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A new study out of Roswell Park has provided insight on why some glioblastoma (GBM) patients have responded especially well to SurVaxM, an experimental vaccine that targets survivin. Survivin is a protein found in about 95% of GBMs, and the vaccine teaches the immune system to attack survivin-positive cells.
In the Phase 2a trial, 63 newly diagnosed patients received standard care plus SurVaxM. Researchers analyzed detailed molecular tumor data from 34 of those patients and found that long-term survivors (those living more than 18 months) had tumors with high B and T cell infiltration, stronger interferon signaling, and a shared five-gene expression pattern. These immune features didn’t predict survival in an external control group of registry patients who didn’t get SurVaxM, which suggests these molecular signatures might help predict who benefits most from the vaccine rather than just who has a better prognosis in general.
Notably, ten patients are still alive over seven years after receiving SurVaxM, including five with no recurrence to date. It is also worth noting that both the Phase 2a and 2b trials only enrolled patients with very little tumor left after surgery (less than 1.0 cm3 contrast-enhancing disease), so these findings may not apply to everyone with GBM.
The larger Phase 2b randomized trial is now fully enrolled. An independent interim review from early 2025 recommended the trial continue without changes, which is an encouraging sign. We’ll share updates as soon as final results are available!