PASS-01
The discovery of pancreatic cancer subtypes represents a major advance in our understanding of the disease and enables the development of more effective treatment strategies. It also reveals just how uniquely personal this disease is for each patient— right down to the molecular level.
Enter PASS-01: an exciting collaboration between a group of the foremost cancer centres in North America focused on personalized medicine in pancreatic cancer using cutting-edge research.
PASS-01 is the first trial to directly compare the two standard chemotherapy options for metastatic pancreatic cancer - modified FOLFIRINOX (mFFX) and gemcitabine/nab-paclitaxel (GnP). The study aims to identify biomarkers that can predict which treatment is most likely to work for each patient, and which pancreatic cancer subtypes respond better to one therapy over the other. By combining these insights with advanced drug testing on patient-derived tumor models, called organoids,PASS-01 helps doctors choose the best treatment faster and more confidently, while also paving the way for smarter, more personalized treatment strategies in the future.
“We have brought together some of the finest pancreatic cancer researchers in North America; the time is right to dig in much deeper to help understand pancreatic cancer. We need to stop assuming one size fits all and instead advance the field by gaining a better understanding of every tumor. We believe our work can help doctors treat patients optimally today while providing a better understanding of this deadly disease into the near future.”
Dr. Jennifer Knox
Primary Investigator of PASS-01
Building on a legacy of promising research
PASS-01 builds on the groundbreaking findings of the COMPASS study, which analyzed tumors from hundreds of patients with advanced pancreatic cancer across Canada and created one of the world’s most comprehensive clinical and genomic data sets. This work laid the foundation for discovering pancreatic cancer subtypes and identifying potential biomarkers like GATA6. We are incredibly proud that our pacesetting investments in COMPASS have led to this collaborative clinical trial that draws on the expertise of some of the leading cancer centres across North America, having the potential to revolutionize how doctors treat pancreatic cancer patients to give them more time with their loved ones.
"One good example is a man who was benefitting from the chemotherapy. It was working modestly but he was having a lot of side effects. The tumor model we grew from his cancer suggested that a different drug might be more effective. We switched it up and suddenly he tolerates chemotherapy much better, and we get a better response – we get more shrinkage of the tumor. Another example that comes to mind, we find a rare mutation in the genome of a man’s pancreas cancer which we wouldn’t have thought to look for. We were able to find a trial that targeted that mutation and now after chemotherapy, he is doing really well with response to the targeted approach. Both of those would never have happened outside of this study."
Dr. Jennifer Knox
Primary Investigator of PASS-01
PASS-01 Trial Delivers Landmark Results
The PASS-01 clinical trial, recently published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology (PASS-01: Randomized Phase II Trial of Modified... :Journal of Clinical Oncology), marks a major step forward in pancreatic cancer treatment. This international collaboration tested two main chemotherapy options in 160 patients across the U.S. and Canada, while using lab-grown tumour models to identify the most effective therapies.
While both treatments showed similar progression-free survival, overall survival and safety trends favored GnP. Real-time tumor analysis revealed distinct subtypes of pancreatic cancer and nearly half of the patients were able to receive second-line therapies tailored specifically to their tumor's biology. PASS-01 is setting a new benchmark for pancreatic cancer research and brings us closer to truly personalized treatment, helping doctors choose the right therapy faster and giving patients a better chance to spend more time with their loved ones.
An International Effort
PASS-01 represents an important cross-border effort between Canadian and American cancer centres and research institutes working together to change the outcome for pancreatic cancer patients. Each centre plays a different part in the research process, drawing from their specialties, capacity and focus.
PASS-01 By The Numbers
160 participants enrolled across 6 clinical sites/hospitals
Further Resources
PASS-01 is a Stand Up To Cancer Pancreatic Cancer Convergence Dream Team, which is funded by the Pancreatic Cancer Collective, an initiative of the Lustgarten Foundation and Stand Up To Cancer® (SU2C), SU2C Canada and Pancreatic Cancer Canada.
