Preliminary results from an ongoing phase 2 trial suggest that adding the investigational drug BPM31510 to standard chemoradiation may improve survival for patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma. Among 39 evaluable patients, the median overall survival was 19.3 months, exceeding the survival typically seen with standard treatment alone.
The greatest benefit was seen in patients with MGMT unmethylated tumors, which are usually more difficult to treat. These patients achieved a median overall survival of 29.3 months, compared with the historical average of about 13 to 16 months. Median survival has not yet been reached for patients with MGMT methylated tumors because many remain alive.
BPM31510 was generally well tolerated, with no new serious drug-related side effects reported. The drug works by targeting abnormal energy production in cancer cells to help restore natural cell death.