Faculty Appointments
Patient Care Setting
Cancer
Biography
As the Director of the Clinical Trials Office for Wilmot Cancer Institute, I oversee our state-of-the-art clinical trials while also educating my patients about their disease so they are as informed as possible. This enables my patients to participate in the process of making the best treatment decisions.
Individual patients drew me into the field of hematology/oncology. I am driven by the desire to develop better, less toxic treatments for our lymphoma and leukemia patients. I also have an amazing team working with me that is focused on communicating with and educating our patients, helping them in every aspect of their lives.
If I were to recommend one thing to patients, it would be to ask about clinical trials. While a clinical trial may not be appropriate in every circumstance, all patients should learn about these important options.
Conditions I Treat
- Non-Hodgkin lymphoma
- Hodgkin lymphoma
- Chronic lymphocytic leukemia
Professional Background
Paul M. Barr, M.D. is an Associate Professor of Medicine and Director of the Clinical Trials Office for the Wilmot Cancer Institute.
Dr. Barr received his medical degree from Northeast Ohio Medical University. His postgraduate training included an internship, residency and chief residency at Case Western Reserve University. He subsequently completed a hematology and oncology fellowship at Case Western and now holds subspecialty certification in Internal Medicine, Hematology and Oncology.
He is a member of the lymphoma committee in the Southwest Oncology Group and serves as principal investigator on several local and national clinical trial treatment protocols for chronic lymphocytic leukemia and non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
His research interests focus on the development of novel therapeutics for patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia and lymphoma. He has received a NIH funded K12 award during his training for his work with the organic amine Methoxyamine to improve the effect of fludarabine for CLL patients. Most recently, he was awarded a Clinical Research award from the Lymphoma Research Foundation based o his work developing combination therapies targeting molecules within the B cell receptor pathway for CLL and lymphoma patients.
Research
Paul M. Barr, M.D. is an Associate Professor of Medicine and Director of the Clinical Trials Office for the Wilmot Cancer Institute.
Dr. Barr received his medical degree from Northeast Ohio Medical University. His postgraduate training included an internship, residency and chief residency at Case Western Reserve University. He subsequently completed a hematology and oncology fellowship at Case Western and now holds subspecialty certification in Internal Medicine, Hematology and Oncology.
He is a member of the lymphoma committee in the Southwest Oncology Group and serves as principal investigator on several local and national clinical trial treatment protocols for chronic lymphocytic leukemia and non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
His research interests focus on the development of novel therapeutics for patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia and lymphoma. He has received a NIH funded K12 award during his training for his work with the organic amine Methoxyamine to improve the effect of fludarabine for CLL patients. Most recently, he was awarded a Clinical Research award from the Lymphoma Research Foundation based o his work developing combination therapies targeting molecules within the B cell receptor pathway for CLL and lymphoma patients.
Credentials
Specialties
Education
2000
MD | Northeast Ohio Medical University
Post-doctoral Training & Residency
07/01/2004 - 06/30/2007
Fellowship in Hematology & Oncology at University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center
07/01/2001 - 06/30/2003
Residency in Internal Medicine at University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center
07/01/2000 - 06/30/2001
Internship in Internal Medicine at University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center
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Awards
2012 - 2015
Lymphoma Research Foundation Clinical Investigator
2011 - 2015
NIH Loan Repayment Program Award Recipient
Sponsor: NIH
2011 - 2014
Wilmot Cancer Research Fellowship
2009
American Society of Hematology Clinical Research Training Institute
2008
NIH/NCI K12 Paul Calabresi Scholar
Sponsor: NIH
Location: University Hospitals Case Medical Center, Case Western Reserve
2006 - 2007
John W. Harris, MD Hematology Scholar Award
Location: Case Western Reserve University
2003 - 2004
Chief Medical Resident
Location: Case Western Reserve University/University Hospitals
1996
Department of Zoology Honors Program
1995
Howard Hughes Summer Scholars Program
1995
Miami MED Premedical Honorary
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Clinical Trials
First-in-Human Study to Evaluate the Safety, Pharmacokinetics, and Preliminary Efficacy of the BTK Degrader, ABBV-101, in Participants With B-cell Malignancies
Lead Researcher: Paul M Barr
Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) is a cancer that arises from the transformation of normal B and T lymphocytes (white blood cells). The purpose of this study is to assess the safety, pharmacokinetics, and preliminary efficacy of ABBV-101 in adult participants in relapsed or refractory (R/R) non-Hodgkin's lymphomas: third line or later of treatment (3L) + chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL), diffuse large b-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), non-germinal center B cell (GCB) DLBCL, mantle cell lymphoma (MCL), follicular lymphoma (FL), marginal zone lymphoma (MZL), Waldenström macroglobulinemia (WM), or transformed indolent NHL. Adverse events will be assessed.
