Lengthy Cancer Drug Study Using Dozens Of Sites Yields Positive Results

A three-nation study of a treatment for recurring glioblastoma showed the therapy more than five times as effective as the typical protocol, an unexpectedly large advance in fighting these aggressive brain tumors. But it was a long road, and the drug’s efficacy was a big factor in extending the trial to five years – nearly twice its expected duration.

Yes, recruiting was time consuming – it took 21 months to find the 84 patients who were ultimately randomized and treated in this Phase II evaluation of an antibody-like human fusion protein. And it took extra effort to ensure that devices used across more than two dozen study sites were accurately calibrated.