Liver cancer trial adds a resistance-blocker to standard chemo – could it boost success?

NCT ID NCT07302919

Disease control Sponsor: University Hospital, Basel, Switzerland Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026

Summary

This study tests whether adding nicardipine (a drug that blocks a cancer resistance protein) to standard chemoembolization (TACE) improves outcomes for people with liver cancer. About 152 adults with untreated liver tumors will be randomly assigned to receive either the standard TACE or TACE plus nicardipine. The main goal is to see if the combination leads to more complete tumor responses at 3 months and longer progression-free survival.

What this could mean

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

Active substance: doxorubicin and nicardipine loaded into drug-eluting beads
What this could lead to: If it works, this could improve the success rate of TACE for liver cancer, potentially leading to better tumor control and longer survival without progression.
What could go wrong: This is a mid-stage trial with only 152 participants, so results may not apply to all patients. Adding nicardipine could also increase side effects without clear benefit.

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

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Phase

Phase 2/3

Runs two stages together: whether the treatment works, then large-scale confirmation.

Participants

About 152 people

The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.

Started

Feb 2026

Expected to finish

Jun 2028

An estimate. End dates often move.

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Ages

18 years and older

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Not accepted

This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: * Informed consent as documented by signature, * Age ≥18 years, * Diagnosis of HCC by biopsy or by established imaging criteria using CT or MRI, * At least one target lesion without prior treatment, * Diameter of the target lesion ≥3 cm and ≤8 cm, * Preserved liver function (no jaundice, no ascites, no overt hepatic encephalopathy). * For women of childbearing potential: agreement to remain abstinent (refrain from heterosexual intercourse) or use contraceptive methods for at least 3 months after the TACE treatment. Exclusion Criteria: * Any prior systemic therapy for advanced HCC, * Diffuse tumor lesions, extrahepatic metastases, or vascular invasion, * Hepatic encephalopathy, * Uncontrolled ascites or pleural effusion, * Jaundice, * Severe hypotension or hemodynamic shock or need of vasoactive medications, * Decompensated heart failure New York Heart Association (NYHA) class IV, * eGFR \< 15 mL/min/1.73 m2 per MDRD (Modification of Diet in Renal Disease) formula, * Myocardial infarction within the last 6 months, * Life expectancy \<12 weeks, * Contraindications to the class of drugs under study, e.g., known hypersensitivity or allergy to calcium antagonists, * Inability to follow the procedures of the study, e.g., due to language problems, psychological disorders, dementia, etc. of the participant, * Pregnancy or breastfeeding, or intention of becoming pregnant during study treatment or within at least 3 months after the TACE treatment.

Get updates

Get notified about this study

Sign up to get updates when this study changes or when new studies for Hepato cellular carcinoma (HCC) are added.

Vår säkerhetsrekommendation!

Genom att skicka in godkänner du våra Användarvillkor

Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

hepatocellular carcinoma

As listed by the trial registrant

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

Hepato cellular carcinoma (HCC)

How to take part

Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.

The places running it

3 sites. The list below names each one and where it is.
The official record

ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.

Open the record ↗
A doctor treating you

A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.

Liver cancer trial adds a resistance-blocker to standard chemo – could it boost success?

What the study statuses mean