Findings from a phase I study treating 11 patients with glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) with a combination of an investigational vaccine therapy and an approved chemotherapy drug were published in Clinical Cancer Research.
The study used a vaccine targeting cytomegalovirus (CMV) antigen pp65, combined with temozolomide and monitored patients for toxicity and adverse events.
“This is a small study, but it's one in a sequence of clinical trials we have conducted to explore the use of an immunotherapy that specifically targets a protein on glioblastoma tumors,” said lead study investigator Kristen Batich, MD, PhD. “While not a controlled efficacy study, the survival results were surprising, and they suggest the possibility that combining the vaccine with a more intense regimen of this chemotherapy promotes a strong cooperative benefit.”
The mean survival rate for GBM is less than 15 months on the current standard of care. Of the 11 patients involved in this study, four survived for more than 5 years following treatment with the combination of vaccine and temozolomide.