Study Finds Experimental Drug Prolongs the Survival of Glioblastoma Patients
A recent study whose findings appeared in the Nature Communications journal has shown that a new experimental drug can increase the survival time of patients who have been diagnosed with glioblastoma. This brain cancer is the most prevalent brain cancer in adults.
The experimental drug, dubbed 186RNL (Rhenium Obisbemeda), was developed at UT Health San Diego. The trial established that this drug candidate, at the very least, doubled the progression-free and survival duration of study participants in comparison to the known progression-free or survival rates of patients afflicted by this brain tumor. It also didn’t have any side effects that would limit the dosage given to a patient.
Dr. Andrew Brenner, the lead author of this research, revealed that this clinical trial provides a ray of hope, and given that phase 2 of this study is underway and slated for completion by the end of this year, a clearer path forward will be available.
Brenner added that glioblastoma is a cancer that is not only difficult to treat but also resists chemotherapy and frequently recurs. Because of this, he says, there is an urgent need for lasting treatments that have the ability to target the malignant tissue directly while also leaving healthy tissue unaffected. This study was intended to test a drug that has the potential to deliver the needed results.
186RNL is a radioisotopic formulation that emits beta radiation. The drug was administered into tumor tissues using tiny liposomes having one or more lipid bilayers. A customized molecule dubbed BMEDA was leveraged to chelate and transport the drug into tumor tissues where it is permanently trapped. The clinical trial was aimed at establishing the maximum dosage that patients could tolerate, the safety profile of the drug, how patients would respond to the drug, how long patients would survive after receiving this treatment, and how long they would spend without the cancer progressing.
21 patients were selected to take part in this study running from March 2015 to April 2021. Convection catheters and neuronavigation techniques were used to administer this drug directly into the brain tumors. The selected patients had previously failed to respond to between one and three therapies targeting the cancer.
The researchers noted that after the drug was administered, patients spent at least 6 months without their condition progressing. They also had an improved survival time of 17 months compared to just 8 months maximum for patients receiving other existing treatments. The best results were obtained from study participants who received doses higher than 100 Gray (a ‘Gray’ is a standard unit used to measure radiation). The adverse effects noted were found to be resulting from factors which weren’t connected to the treatment.
Many more companies, such as CNS Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: CNSP), are conducting their own programs aimed at commercializing new drugs targeting brain and central nervous system cancers, such as glioblastoma. Their success will increase the treatment options for people suffering from these diseases.
NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to CNS Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: CNSP) are available in the company’s newsroom at https://ibn.fm/CNSP
Please see full terms of use and disclaimers on the BioMedWire website applicable to all content provided by BMW, wherever published or re-published: http://BMW.fm/Disclaimer
A recent study whose findings appeared in the Nature Communications journal has shown that a new experimental drug can increase the survival time of patients who have been diagnosed with glioblastoma. This brain cancer is the most prevalent brain cancer in adults.
The experimental drug, dubbed 186RNL (Rhenium Obisbemeda), was developed at UT Health San Diego. The trial established that this drug candidate, at the very least, doubled the progression-free and survival duration of study participants in comparison to the known progression-free or survival rates of patients afflicted by this brain tumor. It also didn’t have any side effects that would limit the dosage given to a patient.
Dr. Andrew Brenner, the lead author of this research, revealed that this clinical trial provides a ray of hope, and given that phase 2 of this study is underway and slated for completion by the end of this year, a clearer path forward will be available.
Brenner added that glioblastoma is a cancer that is not only difficult to treat but also resists chemotherapy and frequently recurs. Because of this, he says, there is an urgent need for lasting treatments that have the ability to target the malignant tissue directly while also leaving healthy tissue unaffected. This study was intended to test a drug that has the potential to deliver the needed results.
186RNL is a radioisotopic formulation that emits beta radiation. The drug was administered into tumor tissues using tiny liposomes having one or more lipid bilayers. A customized molecule dubbed BMEDA was leveraged to chelate and transport the drug into tumor tissues where it is permanently trapped. The clinical trial was aimed at establishing the maximum dosage that patients could tolerate, the safety profile of the drug, how patients would respond to the drug, how long patients would survive after receiving this treatment, and how long they would spend without the cancer progressing.
21 patients were selected to take part in this study running from March 2015 to April 2021. Convection catheters and neuronavigation techniques were used to administer this drug directly into the brain tumors. The selected patients had previously failed to respond to between one and three therapies targeting the cancer.
The researchers noted that after the drug was administered, patients spent at least 6 months without their condition progressing. They also had an improved survival time of 17 months compared to just 8 months maximum for patients receiving other existing treatments. The best results were obtained from study participants who received doses higher than 100 Gray (a ‘Gray’ is a standard unit used to measure radiation). The adverse effects noted were found to be resulting from factors which weren’t connected to the treatment.
Many more companies, such as CNS Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: CNSP), are conducting their own programs aimed at commercializing new drugs targeting brain and central nervous system cancers, such as glioblastoma. Their success will increase the treatment options for people suffering from these diseases.
NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to CNS Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: CNSP) are available in the company’s newsroom at https://ibn.fm/CNSP
Please see full terms of use and disclaimers on the BioMedWire website applicable to all content provided by BMW, wherever published or re-published: http://BMW.fm/Disclaimer
