The Clinical Trials Research Unit (CTRU) in our hospital coordinates a wide range of clinical trials in cancer. The CTRU was established in 2000 and has opened over 150 clinical trials involving over 1,500 patients. 


What is a clinical trial?

Research discoveries in the laboratory may lead to new drug developments. Clinical trials are then conducted to establish and confirm that these new drug treatments are safe and effective when administered to patients in a controlled hospital environment. You may be asked to join clinical trials/research studies if you have a cancer diagnosis requiring drug treatment.

“Adding new treatments to existing standards of care … may often improve an individual persons cancer outcome and overall survival.” 

Professor John McCaffrey, Consultant Oncologist & Medical Director of the CTRU.

“I was monitored a lot by the Clinical Trials team… there is that extra level of care and attention due to being on a trial.” 

Diane Hanly, Mater Misericordiae University Hospital Clinical Trial Patient & Chairperson of the Clinical Trials Ireland.


An experienced team you can trust

The Mater Hospital CTRU is well established and has an experienced and committed team working to improve the outcomes for patients with cancer. The CTRU team includes consultant medical and radiation oncologists and haematologists, research nurses, pharmacists and administration staff.

The Clinical Trials Research Unit team includes:

  • 1 clinical trials manager
  • 5 specialist research nurses
  • 1 clinical trials pharmacist
  • 4 data managers
  • A business manager and an administrator
  • 8 consultant principal investigators


Our principal investigators

Oncology/Radiation Consultants:

Prof John. McCaffrey

Dr. Catherine Kelly

Prof Michaela Higgins

Dr. Michael Maher

Dr. David Gallagher

Haematology Consultants:

Prof Peter O’Gorman

Dr. Anne Fortune

Dr. Michael Fay


Our open clinical trials

Select a cancer type below to view our open clinical trials and studies.

Breast cancer clinical trials

Cancer sub-typeStudy nameFull title of study
Early Hormone positive/Her 2 Negative CTRIAL-IE 15-17 PALLAS/ BIG 14-03 A randomized phase 3 trial of Palbociclib with adjuvant endocrine therapy versus endocrine therapy alone for hormone receptor positive/HER2-negative breast cancer.
Early Hormone positive/Her 2 Negative CTRAIL-IE 15-34 Translational Breast Cancer study The Impact of the 21 Gene Recurrence Score (RS) on Chemotherapy Prescribing in Estrogen Receptor Positive, Lymph Node positive early stage Breast Cancer in Ireland.
Early Triple Negative CTRIAL-IE  NeoTRIPaPDL1 Neo-Adjuvant study with the PDL1-directed antibody in Triple Negative Locally Advanced Breast Cancer undergoing treatment with nabpaclitaxel and carboplatin NeoTRIPaPDL1 (Neoadjuvant therapy in TRIPle negative breast cancer with antiPDL1).

Gastro-Intestinal cancer clinical trials

Cancer sub-typeStudy nameFull title of study
Metastatic Bowel (Colorectal) Cancer CTRIAL-IE 14-20 GRECOR STRATEGIC - 1 Multi-Line Therapy Trial in Unresectable Wild-Type RAS Metastatic Colorectal Cancer. A GERCOR Randomised Open-Label Phase III study.

Leukaemia cancer clinical trials

Cancer sub-typeStudy nameFull title of study
Untreated Leukaemia  CTRIAL 16-60 - CLL 13_Trial Leukemia CLL13 Trial - A phase 3 multicenter, randomized, prospective, open-label trial of standard chemoimmunotherapy (FCR/BR) versus rituximab plus venetoclax (RVe) versus obinutuzumab (GA101) plus venetoclax (GVe) versus obinutuzumab plus. 
Multiple cancers, Early stage CTRIAL-IE 16-19 A phase III, double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomised trial assessing the effects of aspirin on disease recurrence and survival after primary therapy in common non-metastatic solid tumours. 

Lung cancer clinical trials

Cancer sub-typeStudy nameFull title of study
Early Lung Cancer ICORG 15-40 MK3475-091 (EORTC 1416- LCG, PEARLS) early stage NSCLC study  A randomized, phase 3 trial with anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibody pembrolizumab (MK-3475) versus placebo for patients with early stage NSCLC after resection and completion of standard adjuvant therapy (PEARLS).
Metastatic Lung Cancer CTRIAL-IE 16-25 MO29872 Atezo PS2 A Phase III, Open Label, multicentre, randomised study to investigate the efficacy and safety of ATEZOLIZUMAB compared with Chemotherapy in patients with treatment-naïve advanced or recurrent (Stage III B not amenable for multimodality treatment) or metastatic (Stage IV) non-small cell lung cancer who are deemed unsuitable for platinum-containing therapy.

Lymphoma cancer clinical trials

Cancer sub-typeStudy nameFull title of study
Relapsed Lymphoma CTRIAL-IE 15-38 Bayer 17067/CHRONOS 3/Phase III A Phase III, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study evaluating the efficacy and safety of copanlisib in combination with rituximab in patients with relapsed indolent B-cell non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (iNHL) – CHRONOS-3 (Bayer 17067).
Relapsed Lymphoma CTRIAL-IE 17-06 Bayer 17833 Chronos 4 A Phase III, 2-arm, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of intravenous PI3K inhibitor copanlisib in combination with standard immunochemotherapy in patients with relapsed indolent non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (iNHL).

Ovarian cancer clinical trials

Cancer sub-typeStudy nameFull title of study
Untreated Ovarian CTRIAL-IE 11-29 ICON 8 B A randomised controlled trial comparing weekly chemotherapy +/- bevacizumab to standard 3-weekly chemotherapy + bevacizumab for women with recently diagnosed ovarian cancer.

Prostate cancer clinical trials

Cancer sub-typeStudy nameFull title of study
Metastatic Prostate CTRIAL-IE 13-09 / GETUG-AFU 21 / PEACE-1  A prospective randomised phase III study of androgen deprivation therapy with or without local radiotherapy with or without abiraterone acetate and prednisone in patient with metastatic hormone-naïve prostate cancer.
Metastatic Prostate CTRIAL-IE 19-09 Sanofi CARD A randomized, open label, multicentre study of Cabazitaxel versus an Androgen Receptor (AR)-targeted agent (abiraterone or enzalutamide) in mCRPC patients previously treated with Docetaxel and who rapidly failed a prior AR-targeted agent (CARD).
Metastatic Prostate CTRIAL-IE 17-03 ROCHE CO39303 A PHASE III, RANDOMIZED, DOUBLE-BLIND, PLACEBO-CONTROLLED, MULTICENTER TRIAL TESTING IPATASERTIB PLUS ABIRATERONE PLUS PREDNISONE/PREDNISOLONE, RELATIVE TO PLACEBO PLUS ABIRATERONE PLUS.
Metastatic Prostate CO-338-052 Clovis Oncology, Inc TRITON 2 A Multicenter, Open-label Phase 2 Study of Rucaparib in Patients with Metastatic Castration-resistant Prostate Cancer Associated with Homologous Recombination Deficiency
Metastatic Prostate CO-338-063 Clovis Oncology, Inc TRITON 3 A Multicenter, Randomized, Open label Phase 3 Study of Rucaparib versus Physician’s Choice of Therapy for Patients with Metastatic Castration resistant Prostate Cancer Associated with Homologous Recombination Deficiency

Contact us

Clinical Trials & Research Studies

Cancer medicine (oncology)


For information on our open or upcoming clinical trials, please contact our Clinical Trials Research Unit.


Further useful information

For information on clinical trials in Ireland see: