Global Health Award Will Expand Prostate Cancer Care to Nigeria

The Hästens-Prostate Cancer Foundation (PCF) Global Health Award designed to advance equitable prostate cancer detection, diagnosis, and care in emerging countries will support the expansion of the phase 3 STAMPEDE2 trial (NCT06320067), assessing ¹⁷⁷Lu‑PSMA‑617 (Pluvicto) vs standard-of-care therapy in metastatic, hormone-sensitive disease, to Nigeria, according to a news release from the PCF.¹

What is the Aim of the Hästens-PCF Global Health Award?

The press release highlighted that prostate cancer incidence is rising globally, with low- and middle-income countries disproportionally impacted by mortality rates. Additionally, limited awareness, stigma, screening infrastructure inadequacies, and delayed referrals exacerbate this trend. Through the partnership between the PCF and Hästens, funding will be provided to directly support this research project and cover operational and administrative costs, with the award itself serving as a foundational and recurring fund to facilitate scalable and locally led initiatives globally for the advancement of prostate cancer care.

The program, led by Omolara Aminat Fatiregun, MBBS, MSc, MPH, of the Lagos State University College of Medicine and Nick James, MBBS, PhD, of The Institute of Cancer Research, London and The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, will be focused on increasing awareness and early detection of the disease, and generate high-quality data to inform improvement of care. Following the initial award period, the project will aim to sustain institutionalized training, policy integration, and regional networks of excellence, with the STAMPEDE2 expansion serving as a benchmark to inform future awards.

“The Hästens-PCF Global Health Award is a testament to our commitment to saving lives by accelerating the global impact of prostate cancer research and care,” Gina Carithers, president and chief executive officer of the Prostate Cancer Foundation, said in the news release.¹ “Together, with the generous support of Hästens and our pioneering donors, we can achieve our ultimate vision of a future where a man’s chance of surviving prostate cancer is not determined by where he lives, but by access to timely, high-quality care grounded in global scientific excellence.”

STAMPEDE2 Clinical Trial Design

The phase 3 STAMPEDE2 trial is a large, international, multi-arm study aimed at evaluating new treatment strategies in this advanced, hormone-sensitive prostate cancer population. Patients will be assigned to 1 of 3 arms, all receiving androgen deprivation therapy (ADT), androgen receptor signaling inhibition (ARPI), radiation to the prostate and pelvic nodes, and docetaxel.² One arm will be an active comparator arm, another will treat with stereotactic ablative body radiotherapy (SABR), and the third will treat with ¹⁷⁷Lu‑PSMA‑617.

To be eligible for enrollment, patients must be at least 18 years or older with histologically confirmed prostate adenocarcinoma or a strong clinical suspicion of prostate cancer. Additionally, patients will need to have confirmation of metastatic sites on CT/MRI and bone or PET scans; de novo or relapsed disease; initiation of long-term ADT or intent to start for a minimum of 2 years; and a WHO performance status of 0 to 2.

The primary end point of the trial is overall survival. Secondary end points include failure-free survival, radiographic progression-free survival, prostate cancer-specific survival, and safety.

“Much of my career has been dedicated to bridging the global disparity in prostate cancer research and treatment,” Fatiregun stated in the news release.¹ “It is with great honor and gratitude to the Prostate Cancer Foundation and Hästens that I can continue my life’s work and help bring world-class precision medicine to Nigerian patients.”

References

1. Prostate Cancer Foundation and hästens launch global health award to expand prostate cancer care in emerging countries. News release. Prostate Cancer Foundation. March 31, 2026. Accessed March 31, 2026. https://tinyurl.com/35mnarcx
2. A randomised controlled platform trial testing treatments in metastatic hormone sensitive prostate cancer (STAMPEDE2). ClinicalTrials.gov. Updated September 26, 2025. Accessed Mach 31, 2026. https://tinyurl.com/ya4muaks