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Taking people in SwitzerlandPhase 2/3

Adding nicardipine to chemoembolization for liver cancer

Tests adding nicardipine to doxorubicin chemoembolization in adults with hepatocellular carcinoma.

Key facts

Who runs it
University Hospital, Basel, Switzerland
Where
Basel, Geneva, and Sankt Gallen, SwitzerlandSee the 3 sites
Trial code
Registry title
Transarterial Chemoembolization (TACE) Plus ABCB1 Inhibition Versus TACE Alone in Patients With Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Status
Recruiting
Phase
Phase 2/3
People taking part
152 people, planned
Started
16 Feb 2026
Expected to end
Jun 2028
Type of study
Interventional, 2 groupsOne group gets an existing treatment, for comparison.
Treatments tested
  • DEB-DoxNic-TACE
  • current standard of care
Record updated
2 March 2026

Who can take part

AI summary

From the trial's eligibility criteria. Machine-read from the registry text on this page, so it can be wrong. The registry text below and the trial team decide who can take part.

The trial is looking for adults with liver cancer (hepatocellular carcinoma) who have a tumour not treated before and still have good liver function.

Age
18 years or older.
Sex
All sexes can join.
Disease stage
Hepatocellular carcinoma shown by biopsy or by CT or MRI scan. At least one untreated target tumour, 3 cm (1.2 in) to 8 cm (3.1 in) across. Liver function still preserved: no jaundice, no ascites, no overt hepatic encephalopathy.
Earlier treatment
The target tumour must not have been treated before. No earlier systemic therapy for advanced liver cancer.

Main reasons for not taking part

  • Tumour spread through the liver, to other organs, or into blood vessels
  • Jaundice, uncontrolled fluid in the belly or chest, or hepatic encephalopathy
  • Severe heart problems, severe low blood pressure, or heart attack in the last 6 months
  • Life expectancy under 12 weeks
  • Pregnancy or breastfeeding

The registry criteria, word for word

Show all 20 criteriaShow less

Who can take part

  • Informed consent as documented by signature,
  • Age ≥18 years,
  • Diagnosis of HCC by biopsy or by established imaging criteria using CT or MRI,
  • At least one target lesion without prior treatment,
  • Diameter of the target lesion ≥3 cm and ≤8 cm,
  • Preserved liver function (no jaundice, no ascites, no overt hepatic encephalopathy)
  • For women of childbearing potential: agreement to remain abstinent (refrain from heterosexual intercourse) or use contraceptive methods for at least 3 months after the TACE treatment

Who cannot take part

  • Any prior systemic therapy for advanced HCC,
  • Severe hypotension or hemodynamic shock or need of vasoactive medications,
  • Decompensated heart failure New York Heart Association (NYHA) class IV,
  • Myocardial infarction within the last 6 months,
  • Inability to follow the procedures of the study, e.g., due to language problems, psychological disorders, dementia, etc. of the participant,
  • eGFR < 15 mL/min/1.73 m2 per MDRD (Modification of Diet in Renal Disease) formula,
  • Contraindications to the class of drugs under study, e.g., known hypersensitivity or allergy to calcium antagonists,
  • Diffuse tumor lesions, extrahepatic metastases, or vascular invasion,
  • Hepatic encephalopathy,
  • Uncontrolled ascites or pleural effusion,
  • Jaundice,
  • Life expectancy <12 weeks,
  • Pregnancy or breastfeeding, or intention of becoming pregnant during study treatment or within at least 3 months after the TACE treatment

Where in Switzerland

  • University Hospital BaselBasel, SwitzerlandContact: Fahim Ebrahimi, PD Dr.Taking people
  • Hôpitaux universitaires de GenèveGeneva, SwitzerlandContact: Nicolas Goossens, PD Dr.Taking people
  • Kantonsspital St. GallenSankt Gallen, SwitzerlandContact: David Semela, PD Dr.Taking people

About the trial

What the trial wants to find out

IMPACT-TACE is an investigator-initiated, prospective, multicenter, randomized, double-blinded, interventional trial to test the hypothesis that the simultaneous application of doxorubicin with the ABCB1 inhibitor nicardipine would significantly improve the success rate of TACE treatment.

The 2 groups in the trial

  • Experimental ArmTreatment being tested

    Treatment: DEB-DoxNic-TACE

  • Control ArmExisting treatment, for comparison

    Treatment: current standard of care

Questions to ask the study team

  1. How often do I need to come in, and for how long each time?
  2. Are travel costs paid?
  3. Can I keep my own doctor?
  4. What happens if I want to stop?

Contact the study team: see the registry record → Contacts and Locations

Print a page for my doctor

Data and sources

Registry record
Listed on ClinicalTrials.gov.
Official title
Randomized, Double-Blind, Parallel, Controlled, Multicenter Study of Transarterial Chemoembolization (TACE) Plus ABCB1 Inhibition Versus TACE Alone in Patients With Hepatocellular Carcinoma: IMPACT-TACE
Plain-language title
Adding nicardipine to chemoembolization for liver cancerGenerated from the registry record. The registry title is the official one.
AI summary
From the trial's eligibility criteria. Read by machine on 12 November 2026.
Record updated
2 March 2026