Immunotherapy drug takes on deadly brain cancer

NCT ID NCT02852655

Ongoing Disease control Sponsor: Dana-Farber Cancer Institute Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

First seen Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This early-stage trial tests the immunotherapy drug pembrolizumab in 60 adults with recurrent glioblastoma, an aggressive brain cancer. The study aims to see how the drug affects immune cells in the tumor and whether it is safe. Participants receive pembrolizumab before and after surgery to remove their tumor.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance: Pembrolizumab (a drug that helps the immune system fight cancer)
What this could lead to: If successful, this could point toward a new treatment option for recurrent glioblastoma, a difficult-to-treat brain cancer.
What could go wrong: This is an early Phase 1 trial with only 60 participants, so results may not apply to all patients. The drug may cause serious side effects or fail to improve survival.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

brain cancer glioblastoma gliosarcoma

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

BRAIN CANCER

Contacts and locations

Locations

Dana Farber Cancer Institute

Boston, Massachusetts, 02115, United States
Huntsman Cancer Institute

Salt Lake City, Utah, 84112, United States
Massachusetts General Hospital

Boston, Massachusetts, 02114, United States
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer

New York, New York, 10065, United States
UT, MD Anderson Cancer Center

Houston, Texas, 77030, United States
University of California, Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California, 90095, United States
University of California, San Francisco

San Francisco, California, 94143-0372, United States

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