Brain tumor
Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most aggressive (grade IV) and most common form of a malignant brain tumor. Even when aggressive multimodality therapy consisting of radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and surgical excision is used, median survival is only 12–17 months. Standard therapy for glioblastoma multiforme consists of maximal surgical resection of the tumor, followed by radiotherapy between two and four weeks after the surgical procedure to remove the cancer, then by chemotherapy, such as temozolomide. Most patients with glioblastoma take a corticosteroid, typically dexamethasone, during their illness to relieve symptoms. Experimental treatments include targeted therapy, gamma knife radiosurgery, boron neutron capture therapy and gene therapy.
APG101
APG101 is a soluble CD95-Fc fusion protein which is in development for the treatment of Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) and myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). APG101 blocks the CD95–ligand (CD95L) from binding to the CD95-receptor (CD95). A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase I study to examine the safety and tolerability of APG101 has shown that it is well tolerated. The efficacy of APG101was tested in a randomized controlled phase II trial with patients suffering from GBM, the most aggressive brain tumor. The study was initiated at the end of 2009 and first results were released in 2012. A total of 83 patients with first or second relapse of GBM were enrolled in the successful trial. The primary goal of doubling the number of patients reaching progression-free survival at six months (PFS6) was substantially exceeded.