Olaparib and durvalumab with radiation after first-line chemotherapy for locally advanced pancreatic cancer
Official title: Administrative Supplement P30 Cancer Center Support Grant (CCSG): Phase 1 Study of Olaparib in Combination with Durvalumab (MEDI4736) and Concurrent Radiation Therapy Following First-Line Chemotherapy
Funded at University of Michigan at Ann Arbor · NIH-11197961 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This trial tests whether adding the oral drug olaparib and the immunotherapy durvalumab to radiation can help people with locally advanced, unresectable pancreatic cancer after first-line chemotherapy.
Quick facts
| Grant type | P30 center grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Michigan at Ann Arbor NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Ann Arbor, United States) |
| Project start | June 1, 1997 |
| Project end | May 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $125,000 |
| NIH project number | 3P30CA046592-36S2 |
| Project ID | NIH-11197961 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are adults with locally advanced, unresectable pancreatic cancer who have completed first-line chemotherapy and meet the trial’s safety and organ-function requirements.
✕Less likely to help
People with surgically resectable tumors, widespread metastatic disease, poor performance status, or medical conditions that make them ineligible for radiation, PARP inhibitors, or immunotherapy are unlikely to benefit from this trial.
What this research studies
In this phase 1 effort, you would receive daily olaparib pills together with durvalumab infusions while getting targeted radiation to your pancreatic tumor after finishing first-line chemotherapy. The team at the University of Michigan and other ETCTN sites will closely monitor safety, side effects, and tumor response to the combination. Researchers hope the DNA damage from radiation plus PARP inhibition will stimulate the immune system and make the PD-L1 blocking drug work better against both the primary tumor and any microscopic disease. Enrollment began in 2023 and the trial is managed through academic centers in the NCI Experimental Therapeutics Clinical Trials Network.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could increase tumor shrinkage and immune control, potentially delaying progression or extending survival for people with locally advanced pancreatic cancer.
How similar studies have gone: Early-phase studies suggest PARP inhibitors and radiation can provoke immune responses, but combining olaparib with durvalumab and concurrent radiation in pancreatic cancer is a novel strategy with limited prior proof of benefit.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Michigan at Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Fearon, Eric R. — University of Michigan at Ann Arbor
- Study coordinator: Fearon, Eric R.
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.