Therapeutic Vaccines for Glioblastoma and Other Brain Tumors

Last updated 4/27/25

Concept

Cancer vaccines train a patient's immune system to recognize tumor-specific antigens and mount a durable T-cell response that helps keep residual cancer in check. Unlike preventive vaccines, these therapeutic vaccines are given after diagnosis, usually alongside surgery, radiation and temozolomide.

Vaccine Classes

• Tumor-lysate dendritic-cell vaccines - Autologous dendritic cells pulsed with the patient's own tumor lysate to present a broad repertoire of neoantigens (e.g., DCVax-L).
• Peptide vaccines - Short synthetic peptides representing one or more tumor antigens mixed with an adjuvant (e.g., SurVaxM, ITI-1001).
• mRNA vaccines - Lipid-nanoparticle mRNA encoding patient-specific neoantigens; early-phase GBM studies are recruiting (e.g., BNT-201 by BioNTech).

Representative Candidates

Product	Platform	Target Antigen(s)	Clinical Status
DCVax-L (Northwest Bio)	Tumor-lysate dendritic cells	Patient-specific neoantigens	Phase 3 complete; marketing application under review by UK MHRA (2024)
SurVaxM (MimiVax)	Peptide + Montanide + sargramostim	Survivin (MHC I & II)	Phase 2b randomized trial enrolling (SURVAXM-001)
NeoVax / ITI-1001 (Dana-Farber / Immunomic)	Personalized peptide pool + Poly-ICLC	Top 20 neoantigens per patient	Phase 1 complete; combination trials planned
Gliovac (ERC-1671)	Allogeneic + autologous tumor-lysate mix with GM-CSF + cyclophosphamide	Heterogeneous whole-tumor antigens	Phase 2 data; available in the US under Right-to-Try or single-patient IND

How They Are Used

• Treatment window: Most protocols start 3-8 weeks after chemoradiation, once steroids are ≤2 mg/day dexamethasone.
• Companion therapy: Vaccines are frequently paired with low-dose temozolomide, Poly-ICLC or checkpoint inhibitors to boost immunogenicity.
• Dosing schedule: Typically injected every 2-4 weeks for 3-6 doses, followed by maintenance boosters every 2-3 months.

Key Research Highlights

• DCVax-L phase 3 (2023) - Median OS 19.3 mo in newly diagnosed GBM vs 16.5 mo in matched controls; 4-yr OS 15%.
• SurVaxM phase 2 (2022) - 96% six-month PFS; 51% two-year OS with TMZ.
• NeoVax pilot (2021) - Robust neoantigen-specific T-cell immunity; 4 of 8 patients disease-free >3 yrs.
• Gliovac phase 2 (2021) - Median OS 12 mo in recurrent GBM; 24% two-year OS.

Access and Availability

• DCVax-L: Not commercially available. A Special Access Programme is open in the UK; contact Northwest Bio for details. No US expanded-access sites at present.
• SurVaxM: Accessible only through the SURVAXM-001 multicenter trial in the US.
• Gliovac: Available under the US Right-to-Try Act or single-patient IND; contact ERC Belgium or partner sites.
• Personalized peptide or mRNA vaccines: Limited to early-phase trials at Dana-Farber, Penn, BioNTech, etc.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I start a vaccine if I'm still on steroids?
High-dose steroids (>2 mg/day dex) blunt T-cell priming. Most studies require taper to ≤2 mg/day before the first dose.

How soon will it work?
Immune monitoring shows peak neoantigen-specific T cells by roughly week 12; radiographic responses usually lag 3-6 months.

What about cost?
Investigational vaccines are free in trials. Commercial pricing will be set after regulatory approval and insurer negotiations.