Glioblastoma News and Research

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Glioblastoma is the most aggressive and malignant form of glioma, a type of primary brain cancer. Surgery is often used to treat gliomas, along with radiation. However, since surgery and radiation fail to cure the disease, doctors may turn to additional radiation or chemotherapy. In early stages glioblastoma tumors often grow without symptoms and therefore can become quite large before symptoms arise. When the tumor becomes symptomatic, tumor growth is usually very rapid and is accompanied by altered brain function, and if left untreated the disease becomes lethal. Although primary treatment is often successful in temporarily stopping the progression of the tumor, glioblastomas almost always recur and become lethal.

JHN to initiate new Phase I immunotherapy trial in glioblastoma

Physicians at the Jefferson Hospital for Neuroscience (JHN), the region's only dedicated hospital for neuroscience, are tackling a particularly aggressive brain cancer that even surgery, chemotherapy and radiation often fail to treat with a promising new immunotherapy to attack a patient's tumor with their own cancer cells.

15 Dec 2011

Scientists pinpoint protein that allows GBM to invade healthy brain tissue

Scientists have pinpointed a protein that allows brains tumors to invade healthy brain tissue, according to work published this week in the Journal of Experimental Medicine.

13 Dec 2011

Four clinical centers to provide NovoTTF device treatment for recurrent GBM

Novocure, a commercial stage private oncology company, has announced that prominent neuro-oncologists at four clinical centers in the U.S. will be the first to provide access to its Tumor Treating Fields (TTFields) device, NovoTTF-100A System, for the treatment of recurrent glioblastoma multiforme. GBM is a deadly brain tumor affecting approximately 10,000 Americans each year.

3 Dec 2011

University of Illinois Hospital prescribes Tumor Treating Fields therapy for recurrent GBM

The University of Illinois Hospital is the first center in North America to prescribe a new FDA-approved treatment for patients with the most common and aggressive type of brain tumor, glioblastoma multiforme, or GBM.

3 Dec 2011

Celldex launches rindopepimut Phase 3 trial in EGFRvIII-positive glioblastoma

Celldex Therapeutics, Inc. today announced that it has launched a pivotal, randomized, double-blind, controlled Phase 3 trial of rindopepimut in patients with surgically resected epidermal growth factor variant III (EGFRvIII)-positive glioblastoma, the "ACT IV Study."

1 Dec 2011

New research institute at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center

Academic and government leaders announced today the establishment of a major new research institute at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center that will blend the best attributes of academic and industrial research to identify and validate new cancer targets, convert such scientific knowledge into new cancer drugs, and advance these novel agents into innovative clinical trials.

29 Nov 2011

Combination of radiation treatment and LY2109761 can prevent glioblastoma

Glioblastoma is regarded as the most malignant form of brain tumor. In many cases, neurosurgeons are not able to remove such tumors completely because of the risk of destroying too much brain tissue in the process. Moreover, it is often impossible to identify all the fine extensions by which the tumor spreads into surrounding healthy tissue. To at least slow down the growth of tumor cells that have remained in the head, almost all glioblastoma patients are treated by radiotherapy after surgery.

24 Nov 2011

Arginine may reactivate T-cells in patients with glioblastoma

In many cases, tumors suppress a patient's immune system in a way that keeps the cancer safe from immune system attack. This is particularly true for patients with glioblastoma, a primary brain tumor that carries a prognosis of only 12-15 months survival after diagnosis.

22 Nov 2011

Consistent data from three studies support plans for rindopepimut with ACT IV Phase 3 study

Celldex Therapeutics, Inc. today announced the presentation of mature overall survival (OS) data for ACT III, a multi-center, single arm, Phase 2 clinical trial of rindopepimut (CDX-110) in patients with newly diagnosed EGFRvIII-positive glioblastoma (GB).

21 Nov 2011

Avastin drug not safe and effective for breast cancer patients: FDA Commissioner

FDA Commissioner Margaret A. Hamburg, M.D., said today she is revoking the agency's approval of the breast cancer indication for Avastin (bevacizumab) after concluding that the drug has not been shown to be safe and effective for that use.

19 Nov 2011

Scientists identify novel gene mutation that causes glioblastoma

Scientists at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center, in collaboration with colleagues in Boston and South Korea, say they have identified a novel gene mutation that causes at least one form of glioblastoma (GBM), the most common type of malignant brain tumor.

18 Nov 2011

Chloroquine-chemotherapy combination holds potential for metastatic breast cancer treatment

An anti-malaria drug used for more than 60 years is now being studied for use in breast cancer patients whose disease has not responded to traditional chemotherapy treatment.

18 Nov 2011

ZIOPHARM announces new preclinical data from two darinaparsin studies on solid tumors

ZIOPHARM Oncology, Inc., a drug development company employing small molecule and synthetic biology approaches to cancer therapy, announced today new preclinical data from two separate studies of darinaparsin, a novel organic arsenic, in various solid tumor models at the AACR-NCI-EORTC International Conference on Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics, taking place November 12-16 in San Francisco.

16 Nov 2011

Lentigen, UH Case Medical Center initiate LG631 Phase I trial in glioblastoma

University Hospitals (UH) Case Medical Center, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and Lentigen Corporation announced today the initiation of a novel Phase I clinical trial of LG631 gene therapy for the protection of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) from the dose limiting toxicity of chemotherapy with Temodar.

15 Nov 2011

YM BioSciences reports revenue of $0.3 million for first quarter 2012

YM BioSciences Inc., a drug development company advancing a diverse portfolio of hematology and cancer-related products, today reported operational and financial results for its first quarter of fiscal 2012, ended September 30, 2011.

11 Nov 2011

NCCN ORP to evaluate clinical effectiveness of Boehringer Ingelheim's Afatinib in solid tumors

The National Comprehensive Cancer Network Oncology Research Program (ORP) has been awarded a $2 million grant from Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc. to develop a program to scientifically evaluate and define the clinical effectiveness of Afatinib (BIBW 2992) in solid tumors, including breast, head and neck, and non-small cell lung (NSCL) cancers.

11 Nov 2011

EpiCept reports net loss of $5.4 million for third quarter 2011

EpiCept Corporation today announced operating and financial results for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2011, and provided an update with respect to the Company's key business initiatives.

8 Nov 2011

PKM2 enzyme has important non-metabolic functions in cancer formation

The embryonic enzyme pyruvate kinase M2 (PKM2) has a well-established role in metabolism and is highly expressed in human cancers. Now, a team led by researchers at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center reports in advance online publication of the journal Nature that PKM2 has important non-metabolic functions in cancer formation.

7 Nov 2011

Scientists identify mechanism by which GBM promotes neurodegeneration

Researchers from Virginia Commonwealth University Massey Cancer Center and the VCU Institute of Molecular Medicine have discovered a mechanism by which glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), the most common form of brain cancer, promotes the loss of function or death of neurons, a process known as neurodegeneration.

4 Nov 2011

Celldex third quarter net loss increases to $11.8 million

Celldex Therapeutics, Inc. today reported financial results for the third quarter and nine months ended September 30, 2011. Celldex reported a net loss of $11.8 million, or $0.27 per share, for the third quarter of 2011 compared to a net loss of $9.1 million, or $0.28 per share, for the third quarter of 2010.

2 Nov 2011