Clinical Trial at UNC Treating Recurrent Glioblastoma Opening Soon

BTTC11-02: Phase I/II Adaptive Randomized Trial of Bevacizumab versus Bevacizumab plus Vorinostat in Adults with Recurrent Glioblastoma

This is a randomized phase II trial of the combination of bevacizumab plus vorinostat compared with bevacizumab alone in patients with recurrent grade IV malignant glioma. 

The results of the Phase I portion of the study have been selected to be presented at annual ASCO conference in Chicago. The 2-arm adaptive randomized Phase II study will be initiated soon.

Postdoctoral fellow receives DOD Visonary Fellowship Award

Idoia Garcia, PhD, is a postdoctoral fellow in the lab of Timothy Gershon, MD, PhD, and her project will receive more than $330,000 to focus on the most common pediatric brain cancer, medulloblastoma. 

Current therapy for this cancer can cause severe long-term side effects for patients and the cancer is ultimately fatal for many children. Read full news article.

Jing Wu MD, PhD, is co-director of the brain tumor program and is a participating physician with the Brain Tumor Trials Collaborative and the Collaborative Ependymoma Research Network. She serves as the program's PI for BTTC and CERN clinical studies.

Referral Information

For more information about neuro-oncology clinical trials or to refer a patient to one of these clinical trials, contact Dr. Wu at 919-966-1374.

To refer a patient to UNC's Neuro-Oncology Program, call Ava Pettiford or Lauria Themes at 919-966-9696.

Matthew Ewend, MD, Chair of the UNC Department of Neurosurgery, Kay and Van Weatherspoon Professor, and co-director of the Neuro-Oncology Program discusses UNC's world-class surgical expertise and growing base of clinical trials for brain tumor patients.

Watch video.

Clinical Trials at UNC Treating Newly Diagnosed Glioblastoma

A Phase II Clinical Trial Evaluating DCVax®-Brain, Autologous Dendritic Cells Pulsed with Tumor Lysate Antigen for the Treatment of Glioblastoma Multiforme

The study is designed as a randomized, placebo-controlled, double blinded, multi-center, Phase II clinical trial. Patients with newly diagnosed grade 4 astrocytoma, who underwent the surgery will be eligible for the study. Patients will receive either DCVax-Brain as adjuvant therapy to standard treatment or standard treatment supplemented with autologous PBMC (placebo).

An additional, separate informational arm will be composed of patients who display progressive GBM at completion of radiation/chemo-therapy, or who are otherwise determined to be ineligible for the investigational arm of the study after leukapheresis.

BTTC11-01: Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial of Lacosamide for Seizure Prophylaxis in Patients with High-Grade Gliomas

This is a multicenter, randomized, placebo-controlled trial to assess the efficacy of prophylactic administration of the antiepileptic drug (AED) Lacosamide in patients with newly-diagnosed high-grade glioma (HGG).

There is no consensus among neurologists, neurosurgeons, and oncologists regarding the need for prophylactic AEDs among newly-diagnosed and peri-operative HGG patients who have not experienced seizures. Addressing an important question in the field of neuro-oncology, the primary objective of this study is to determine if prophylactic administration of Lacosamide reduces the risk of seizures in patients with HGG.  This will be tested in newly-diagnosed post-operative patients during the first year after tumor diagnosis.