A drug that targets a protein involved in regulating the immune response might be promising in patients with glioblastoma, Dana-Farber investigators report.

The research teams presented their findings at the 2024 Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) in Chicago, May 31-June 4, 2024. 

The drug ibudilast inhibits a protein called MIF, which is produced at elevated levels in patients with glioblastoma and can hamper the immune response to cancer.

In a phase 1b/2a study, 36 patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma and 26 patients with recurrent glioblastoma were treated with daily ibudilast and monthly cycles of temozolomide, a chemotherapy agent.

The six-month progression-free survival was 44% for patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma and 31% for those with recurrent glioblastoma.

Although the survival rates were comparable to historically reported rates, laboratory research suggests the drug may be more effective in patients with glioblastoma when combined with immunotherapy agents known as checkpoint inhibitors, making this combination a potentially promising therapy. 

Source: Dana-Farber Cancer Institute