| Project title | Phase 2 Study to Evaluate the Clinical Efficacy and Safety of MEDI4736 in GBM |
|---|---|
Grant Amount | $539,000 |
Institution | Cancer Research Institute |
Investigator Team | Principal investigator A/Prof. Hui Gan |
Grant Type | 2014 Clinical Trial |
Years | 2014 – 2020 |
This study is an international collaboration between Cancer Research Institute in New York, Ludwig Cancer Research and MedImmune, supported by Cure Brain Cancer Foundation. The trial is managed by Ludwig Cancer Research and conducted in both the USA and Australia. The Australian research team is based at the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute in Melbourne.
The first trial is a non-randomised, Phase 2 study to test the safety and efficacy of Durvalumab (MEDI4736), which could help to block the tumour’s immune-evading tactics.
Durvalumab is an investigational human monoclonal antibody directed against the programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) protein. Signals from PD-L1 help tumours avoid detection by the immune system. Durvalumab blocks these signals, countering the tumour’s immune-evading tactics. The antibody belongs to an emerging class of immunotherapies commonly referred to as checkpoint inhibitors, because they remove checks the body places on immune activation.
“Currently GBM patients have an average life expectancy of just 15 months and we hope that adding a promising immunotherapy to the treatment regimen could have significant benefits in turning this around.”