New combo therapy shows promise for tough brain tumors
NCT ID NCT02866747
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study tested whether adding the immunotherapy drug durvalumab to targeted radiation can help people with recurrent glioblastoma, an aggressive brain cancer that has come back after initial treatment. The trial enrolled 108 adults and first checked safety, then randomly assigned patients to receive either radiation alone or radiation plus durvalumab. The main goal was to see if the combination improves overall survival.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Durvalumab (immunotherapy drug) and hypofractionated stereotactic radiation therapy (targeted radiation)
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this combination could offer a new treatment option that extends survival for patients with recurrent glioblastoma, a brain cancer with few effective therapies.
- What could go wrong
- This is an early-phase trial (Phase I/II) with a small number of patients, so results may not apply broadly. Immunotherapy can cause serious side effects, and the added benefit over radiation alone is not yet proven.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Phase 1/2
Runs two stages together: safety and dose first, then whether the treatment works.
- Participants
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108 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Jan 2017
- Finished
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Nov 2024
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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18 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: 1. Age ≥ 18 years at time of study entry. 2. Previous histopathologic confirmation of glioblastoma. 3. Any line of recurrence of glioblastoma proven by contrast enhanced MRI within 28 days prior to the first fraction of RT, per modified RANO criteria (Wen et al JCO 2010). Note: Recurrence is defined as progression following therapy (i.e., chemotherapy, radiation, second surgery). 4. Recurrent nodule of an histologically confirmed diagnosis of World Health Organization (WHO) Grade IV malignant glioma (Glioblastoma) occurring in or out the previous irradiation fields. 5. Recurrent disease documented by MRI evidence with a size of the recurrence evaluated on T1 post-gadolinium sequence ≤35mm. 6. Patient for which a re-irradiation (by hFSRT) has been decided by the multidisciplinary medical board. 7. Patients with measurable disease. 8. Prior radiotherapy must be ended at least 12 weeks before the first fraction of RT (unless progressive disease outside of the radiation field or histopathologic confirmation of unequivocal tumor to eliminate pseudoprogression images according to RANO recommendations, Wen et al JCO 2010). 9. In case of previous anti-VEGF/VEGFR targeted therapy: at least 28 days between the last injection of anti-VEGF/VEGFR targeted therapy and the first fraction of RT. 10. Karnofsky performance status ≥70. 11. Adequate hematologic, renal and hepatic function, as defined below: * Absolute Neutrophil Count ≥ 1500/mm3 * Haemoglobin ≥ 9.0 g/dL * Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm3 * Total bilirubin ≤ 1.5 x ULN (for patient with confirmed Gilbert's syndrome, * Total bilirubin ≤ 3 x ULN) * Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) ≤ 2.5 x ULN * Creatinine ≤ 1.5 x ULN or creatinine clearance (CrCl) ≥ 40 mL/min, using the Cockcroft-Gault formula: * Female CrCl = (140 - age in years) x weight in kg x 0.85 /72 x serum creatinine in mg/dL * Male CrCl = (140 - age in years) x weight in kg x 1.00/72 x serum creatinine in mg/dL 12. Female Patients must either be of non-reproductive potential (i.e., post-menopausal by history: ≥60 years old and no menses for ≥ 1 year without an alternative medical cause; OR history of hysterectomy, OR history of bilateral tubal ligation, OR history of bilateral oophorectomy) or must have a negative serum pregnancy test upon study entry. 13. Written informed consent and any locally required authorization (e.g., Social security for France (Health Insurance)) obtained from the patient prior performing any protocol-related procedures, including screening evaluations. 14. Patient willing and able to comply with the protocol for the duration of the study including undergoing treatment and scheduled visits and examinations including follow up. Exclusion Criteria: 1. Multifocal GBM recurrence (exception: multisite nodular recurrence (maximum: 2 sites) that can be irradiated by hFSRT according to investigator's judgement). 2. Distance between tumor and optic ways including chiasma or brainstem \<1 cm. 3. Prior re-irradiation (except if fulfilling the following requirements: ended at least 6 months before the first fraction of RT in the study, localized outside the target of interest for the trial, and previously re-irradiated lesion controlled at the time of study entry). 