ABBV-101 is an investigational drug being developed for the treatment of NHL. This study will include a dose escalation phase to determine the maximum administered dose (MAD)/Maximum tolerated dose (MTD) of ABBV-101 and a dose expansion phase to determine the change in disease activity in participants with CLL or non-GCB DLBCL. Approximately 128 adult participants with multiple NHL subtypes will be enrolled in the study in sites world wide.
In the Dose Escalation phase of the study participants will receive escalating oral doses of ABBV-101, until the MAD/MTD is determined, as part of the approximately 60 month study duration. In the dose expansion phase of the study participants receive oral ABBV-101, as part of the approximately 60 month study duration .
There may be higher treatment burden for participants in this trial compared to their standard of care. Participants will attend regular visits during the study at an approved institution (hospital or clinic). The effect of the treatment will be frequently checked by medical assessments, blood tests, and side effects.
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S1608:Testing two new targeted drug combinations against standard chemotherapy for early relapsing or refractory follicular lymphoma
Lead Researcher: Paul M Barr
This phase II trial studies how well obinutuzumab with or without umbralisib, lenalidomide, or combination chemotherapy work in treating patients with grade I-IIIa follicular lymphoma that has come back (relapsed) or does not respond to treatment (refractory). Immunotherapy with obinutuzumab, may induce changes in body's immune system and may interfere with the ability of tumor cells to grow and spread. Umbralisib may stop the growth of cancer cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth. Biological therapies, such as lenalidomide, use substances made from living organisms that may stimulate or suppress the immune system in different ways and stop cancer cells from growing. Chemotherapy drugs, such as cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, prednisone, and bendamustine, work in different ways to stop the growth of cancer cells, either by killing the cells, by stopping them from dividing, or by stopping them from spreading. It is not yet known whether giving obinutuzumab with or without umbralisib, lenalidomide, or combination chemotherapy will work better in treating patients with grade I-IIIa follicular lymphoma.
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Randomized, Phase III Study of Early Intervention With Venetoclax and Obinutuzumab Versus Delayed Therapy With Venetoclax and Obinutuzumab in Newly Diagnosed Asymptomatic High-Risk Patients With Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia/Small Lymphocytic Lymphoma (CLL/SLL): EVOLVE CLL/SLL Study,Randomized, Phase III Study of Early Intervention With Venetoclax and Obinutuzumab Versus Delayed Therapy With Venetoclax and Obinutuzumab in Newly Diagnosed Asymptomatic High-Risk Patients With Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia/Small Lymphocytic Lymphoma (CLL/SLL): EVOLVE CLL/SLL Study
Lead Researcher: Paul M Barr
This phase III trial compares early treatment with venetoclax and obinutuzumab versus delayed treatment with venetoclax and obinutuzumab in patients with newly diagnosed high-risk chronic lymphocytic leukemia or small lymphocytic lymphoma. Venetoclax is in a class of medications called B-cell lymphoma-2 (BCL-2) inhibitors. It may stop the growth of cancer cells by blocking Bcl-2, a protein needed for cancer cell survival. Immunotherapy with monoclonal antibodies, such as obinutuzumab, may help the body's immune system attack the cancer, and may interfere with the ability of tumor cells to grow and spread. Starting treatment with the venetoclax and obinutuzumab early (before patients have symptoms) may have better outcomes for patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia or small lymphocytic lymphoma compared to starting treatment with the venetoclax and obinutuzumab after patients show symptoms.
