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This article is targeted to investors and I usually do not post such articles but it talks about something very important to us. First they show the graph from the big randomized phase 3 trial of Optune for newly diagnosed Glioblastoma. This shows that the median overal survival for this new standard of care is 24.5 months. This number should be used going forward when talking about the average survival for glioblastoma. I have recently read articles that quote the survival as little as 14 months even though the Temodar trial showed it was 19 months before Optune..
Next, they talk about combinations. I feel combinations are the key to the cure, and that is the basis of our organizations - we help patients find the best combinations and track the outcomes to home in on the cure. They show some preliminary data on the combination of Optune with radiation. The traditional way to use Optune is wait a few weeks after radiation to give the skin a chance to heal before starting Optune. This graph shows that in the lab, radiation and Optune are very synergistic. Novocure is about to open a new randomized phase 3 trial testing what is the best time to start using Optune: either at the start of radiation or a few weeks after radiation ends. They did a pilot study and saw it was technically possible and the side effects of skin irritation were manageable.
They also talk about combinations with Taxol and checkpoint inhibitors. These are really exciting. There should be a lot of new research reported at the upcoming Society of Neurooncology meeting! Stay tuned!