4. Prior exposure to Durvalumab or other anti-PD-1, anti-PD-L1, anti-CTLA4 antibodies. 5. Patient who received a live vaccine within 30 days prior to the first fraction of RT. 6. Receipt of the last dose of anti-cancer therapy (chemotherapy, immunotherapy, endocrine therapy, targeted therapy, biologic therapy, tumor embolization, monoclonal antibodies, other investigational agent) within 28 days prior to the first fraction of RT. 7. Current or prior use of immunosuppressive medication within 10 days before the first fraction of RT (exception: systemic corticosteroids at physiologic doses not exceeding 10 mg/day of prednisone or equivalent are allowed as well as steroids as premedication for hypersensitivity reactions (eg, CT scan premedication) - Topical, inhaled, nasal and ophthalmic steroids are not prohibited). 8. Mean QT interval corrected for heart rate (QTc) ≥470 ms calculated from 3 electrocardiograms (ECGs) using Fridericia's Correction 9. Presence of diffuse leptomeningeal disease or extracranial disease. 10. Active suspected or prior documented autoimmune disease (including inflammatory bowel disease, celiac disease, Wegener's granulomatosis and Hashimoto's thyroiditis). Note: participants with vitiligo, type I diabetes mellitus, residual hypothyroidism due to autoimmune condition only requiring hormone replacement, psoriasis not requiring systemic treatment, or conditions not expected to recur in the absence of an external trigger, are permitted to enroll. 11. Known primary immunodeficiency or active HIV. 12. Known active or chronic viral hepatitis or history of any type of hepatitis within the last 6 months indicated by positive test for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBV sAG) or hepatitis C virus antibody. 13. History of organ transplant requiring use of immunosuppressive medication. 14. History of active tuberculosis. 15. Current pneumonitis or interstitial lung disease. 16. Uncontrolled intercurrent illness including, but not limited to, ongoing or active infection, symptomatic congestive heart failure, uncontrolled hypertension, unstable angina pectoris, cardiac arrhythmia, active peptic ulcer disease or gastritis, active bleeding diatheses. 17. Other invasive malignancy within 2 years prior to entry into the study, except for those treated with surgical therapy only. 18. History of severe allergic reactions to any unknown allergens or any components of the study drug. 19. Any prior Grade ≥ 3 immune-related adverse event (irAE) or any prior corticosteroid-refractory irAE. 20. Participation in any other clinical trial involving another investigational product within 4 weeks prior to the first fraction of RT. 21. Participation in any other clinical trial which delivered a dose \>60 Gy for the primo-treatment for glioblastoma. 22. Female patients who are pregnant, breast-feeding or male or female patients of reproductive potential who are not employing highly effective method of birth control. 23. Any condition that, in the clinical judgment of the investigator, is likely to prevent the patient from complying with any aspect of the protocol or that may put the patient at unacceptable risk. 24. Mental impairment (psychiatric illness/social situations) that may compromise the ability of the patient to give informed consent and comply with the requirements of the study. 25. Patient who has forfeited his/her freedom by administrative or legal award or who is under guardianship.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Centre Francois Baclesse
Caen, 14 000, France
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Centre Georges Francois Leclerc
Dijon, 21 000, France
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Centre Paul Strauss
Strasbourg, 67000, France
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Hopital Avicenne
Bobigny, 93 000, France
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Hopital Pitie Salpetriere
Paris, 75013, France
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Institut Claudius Regaud
Toulouse, France
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Institut Curie
Saint-Cloud, 92 210, France
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Institut Gustave Roussy
Villejuif, 94 800, France
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Institut Regional Du Cancer de Montpellier
Montpellier, 34 298, France
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Institut de Cancerologie de L'Ouest
Angers, 49055, France
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Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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