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Drug Information from MedlinePlus
Effect of NovoTTF-100A in Recurrent Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM)

Basic Trial Information
Trial Description
     Summary
     Further Trial Information
     Eligibility Criteria
Trial Contact Information

Basic Trial Information

Phase
Type
Status
Age
Sponsor
Protocol IDs

Phase III


Treatment


Active


18 and over


Pharmaceutical / Industry


EF-11
NCT00379470

Trial Description

Summary

The study is a randomized, controlled trial, designed to test the efficacy and safety of a new medical device, the NovoTTF-100A. The device is an experimental, portable, battery operated device for chronic treatment of patients with recurrent or progressive glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) using alternating electric fields (termed TTFields).

Further Study Information

PAST CLINICAL EXPERIENCE:

The effect of the electric fields generated by the NovoTTF-100A device (TTFields) has been tested in two pilot trials in humans. The data from these trials suggest NovoTTF-100A may improve time to disease progression and overall survival of recurrent GBM patients. Although the number of patients in the pilot trials is small, The FDA has determined that the data gathered so far warrant testing of NovoTTF-100A treatment as a possible therapy for patients with recurrent GBM.

DESCRIPTION OF THE TRIAL:

Patients with GBM whose disease has recurred or progressed despite standard treatment (Surgery, radiation therapy, Temozolomide treatment) and meet all of the requirements for participation in the study will be randomly assigned to one of two groups:

1. Treatment with the NovoTTF-100A device, or

2. Treatment with the best standard of care practiced at each of the participating centers.

If assigned to the best standard of care group, patients will receive a chemotherapeutic agent chosen based on their prior treatments and the standard of care practiced at each treating center.

If assigned to the NovoTTF-100A group, the patients will be treated continuously for as long as their disease is stable or regressing. NovoTTF-100A treatment will consist of wearing four electrically insulated electrodes on the head. Electrode placement will require shaving of the scalp before treatment. After an initial short hospitalization (24 hours) patients will be released to continue treatment at home where they can maintain their regular daily routine.

During the trial, regardless of whether assigned to the NovoTTF-100A treatment group or the best standard of care group, patients will need to return once every month the hospital outpatient clinics where they will be examined by a physician and undergo routine laboratory examinations. These routine visits will continue for as long as the patient's disease is not progressing. After progression, if such occurs, patients will need to return once per month for two more months to the outpatient clinic for similar follow up examinations.

During the visits to the clinic patients will be examined physically and neurologically. Additionally, routine blood tests and ECG will be performed. A routine MRI of the head will be performed at baseline and after 2, 4 and 6 months. After this follow up plan, patients will be contacted once per month by telephone to answer basic questions about their health status.

SCIENTIFIC BACKGROUND:

Electric fields exert forces on electric charges similar to the way a magnet exerts forces on metallic particles within a magnetic field. These forces cause movement and rotation of electrically charged biological building blocks, much like the alignment of metallic particles seen along the lines of force radiating outwards from a magnet.

Electric fields can also cause muscles to twitch and if strong enough may heat tissues. TTFields are alternating electric fields of low intensity. This means that they change their direction repetitively many times a second. Since they change direction very rapidly (200 thousand times a second), they do not cause muscles to twitch, nor do they have any effects on other electrically activated tissues in the body (brain, nerves and heart). Since the intensities of TTFields in the body are very low, they do not cause heating.

The breakthrough finding made by NovoCure was that finely tuned alternating fields of very low intensity, now termed TTFields (Tumor Treating Fields), cause a significant slowing in the growth of cancer cells. Due to the unique geometric shape of cancer cells when they are multiplying, TTFields cause the building blocks of these cells to move and pile up in such a way that the cells physically explode. In addition, cancer cells also contain miniature building blocks which act as tiny motors in moving essential parts of the cells from place to place. TTFields cause these tiny motors to fall apart since they have a special type of electric charge.

As a result of these two effects, cancer tumor growth is slowed and can even reverse after continuous exposure to TTFields.

Other cells in the body (normal healthy tissues) are affected much less than cancer cells since they multiply at a much slower rate if at all. In addition TTFields can be directed to a certain part of the body, leaving sensitive areas out of their reach.

In conclusion, TTField hold the promise of serving as a brand new cancer treatment with very few side effects and promising affectivity in slowing or reversing this disease.

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Pathological evidence of GBM using WHO classification criteria.
  • > 18 years of age.
  • Not a candidate for further radiotherapy or additional resection of residual tumor.
  • Patients with disease progression (by Macdonald criteria i.e., > 25% or new lesion) documented by CT or MRI within 4 weeks prior to enrollment
  • Karnofsky scale ≥ 70
  • Life expectancy at least 3 months
  • Participants of childbearing age must use effective contraception.
  • All patients must sign written informed consent.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Actively participating in another clinical treatment trial
  • Within 4 weeks from surgery for recurrence
  • Within 4 weeks from any prior chemotherapy.
  • Within 4 weeks from radiation therapy
  • Pregnant
  • Significant co-morbidities (within 4 weeks prior to enrollment):

1. Significant liver function impairment - AST or ALT > 3 times the upper limit of normal

2. Total bilirubin > upper limit of normal

3. Significant renal impairment (serum creatinine > 1.7 mg/dL)

4. Coagulopathy (as evidenced by PT or APTT >1.5 times control in patients not undergoing anticoagulation)

5. Thrombocytopenia (platelet count < 100 x 103/μL)

6. Neutropenia (absolute neutrophil count < 1 x 103/μL)

7. Anemia (Hb < 10 g/L)

8. Severe acute infection

  • Implanted pacemaker, defibrillator or deep brain stimulator, or documented clinically significant arrhythmias.
  • Infra-tentorial tumor
  • Evidence of increased intracranial pressure (midline shift > 5mm, clinically significant papilledema, vomiting and nausea or reduced level of consciousness)

Trial Contact Information

Trial Lead Organizations/Sponsors

Novocure Limited

Phillip Gutin, MDPrincipal Investigator

Roger Stupp, MDPrincipal Investigator

Eilon D Kirson, MD-PhDPh: +972-4-8501204
  Email: eilon@novo-cure.com

Trial Sites

U.S.A.
Connecticut
  Bridgeport
 Bridgeport Hospital
 Dianne Eannotti, MD Ph: 203-384-3611
  Email: ndeann@bpthosp.org
 Kenneth Lipow, MDPrincipal Investigator
Illinois
  Chicago
 Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center at Northwestern University
 Lilia Gallot Ph: 312-695-1363
  Email: l-gallot@northwestern.edu
 Jeffrey J. RaizerPrincipal Investigator
 University of Illinois Cancer Center
 Karriem S Watson Ph: 312-355-0334
  Email: kswatson@uic.edu
 Contact Person Ph: 800-597-5970
 Herbert H. EngelhardPrincipal Investigator
  Evanston
 Evanston Northwestern Healthcare - Evanston Hospital
 Patricia Lada Ph: 847-570-2025
  Email: plada@enh.org
 Nina Paleologos, MDPrincipal Investigator
Massachusetts
  Boston
 Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
 Loretta Barron Ph: 617-667-1665
  Email: lbarron@bidmc.harvard.edu
 Eric T. WongPrincipal Investigator
 Boston University Cancer Research Center
 Lisa Stober, RN, CCRP Ph: 617-638-6519
  Email: lstober@bu.edu
 Lawrence S. ChinPrincipal Investigator
  Burlington
 Lahey Clinic Medical Center - Burlington
 Christine Gould Ph: 781-744-3956
 Rees Cosgrove, MDPrincipal Investigator
New Jersey
  Edison
 New Jersey Neuroscience Institute at JFK Medical Center
 Albert Obiozo Ph: 732-321-7000 Ext.68897
  Email: aobiozo@solarishs.org
 Joseph C. LandolfiPrincipal Investigator
New York
  New York
 Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center at Columbia University Medical Center
 Candy Yanes Ph: 212-305-1282
  Email: cy2162@columbia.edu
 Jeffrey Bruce, MDPrincipal Investigator
 Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
 Philip H Gutin, MD Ph: 212-639-8557
 Philip H. GutinPrincipal Investigator
 New York Weill Cornell Cancer Center at Cornell University
 Euphael Henry Ph: 212-746-2438
  Email: euh2002@med.cornell.edu
 Susan Pannullo, MDPrincipal Investigator
Ohio
  Cleveland
 Case Comprehensive Cancer Center
 Dawn Diorio Ph: 216-983-5167
  Email: dawn.diorio@UHhospitals.org
 Andrew Sloan, MDPrincipal Investigator
 Cleveland Clinic
 Carol Patton Ph: 216-445-1067
  Email: pattonc@ccf.org
 Robert Weil, MDPrincipal Investigator
Pennsylvania
  Pittsburgh
 UPMC Cancer Centers
 Melissa Clark Ph: 412-647-9578
  Email: clarkml2@upmc.edu
 Teresa Donegan Ph: 412-647-8580
  Email: donegante@upmc.edu
 Frank Scott LiebermanPrincipal Investigator
Virginia
  Charlottesville
 University of Virginia Cancer Center
 Goga Radakovic, MD Ph: 434-243-5750
  Email: gr2p@virginia.edu
 David SchiffPrincipal Investigator
Wisconsin
  Milwaukee
 Medical College of Wisconsin Cancer Center
 Judeen Richlen Ph: 414-805-5419
  Email: JRichlen@mcw.edu
 Mark Gordon MalkinPrincipal Investigator
Austria
  Graz
 Landeskrankenhaus/Universitatskliniken Graz
 Franz Payer, MD Ph: +43 316 385 2385
  Email: franz.payer@meduni-graz.at
 Franz Payer, MDPrincipal Investigator
Czech Republic
  Brno
 Faculty Hospital Brno
 Martin Smrcka, MD-PhD Ph: +420 532 232 742
  Email: msmrcka@med.muni.cz
 Martin Smrcka, MD-PhDPrincipal Investigator
  Prague
 Na Homolce Hospital
 Prof. Josef Vymazal, MD-PhD Ph: +420 603 440 205
  Email: Josef.Vymazal@homolka.cz
 Vladimir Dbaly, MDPrincipal Investigator
 Frantisek Tovarys, MDSub-Investigator
 Bela Malinova, MDSub-Investigator
France
  Lyon
 Hospital of Neurology Lyon - University Claude Bernard Lyon 1
 Jerome Honnorat, MD, Ph.D. Ph: +33 472355460
  Email: matine.lionnet@chu-lyon.fr
 Jerome Honnorat, MDPrincipal Investigator
  Paris
 CHU Pitie-Salpetriere
 Sophie Tallibert, MD Ph: +33 142 160421
  Email: sophie.tallibert@psl.aphp.fr
 Noelle Pouget, Ph.D. Ph: +33 142 160421
  Email: noelle.pouget@psl.aphp.fr
 Sophie Tallibert, MDPrincipal Investigator
Germany
  Augsburg
 Klinikum Augsburg
 Nikolai Rainov, MD-DSc Ph: +49 814 002251
  Email: nikolai.rainov@medizin.uni-halle.de
 Volkmar Hiedecke, MDPrincipal Investigator
 Nikolai Rainov, MD-DScSub-Investigator
  Hamburg
 University Medical Center Hamburg - Eppendorf
 Manfred Westphal, MD Ph: +49 404 2803 2750
  Email: westphal@uke.uni-hamburg.de
 Manfred Westphal, MDPrincipal Investigator
  Kiel
 University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein - Kiel Campus
 H. Maximilian Mehdorn, MD, Ph.D. Ph: +49 431 597 4800
  Email: mehdorn@nch.uni-kiel.de
 H. Maximilian Mehdorn, MD, Ph.D.Principal Investigator
Israel
  Tel Aviv
 Tel-Aviv Sourasky Medical Center
 Carmit Ben Harush Ph: +972-3-697 4273
  Email: andrewk@tasmc.health.gov.il
 Andrew A Kanner, MDPrincipal Investigator
Switzerland
  Lausanne
 Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois
 Valerie Elsig Ph: +41 021 314 0214
 Roger StuppPrincipal Investigator

Link to the current ClinicalTrials.gov record.
NLM Identifer NCT00379470
Information obtained from ClinicalTrials.gov on December 17, 2008

Note: Information about this trial is from the ClinicalTrials.gov database. The versions designated for health professionals and patients contain the same text. Minor changes may be made to the ClinicalTrials.gov record to standardize the names of study sponsors, sites, and contacts. Cancer.gov only lists sites that are recruiting patients for active trials, whereas ClinicalTrials.gov lists all sites for all trials. Questions and comments regarding the presented information should be directed to ClinicalTrials.gov.

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