The use of dianhydrogalactitol provides a novel therapeutic modality for the treatment of glioblastoma, non-small-cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) and ovarian cancer, as well as other types of malignancy, including brain metastases of NSCLC. Dianhydrogalactitol acts as an alkylating agent on DNA that creates N7 methylation and inter-strand crosslinks that can induce double-stranded breaks in DNA. Dianhydrogalactitol is effective in suppressing the growth of cancer stem cells and is active against tumors that are refractory to temozolomide, cisplatin, and tyrosine kinase inhibitors; the drug acts independently of the MGMT repair mechanism. Dianhydrogalactitol can be used together with other anti-neoplastic agents and can possess additive or synergistic effects. Dianhydrogalactitol can be used for treatment of leptomeningeal carcinomatosis.
Use of dianhydrogalactitol or derivatives and analogs thereof for treatment of non-small-cell lung carcinoma, glioblastoma, and ovarian carcinoma by induction of DNA damage and stalling of cell cycle