouri, 63110, United States
Washington University Medical School

St Louis, Missouri, 63129, United States

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