Trials moving ahead for treatment of Brain Cancer

The UNM Comprehensive Cancer Center has started phase 2 clinical trials, targeting glioblastoma patients. A new two-drug combination, currently in use in the clinical trials, might help people diagnosed with glioblastoma to fight the disease, according to a UNM Comprehensive Cancer Center press release.

Olivier Rixe, associate director for Clinical Research at the UNM Comprehensive Cancer Center, who serves as a National Principal Investigator for these clinical trials, said the researchers reported positive results for the phase 1 trials.“The results were very promising. There were a certain number of patients who responded positively,” he said. "The scientists looked at safety of the drugs they are using to treat the tumor and found no side-effects of the treatment."“During the phase 1 clinical trials, some patients noted outstanding responses to this treatment," Rixie said. "One of the patients is alive two years after the treatment in phase 1 and almost no tumor in the MRI. We are extremely enthusiastic."

He hopes that the study will expand quickly, he said. “We are going to enroll 100 patients from across the U.S. for the phase 2 study.