OAUTH Launches Nigeria's First Immunotherapy Trial for Colorectal Cancer

The Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital (OAUTH) in Ife, Osun State, Nigeria, has initiated the first clinic trial for colorectal cancer treatment in the country. The trial, launched in collaboration with Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Medserv, NSIA Diagnostic Center, and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in the United States, aims to provide free treatment to colorectal cancer patients.

Professor Olusegun Alatis, a renowned surgeon from OAUTH, highlighted the significance of this breakthrough in cancer care. The trial involves utilizing immunotherapy, specifically a type called PD-1 blockade, to empower patients' immune systems to fight cancer.

This initiative marks a crucial milestone in the fight against colorectal cancer in Nigeria, with a focus on patients with limited therapeutic options due to genetic mutations. The project has received approval from the National Health Research Ethics Committee and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control.

Beon Medicines will supply the immunotherapy drug, Tislelizumab, for the trial, supported by Bioventur Global Health.