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I love these concepts. First, they are going to target 4 markers instead of the current CAR-T cell therapies which have one target. Second, they are going to try it in the most difficult tumors first - DIPG in kids. We will quickly find out if it works or not, since the usual life expectancy is under a year. If it works in kids, they will bring it to adults quickly. The Musella Foundation has given them a small grant to work on the CAR-T cells a few years ago!
This is another promising project funded in part by the Musella Foundation. The results presented are way too early to know for sure but look promising.
This is an interesting outcome. Adding the drug cediranib to the standard temozolomide during radiation for newly diagnosed glioblastoma doubled the progression free survival time. However, there was no difference in overall survival. This is similar to the Avastin trials. There was no quality of life data reported so we do not know if the quality of life remained high for a longer period of time. There was a big increase in side effects with the cediranib compared to placebo. Hard to say if it is worth it. Obviously, we need better treatments.
Impressive results from one treatment of Bizaxofusp for recurrent Glioblastoma. The survival at 1 year increased 370% compared to a well matched external control group. They think this treatment may stimulate the immune system which may make a combination with a checkpoint inhibitor logical.
This is way too early but looks very promising. CAR-T cells were a major breakthrough for other types of cancer but until now have not really worked well with brain tumors. Many researchers are working on ways of making them work for brain tumor. Here, two groups present the first evidence that there is hope.
Thanks to generous donations, we are able to reopen our copay assistance program! We have a lookback period of 3 months from when the completed application arrives so if you are approved, and have paid for a covered treatment in the last 3 months we can reimburse you! This program can help pay for the following treatments: Optune, Temodar, Avastin and Gleostine, as well as the generics / bioequivalents of these! If you think you may need help, apply ASAP as the program might not be open too long. Remember, seeking help is never something to feel guilty about. We are here to alleviate some of the burdens in your life and provide support during challenging times. Don't hesitate to reach out and let us assist you.
They reached a significant milestone - over 1,000 patients treated with GammaTile! GammaTile is an FDA approved treatment for newly diagnosed and recurrent primary or metastatic brain tumors. It is implanted at the time of surgery and releases radiation to the tumor bed.
This is just a single case report - so do not get too excited about the combination. What IS exciting is the process. I love the way this team of doctors approached this case and think it should be used on all cases of brain tumors. They do a deep analysis of the tumor and fgure out the pathways that drive the tumor. In the past, you would pick the pathway you think is the most important, and target it. What is different here is they try to hit all of the important pathways at the same time with a new combination of drugs that was never tried before. They use intra-patient dose escalation to figure out the right dosage of the drugs.
Very disappointing. I had high hopes for this drug. The reports did not share the results but did say development of this drug is now on hold until final results are presented.
I doubt that three cases in a 13 year period represent a major risk but glad that they are investigating. They confuse terminology and statistics. A DIPG is one form of diffuse midline glioma that occurs in the pons, and there are only about 300 per year in the USA with an average survival of under a year and only 2% survive five years.
Ruxolitinib is a JAK Inhibitors that is FDA approved for the treatment of blood and bone marrow cancers. They are testing it in addition to radiation and Temozolomide for Glioblastoma and early results look good, and the side effects were not too bad. If this proves to be useful, it can be used off label immediately.
GammaTile is an FDA approved implant that releases radiation to the tumor bed! Watch the webinar for details!
This is an exciting combination of treatments. MB-101 is a CAR-T cell therapy and MB-108 is an oncolytic virus. The combination is named MB-109. Each component alone had shown safety as well as activity but not really enough to get approval on their own. The combination makes sense and together they may make a major breakthrough. I will be watching this one closely.
The US Senate special committee on aging held a hearing on the Promising Pathway Act. Mike Hugo (a Musella Foundation volunteer!) testified about his experiences as a Glioblastoma survivor. He talked about how he can not access promising treatments that he needs right now. Worth watching the short video
Now is the time to apply more pressure to get the Promising Pathway Act passed! We had good traction in the Senate so far with really no senators opposing - we just need a few more senators to take a stand - so we need everyone (who hasn't already) send letters to congress. Go to https://virtualtrials.org/activism.cfm to easily send letters. And now we have to work on the house!
Participation is free and easy - no pre-registration required! Just go to virtualtrials.org/webinar a few minutes before the event!
This article shows the major impact the extent of resection of the tumor has on survival for glioblastoma. In particular, if all of the contrast enhancing tumor is removed at surgery, the chance of 2 year survival jumps to 40%, compared with just 7.7 for a near total resection - which is defined as less than 1 cubic cm of tumor remaining. This is why it is so urgent to seek out the best surgeons and facilities. They have a better chance of removing all of the tumor, usually with less damage than the typical surgeon. The ABTA has a list of the best centers at https://www.abta.org/about-brain-tumors/treatments-side-effects/find-a-brain-tumor-center/
The Central Brain Tumor Registry of the USA publishes this report every year. The Musella Foundation is a proud sponsor of it! This 100 page report has the most trusted statistics on brain tumors.
Unfortunately, it shows that in the USA, the median survival for Glioblastoma is still stuck at just 8 months. We always hear the survival for Glioblastoma is 18 -24 months, but that is from clinical trials, and only about 8% of adult GBM patients participate in clinical trials.
Pretty exciting results for fourth line therapy. 55% disease control rate and median survival of 10 months after 4th recurrence. This was only a phase 1 trial. but it is proof of concept that the Car-T cells may work in brain cancer. Car-t cells have been a major breakthrough in other types of cancers but up until now hasn't shown much success in the brain.
