Nigeria launches first immunotherapy clinical trial for colorectal cancer
For thousands of Nigerians diagnosed each year with colorectal cancer, the journey often begins late and ends too soon. Treatment options are limited, outcomes uncertain, and hope frequently scarce. But
For thousands of Nigerians diagnosed each year with colorectal cancer, the journey often begins late and ends too soon. Treatment options are limited, outcomes uncertain, and hope frequently scarce. But on Monday, at a press conference inside the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), that familiar narrative shifted as medical leaders announced the launch of a groundbreaking clinical trial that could redefine how the disease is treated in Nigeria.
The study—the first of its kind in sub-Saharan Africa—introduces immunotherapy into Nigeria’s fight against colorectal cancer. By harnessing the body’s own immune system to recognise and destroy cancer cells, the trial signals a decisive move away from the one-size-fits-all treatment model and toward a more precise, patient-centred approach to cancer care. For patients who have exhausted conventional options, it represents something profoundly rare in oncology: a new beginning.
Colorectal cancer — a malignancy of the colon and rectum, which form part of the large intestine — is an escalating health challenge in Nigeria. Often diagnosed at an advanced stage, it carries a grim prognosis. Currently, fewer than half of Nigerian patients survive beyond one year after diagnosis. Standard chemotherapy, long the backbone of treatment, frequently delivers modest benefits, particularly in advanced disease. Yet emerging research has revealed a critical insight that underpins this new trial.
Nearly 30 per cent of Nigerian colorectal cancer patients possess a genetic profile known as mismatch-repair deficient (dMMR) or microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H). While this mutation makes tumours resistant to chemotherapy, it also makes them highly responsive to immunotherapy. In essence, what weakens conventional treatment strengthens the case for a different, more targeted approach.
“This trial marks an important milestone in the fight against colorectal cancer in Nigeria,” said Olusegun Isaac Alatise, Professor of Surgery at Obafemi Awolowo University and National Director of the African Research Group for Oncology (ARGO).
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“Our research could provide vital insights into novel treatment strategies, particularly for patients with limited therapeutic options due to genetic mutations.”
Formally titled “PD-1 Blockade in Mismatch-Repair Deficient Colorectal Cancer in Nigeria,” the Phase II clinical trial will evaluate the effectiveness of tislelizumab, an immunotherapy drug designed to block the PD-1 protein. Cancer cells often exploit the PD-1 pathway to evade immune detection. By inhibiting this mechanism, tislelizumab enables immune cells to recognise and attack malignant tissue. The trial is being conducted through an ambitious international collaboration that brings Nigerian institutions into direct partnership with one of the world’s foremost cancer centres. Medserve, OAU, and LUTH are working alongside the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Centre (MSKCC), a global leader in cancer research and treatment.
For Nigerian clinicians, the partnership is about more than access to new drugs. It is also about building local capacity, strengthening research systems, and ensuring that Nigerian patients are no longer excluded from cutting-edge advances in oncology.
“We are proud to be part of this groundbreaking trial that brings immunotherapy closer to Nigerian patients,” said Fatimah Abdulkareem, Professor of Anatomic and Molecular Pathology at LUTH.
“This collaboration demonstrates our commitment to advancing cancer care and ensuring that our patients benefit from the very best of global research.”
Before its launch, the trial underwent rigorous ethical and regulatory scrutiny. Full approval was granted by the National Health Research Ethics Committee (NHREC) and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), confirming compliance with international standards of safety, ethics, and patient protection. Patient enrolment will take place at two specialised centres: the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital in Ile-Ife and the Medserve LUTH Cancer Centre in Lagos. Both facilities have been equipped to handle the complex diagnostic and monitoring requirements of immunotherapy-based research.
The trial is supported by a global network of expertise and funding. MSKCC serves as the study sponsor and data coordinating centre, drawing on its Global Cancer Research and Training programme launched in 2011. The drug tislelizumab is supplied by BeOne Medicines, while BioVentures for Global Health played a crucial role in navigating regulatory approvals. Partial funding is provided by the Thompson Family Foundation.
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“This trial builds on a groundbreaking study conducted at MSK that transformed treatment options for some colorectal cancer patients,” said T. Peter Kingham, Director of Global Cancer Research and Training at MSKCC.
“We hope this pioneering effort will lead to a similar shift in treatment possibilities for Nigerian patients, offering them a greater chance for cure.”
The Chief Medical Director of LUTH, Prof. Wasiu Adeyemo, stated that the centre was fully equipped to conduct the study, noting that it was the eighth clinical trial at the facility and first involving immunotherapy. He commended the Federal Government for its continued support of clinical research and efforts to strengthen tertiary health institutions, adding that the model being implemented at LUTH was being replicated across other federal teaching hospitals to broaden access to advanced cancer care.
Prof. Adeyemo also identified late presentation as a major obstacle in cancer management in Nigeria, stressing that delayed diagnosis significantly reduces treatment success. He urged the media to intensify public education campaigns to promote early detection and increase awareness of available treatment options.
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Beyond its immediate clinical implications, the trial carries broader significance for Nigeria’s healthcare system. For decades, advanced cancer treatment has been synonymous with medical travel abroad, placing it beyond the reach of most Nigerians. The local availability of immunotherapy challenges that paradigm and signals growing confidence in Nigeria’s ability to deliver sophisticated oncology care at home. For Medserve, the initiative aligns with a vision of sustainable, patient-centred cancer services.
“By aligning with organisations that share the same objectives, we are building a sustainable model of care,” said Tolulope Adewole, Chief Executive Officer of Medserve.
“Quality oncology care should not be a privilege; it must be the minimum standard, regardless of location.”
Equally important is the research value of the trial. African populations remain significantly underrepresented in global cancer studies, limiting understanding of how treatments perform across diverse genetic and environmental contexts. Data generated in Nigeria will not only guide local treatment decisions but also contribute to global knowledge on colorectal cancer biology and response to immunotherapy. Enrolment for the trial is now open to eligible patients with dMMR/MSI-H colorectal cancer. While immunotherapy is not a universal cure, its success elsewhere has reshaped expectations of what cancer treatment can achieve. For Nigerian patients who meet the criteria, the trial offers access to a therapy that could extend survival, improve quality of life, and restore hope where options were once scarce.
In a healthcare landscape long defined by late diagnosis and limited choices, the launch of Nigeria’s first immunotherapy clinical trial represents more than a scientific milestone. It is a declaration that advanced cancer care can be built locally, ethically, and sustainably—and that Nigerian patients deserve full access to the promise of modern medicine.
