Brivanib and Cetuximab versus Cetuximab and Placebo in treating patients with metastatic colorectal cancer who have been previously treated with combination chemotherapy

This study is assessing two different chemotherapy treatments – Brivanib and Cetuximab versus Cetuximab and standard treatment – in treating people with metastatic (secondary distant) colorectal (K-Ras Wild Type) cancer who have previously been treated with combination chemotherapy. Who is it for? You can join this study if you have completed the standard chemotherapy for metastatic colorectal cancer. Trial details Participants will be randomly divided into two groups. One group will receive a combination of a compound known as oral Brivanib in combination with Cetuximab; the other will receive standard treatment in combination with Cetuximab. The trial will eventually assess if there is a difference in overall survival between the two groups. Brivanib blocks a compound known as ‘vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2’ (VEGFR2) and this may result in the inhibition of tumour blood vessel growth. Cetuximab blocks another factor called the ‘epidermal growth factor receptor’ (EGFR) and so inhibits cell growth. If your cancer has increased in size on standard treatment for metastatic colorectal cancer (which might included 5-fluorouracil, oxaliplatin and irinotecan), your treatment options are limited. Cetuximab works in this setting but it is not part of the standard treatment. This purpose of this trial is to test if the combination of Brivanib and Cetuximab versus Cetuximab alone improve survival if the treatment you have been receiving has not worked.