Clinical Trial of Rapamycin and Irinotecan in Pediatric Patients With Refractory Solid Tumors

Therapeutic solutions to treat solid tumors that are resistant to conventional treatments are now limited. Laboratory data in animals (on pediatric tumors such as brain tumors, sarcomas and neuroblastomas) have shown that the combination of irinotecan (HIF1alpha inhibitor) and rapamycin (mTOR inhibitor) allowed to block development of blood vessels in the tumor and could, in some cases, stop its progression. This drug combination has already been tested in adult patients with refractory tumors and seems to give encouraging results with stabilization of the tumor. The dose and toxicity of irinotecan and rapamycin are known when these drugs are administered separately and in a context different from that of refractory tumors. RAPIRI is a phase I clinical trial whose principal objectives are to determine the maximum dose at which these two molecules may be administered and to assess the safety of this new combination of drugs.