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EU / EEA · Phase III-containing · Gastric cancer

EU Phase III gastric cancer: biomarker-driven trials, sites and PIs

Hospital Universitari Vall d’Hebron, Narodowy Instytut Onkologii and Brest University Hospital each contribute to 16 of 31 late-stage gastric cancer studies. The European network spans 517 distinct listed sites and 716 named investigators across 21 countries. Nineteen studies use advanced or metastatic first-line populations, while HER2, PD-L1 and CLDN18.2 are the dominant biomarker-defined trial design signals.

31Phase III or Phase II/III gastric cancer studies
517distinct listed European sites
716named investigators

Top 5 sites · All 31 late-stage gastric cancer studies

Three centres lead with 16 trial participations each

Vall d’Hebron, Narodowy Instytut Onkologii and Brest University Hospital form the leading group. Hospital Universitario Marqués de Valdecilla and UZ Leuven each contribute to 12 studies.

European sites by distinct late-stage gastric cancer studies
Hospital Universitari Vall d’HebronSpain16
Narodowy Instytut OnkologiiPoland16
Brest University HospitalFrance16
Hospital Universitario Marqués de ValdecillaSpain12
UZ LeuvenBelgium12

First-line subgroup

19 studiesAdvanced or metastatic first-lineVall d’Hebron and Narodowy Instytut Onkologii each contribute to 11 first-line programs. Brest follows with 10, while Marqués de Valdecilla and UZ Leuven each contribute to eight.

Trial participation describes documented gastric cancer experience, not current recruitment performance or capacity.

Top 5 investigators · All 31 late-stage gastric cancer studies

Lucjan Wyrwicz and Jean-Philippe Metges each contribute to 15 studies

Annika Kurreck follows with 11 trial participations. David Tougeron and Fernando Rivera Herrero each contribute to 10, with Filippo Pietrantonio also tied at 10.

Investigators by distinct late-stage gastric cancer studies
Lucjan WyrwiczPoland15
Jean-Philippe MetgesFrance15
Annika KurreckGermany11
David TougeronFrance10
Fernando Rivera HerreroSpain10

First-line subgroup

479 investigatorsAcross 19 first-line studiesLucjan Wyrwicz leads first-line experience with 12 studies. Jean-Philippe Metges follows with nine. David Tougeron, Fernando Rivera Herrero and Filippo Pietrantonio each contribute to seven.

Country footprint · All 31 late-stage gastric cancer studies

France has the broadest late-stage gastric cancer footprint

France participates in 23 studies, followed by Italy with 22 and Spain with 21. Poland and Germany each participate in 19.

Countries by distinct late-stage gastric cancer studies
France23
Italy22
Spain21
Poland19
Germany19

First-line subgroup

21 countriesAcross 19 first-line studiesFrance, Italy and Spain each participate in 16 first-line programs. Poland follows with 14 and Germany with 11.

A multinational study can contribute to more than one country count.

Planned sample size · Late-stage gastric cancer

CLARITY-Gastric 02 and KEYNOTE-859 are the two largest programs

The expanded cohort includes several very large global registrational programs. The median planned population across the 19 first-line studies is 566 participants.

Largest planned study populations
CLARITY-Gastric 02First-line CLDN18.2-positive / HER2-negative1,614
KEYNOTE-859First-line HER2-negative1,565
KEYNOTE-585Perioperative gastric / GEJ adenocarcinoma1,122
Zanidatamab Phase IIIHER2-positive advanced gastroesophageal adenocarcinoma919
MATTERHORNResectable gastric / GEJ cancer905

Planned totals are recruitment targets, not confirmed enrollment.

Biomarker-driven trials · All 31 late-stage gastric cancer studies

HER2 is embedded across the majority of late-stage gastric trial designs

HER2 is used in 19 studies and PD-L1 in 11 through eligibility, required testing, exclusion, stratification or treatment assignment. CLDN18.2 defines five programs, while MSI/MMR shapes three and FGFR2b one.

Biomarkers shaping late-stage gastric cancer trial design
HER219
PD-L111
CLDN18.25
MSI / MMR3
FGFR2b1

A study can count in more than one biomarker category. Counts focus on markers that materially shape eligibility, required testing, exclusion, stratification or treatment assignment, and exclude exploratory-only assays.

Source: TrialAgents analysis of CTIS Phase III and Phase II/III gastric cancer trial records, listed sites, investigators, country participation and protocol-defined biomarker criteria, reviewed 21 September 2026. The cohort contains 31 distinct late-stage studies in which gastric cancer is an eligible primary tumor. Studies that also enroll GEJ or esophageal adenocarcinoma remain included when gastric cancer is explicitly eligible. GEJ-only studies are excluded.

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