Could a $4 statin improve cancer survival?

NCT ID NCT07625930

Not yet recruiting Disease control Sponsor: McGill University Health Centre/Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jul 10, 2026 · Updated 2 times

Summary

This phase II trial tests whether adding simvastatin, a widely used cholesterol medication, to standard chemotherapy (with or without immunotherapy) can improve outcomes for people with gastroesophageal adenocarcinoma. About 184 patients will be randomly assigned to receive either standard treatment alone or standard treatment plus daily simvastatin for up to two years. The main goal is to see if the tumor responds better to treatment before surgery.

What this could mean

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

Active substance: simvastatin
What this could lead to: If successful, adding a common, cheap cholesterol drug could improve survival and tumor response for people with gastroesophageal cancer.
What could go wrong: This is a small, early-phase trial (184 patients) testing a repurposed drug. The benefit is uncertain, and there may be added side effects from combining simvastatin with chemotherapy.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

Esophageal Neoplasms gastroesophageal adenocarcinoma

As listed by the trial registrant

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

GASTROESOPHAGEAL ADENOCARCINOMA

Contacts and locations

Locations

McGill University Health Center

Montreal, Canada

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