It has become increasingly clear that tumors within the same histological classification differ in terms of genetic background, malignant behavior, and sensitivity to anti-tumor treatments. Many promising anti-cancer agents yielded such low response rates in the general GBM population that they were discarded from further clinical evaluation. However, with the identification of predictive signatures for drug responses in GBM, drugs can be tested in patients using a stratified trial design, our goal is to identify these profiles.
The drugs under investigation are all FDA/EMA approved, therefore clinical trial initiatives can either be undertaken by academic institutes or pharmaceutical companies that might obtain new patents for repurposing. The Erasmus Brain Tumor Center has vast experience in performing phase I- III clinical trials in GBM patients, investigator-initiated as well as industry-sponsored. Due to our strong collaboration within the neurosurgical community in the Netherlands, as reflected in the Dutch Quality Registry Neurosurgery (QRNS) for GBM, we will be able to rapidly involve multiple centers. The dept. of Neurosurgery is also part of a collaborative effort with Amsterdam UMC, which aims to design a phase 0/phase 2 trial platform for GBM patients based on personalized approaches.
