There Is an Urgent Need for More Efficacious High-Grade Glioma Treatments, but Will the Current Therapeutic Pipeline Suffice?

There is a dearth of drug treatment options for high-grade glioma, especially for glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), which has a particularly poor prognosis. Meager advancements in prolonging the survival of patients have been made over the last decade, and there is a pressing need for efficacious therapies that are both safe and tolerable. The role of Roche's Avastin (bevacizumab) in GBM is still debated, and the results of ongoing pivotal studies are eagerly anticipated with the hope that they will enlighten us regarding this biological therapy. With mediocre enthusiasm surrounding the late-stage pipeline for high-grade glioma, considerable opportunity remains for drug developers.

Questions Answered

• GBM, the most aggressive form of the disease, accounts for the majority of newly diagnosed cases of glioma (59% in the United States). What are the most informative prognostic markers in GBM? Which pathways and drug targets should developers focus on for identifying effective therapeutic agents in GBM?
• Avastin has received accelerated approval for recurrent GBM in the United States and enjoys significant use in this setting; the drug also garners some off-label use in select newly diagnosed GBM patients. Do surveyed oncologists believe that the ongoing pivotal studies of Avastin in newly diagnosed GBM will be positive? What are the implications for the future role of Avastin if these studies are positive? And what are the ramifications if these studies are negative?
• Several emerging therapies belonging to a range of different drug classes are in Phase III development. Which therapies hold the most promise and have caught the attention of surveyed oncologists? Will any of these agents fulfill the need for more effective treatment in high-grade glioma? What will be the challenges to gaining approval, and what opportunities for drug developers will remain?

Scope

Markets covered: United States.

Primary research: A survey of 50 U.S. oncologists that covered current treatments, emerging treatments, and unmet needs.

Currently marketed therapies: Insight on and discussion of currently marketed therapies and unmet needs for treating glioma in the United States.

Emerging therapies: Phase II: 12 drugs; Phase III: 4 drugs.

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