OncoZenge’s UCLA patient engagement study to be presented at ASTRO

The ASTRO (American Society for Radiation Oncology) Annual Meeting is the leading global conference in radiation oncology and is expected to attract more than 10,000 oncologists, clinicians, researchers and other healthcare professionals from around the world.

Dr. Eala’s presentation, “Unmet Needs and Treatment Priorities in Oral Mucositis Management during Head and Neck Radiotherapy,” will highlight findings from the patient engagement study conducted in collaboration with UCLA Health. The study provides insights into the experiences of patients suffering from oral mucositis following radiation therapy for head and neck cancer and highlights the significant pain burden and limitations of currently available pain management options.

“The opportunity to present these findings at ASTRO brings important patient perspectives on oral mucositis pain to physicians and researchers in North America. These insights have also been valuable in the design of our Phase III program for BupiZenge,” - Stian Kildal, CEO of OncoZenge

"Patients receiving head and neck radiotherapy routinely experience bothersome oral mucositis that requires multimodal pain management, including powerful opioid agents. Unfortunately, the side-effects of our current options often keep patients from receiving adequate pain relief," - Dr. Michelle Ann Eala of UCLA Health

About the UCLA patient engagement study

The study revealed that patients desired a new treatment that offered a combination of fast onset topical relief, longer duration of effect, and minimal systemic side-effects. Since pain relief directly affects patient nutrition, this is a crucial issue in helping patients minimize treatment toxicity in both the short and long term.