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EA4151 ~ Phase III Autologous Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation Followed by Maintenance Rituximab vs. Maintenance Rituximab Alone for Patients with Mantle Cell Lymphoma In Minimal Residual Disease-Negative First Complete Remission
Lead Researcher: Paul M Barr
This randomized phase III trial studies rituximab after stem cell transplant and to see how well it works compared with rituximab alone in treating patients with in minimal residual disease-negative mantle cell lymphoma in first complete remission. Monoclonal antibodies, such as rituximab, may interfere with the ability of cancer cells to grow and spread. Giving chemotherapy before a stem cell transplant helps kill any cancer cells that are in the body and helps make room in the patient's bone marrow for new blood-forming cells (stem cells) to grow. After treatment, stem cells are collected from the patient's blood and stored. More chemotherapy is then given to prepare the bone marrow for the stem cell transplant. The stem cells are then returned to the patient to replace the blood-forming cells that were destroyed by the chemotherapy. Giving rituximab with or without stem cell transplant may work better in treating patients with mantle cell lymphoma.
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Publications
Journal Articles
1/12/2024
Woyach JA, Perez Burbano GE, Ruppert AS, Miller CR, Heerema NA, Zhao W, Wall A, Ding W, Bartlett NL, Brander DM, Barr PM, Rogers KA, Parikh SA, Stephens DM, Brown JR, Lozanski G, Blachly JS, Nattam S, Larson RA, Erba HP, Litzow MR, Luger SM, Owen C, Kuzma C, Abramson JS, Little RF, Dinner SN, Stone RM, Uy GL, Stock W, Mandrekar SJ, Byrd JC. "Long-term Follow-up from A041202 Shows Continued Efficacy of Ibrutinib Regimens for Older Adults with CLL." Blood.. 2024 Jan 12; Epub 2024 Jan 12.
12/16/2023
Vose JM, Fu K, Wang L, Mansoor A, Stewart D, Cheng H, Smith L, Yuan J, Qureishi HN, Link BK, Cessna MH, Barr PM, Kahl BS, Mckinney MS, Khan N, Advani RH, Martin P, Goy AH, Phillips TJ, Mehta A, Kamdar M, Crump M, Pro B, Flowers CR, Jacobson CA, Smith SM, Stephens DM, Bachanova V, Jin Z, Wu S, Hernandez-Ilizaliturri F, Torka P, Anampa-Guzmán A, Kashef F, Li X, Sharma S, Greiner TC, Armitage JO, Lunning M, Weisenburger DD, Bociek RG, Iqbal J, Yu G, Bi C, . "Integrative analysis of clinicopathological features defines novel prognostic models for mantle cell lymphoma in the immunochemotherapy era: a report from The North American Mantle Cell Lymphoma Consortium." Journal of hematology & oncology.. 2023 Dec 16; 16(1):122. Epub 2023 Dec 16.
12/7/2023
El Hussein S, Fang H, Jelloul FZ, Wang W, Loghavi S, Miranda RN, Friedberg JW, Burack WR, Evans AG, Xu J, Medeiros LJ. "T-Cell-Rich Hodgkin Lymphoma With Features of Classic Hodgkin Lymphoma and Nodular Lymphocyte-Predominant Hodgkin Lymphoma: A Borderline Category With Overlapping Morphologic and Immunophenotypic Features." Archives of pathology & laboratory medicine.. 2023 Dec 7; Epub 2023 Dec 07.
Books & Chapters
2019
Book Title: How I treat early relapsing follicular lymphoma
Author List: Casulo C, Barr PM
Published By: Blood 2019
2019
Book Title: Augmenting Indolent Lymphoma Treatment Options with the Combination of Lenalidomide and Rituximab.
Author List: Barr PM
Published By: J Clin Oncology 2019
2018
Book Title: Pitfalls of Combining Novel Agents in Lymphoma
Author List: Rodgers TD; Barr PM
Published By: Current treatment options in oncology 2018
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Reviews
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