Multicenter, Open-Label, Phase I/II Study of Tocilizumab, an Anti–Interleukin-6 Receptor Monoclonal Antibody, Combined with Gemcitabine in Patients with Advanced Pancreatic Cancer

Shuichi Mitsunaga^1,2*, Takuji Okusaka³, Masafumi Ikeda¹, Masato Ozaka⁴, Shinichi Ohkawa⁵, Tatsuya Ioka⁶, Tomomi Shimura⁷, Kumi Sato⁷, Kimio Terao⁷, Atsushi Ochiai² and Junji Furuse⁸

¹Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Oncology, National Cancer Center Hospital East, Chiba, Japan

²Pathology Division, Research Center for Innovative Oncology, National Cancer Center Hospital East, Chiba, Japan

³Department of Hepatobiliary Pancreatic, National Cancer Center Hospital, Tokyo, Japan

⁴Gastroenterological Internal Medicine, The Cancer Institute Hospital, Tokyo, Japan

⁵Division of Hepato-biliary and Pancreatic Oncology, Kanagawa Cancer Center, Yokohama, Japan

⁶Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Oncology, Osaka Medical Center for Cancer and CVD, Osaka, Japan

⁷Clinical Research Planning Department, Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan

⁸Department of Medical Oncology, Kyorin University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan

^*Corresponding Author: Shuichi Mitsunaga, Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Oncology, National Cancer Center Hospital East, 6-5-1, Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa, Chiba, 277-8577, Japan, Tel: 81471331111, Fax: +81471330335 Email: