This study is a multicenter randomized double-blinded controlled phase 2 study evaluating the efficacy and safety of the anti-CMV drug valganciclovir vs placebo as add-on therapy in patients with glioblastoma. Valganciclovir is approved for treatment of cytomegalovirus (CMV) infections, but may also have anti-tumoral effects. Current evidence imply that most glioblastomas are CMV positive and that the virus can affect tumor aggressiveness.
Adult patients will either be randomized to standard treatment (temozolomide and radiation therapy) + placebo tablets or to standard treatment + valganciclovir. Patients are randomized using 1 to 1 distribution of the patients between the treatment groups and are stratified according to methylation status of the MGMT promoter; equal proportion of patients are included in each group. A maximum of 30% of patients with methylated MGMT promoter are allowed into the study (to harmonise with current data used for statistical power calculation), as MGMT promotor methylation status is prognostic for patient survival. Patients must enter the study within 10 weeks after surgery. Full dose treatment with 900mgs of Valganciclovir is given twice daily for 6 weeks, thereafter 900 mgs daily during 98 weeks (total treatment of 24 months). Valganciclovir is available in 450 mg tablets. The dose of Valganciclovir will be adjusted according to renal function. This study will be performed in compliance with the protocol, ICH-GCP, the declaration of Helsinki and applicable Swedish regulatory requirements. The study discontinuation criteria are as follows: * Withdrawal of consent * An adverse event which requires discontinuation of the trial medication or results in * inability to continue to comply with trial procedures * Disease progression which results in inability to continue to comply with trial * procedures * Major Protocol deviations * Exclusion criteria met
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
QUADRUPLE
Enrollment
220
Oslo University Hospital
Oslo, Norway
Stavanger University Hospital
Stavanger, Norway
SE01 Karolinska University Hospital
Solna, Stockholm County, Sweden
Impact of valganciclovir on median overall survival of glioblastoma patients
Median overall survival will be analyzed using Cox regression analysis and presented by Kaplan-Meier graphs. Proportion of patients alive at 12 or 24 months, respectively, in each study arm and will be analyzed using Fisher exact test.
Time frame: Study closure at 30 months follow up. Survival analyses will be analysed at 12 and 24 months.
Baseline and demographic data
All baseline and demographic data will be analysed using descriptive statistics such as mean, medians, standard deviations etc. for all variables which are continuous. Variables that are categorical will be analysed using frequency tables with number of patients and percent. All these analyses will be divided by treatment group. No formal hypothesis testing will be performed for the demographic and baseline variables.
Time frame: At 30 months follow up
Progression free survival at 12 and 24 months
Tumor recurrence is estimated as clinical and radiological determination (RANO criteria and NANO criteria). The progression free survival will be calculated as the (date of progression - date of first dose of study drug). Patients who are alive without progression at end of follow-up will be censored. Patients who are withdrawn from the study during the follow-up for other reason than dead will be censored at time of withdrawal. Patients who dies for any reason during the follow-up without any progression will be classified as progression using date of death as date of progression. Patients are analysed for stable disease, surgical interventions and treatment failure. Progression free survival will be analysed using Cox regression analysis and presented by Kaplan-Meier graphs. The difference in 12 and 24 months progression free survival rates for patients treated with valganciclovir or placebo will be analysed using Fisher exact test.
Time frame: 12 and 24 months
Incidence of valganciclovir treatment related adverse events
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Placebo treatment of glioblastoma
Number of patients with treatment related adverse events, as assessed by CTCv4. Vital signs: blood pressure (mmHg), heart rate (beats per minute), temperature (degree Celsius), clinical laboratory (total blood counts and differential analyses, liver transaminases and bilirubin, and renal function (creatinine and GFR) and physical exam. Adverse events will be analyzed using a chi-square test without continuity correction.
Time frame: 30 months follow up time
Health related Quality of Life using EORTC QLQ30 module
Quality of Life measures are recoreded according to EORTC QLQ30 and BN20 module, that are validated for brain tumor patients and measured as a unit of scale. There will be a comparison of scores for patients receiving valganciclovir versus placebo treatment. These are standard tools for assessing patients reported quality of Life along time during treatment. The change from baseline will be analysed using Wilcoxon Rank Sum test.
Time frame: Base line and at every 3 months until 24 months follow up.
Cognitive functions
MMSE (Mini Mental State Examination) tests are made with a questionary form and will be assesses every three months during the study. The change from baseline will be analysed using Wilcoxon Rank Sum test.
Time frame: up to 24 months
Health related Quality of Life using the EORTC BN20 module
Quality of Life measures are recoreded according to BN20 module, that are validated for brain tumor patients and measured as a unit of scale. There will be a comparison of scores for patients receiving valganciclovir versus placebo treatment. These are standard tools for assessing patients reported quality of Life along time during treatment. The change from baseline will be analysed using Wilcoxon Rank Sum test.
Time frame: Base line and at every 3 months until 24 months follow up.