Increased Glioblastoma Financing with Nonprofit Organizations Propelling Attention and Pharmaceutical Companies Re-entering the Arena
In the realm of cancer research, glioblastoma (GBM)—often considered a hard-to-treat cancer due to its aggressive nature and location within the brain—is seeing a surge of activity. Recent developments reflect increased investment, innovative clinical trials, and active involvement of biotech and pharmaceutical companies, including new immunotherapy approaches and novel treatment modalities.
This renewed vigor is evident in the financial backing for GBM research. Since 2023, the nonprofit Innovation GBM has helped raise over $170 million in public investments across nine brain tumor companies. One such recipient, Alpheus Medical, secured $52 million in a Series B round to advance sonodynamic therapy (SDT), a new approach combining tumor-targeting drugs with ultrasound to selectively kill tumor cells, specifically targeting residual cells that drive recurrence.
Innovative trials and therapies are also at the forefront of this revitalised landscape. A notable example is the FDA-cleared phase Ib/2a clinical trial by Starlight Therapeutics (a Lantern Pharma subsidiary), which is testing the novel agent STAR-001 combined with spironolactone for recurrent GBM. This trial aims to advance beyond the long-standing standard of care, which has hardly changed in 15 years.
Immunotherapy remains a major focus, with research encompassing immune checkpoint inhibitors (e.g., nivolumab, pembrolizumab), CAR T-cell therapies, cancer vaccines, and oncolytic viruses. While these approaches face challenges from the tumor’s immunosuppressive environment, they continue to show potential in clinical trials. Cold plasma therapy is another emerging experimental approach that selectively targets GBM cells without harming normal brain tissue; clinical trials are being prepared to test its safety and effectiveness as a surgical adjunct or external brain treatment.
At UNC Health, a multicenter trial is evaluating IGV-001, an immunotherapy pill designed to induce a durable immune response post-surgery, combined with chemotherapy and radiotherapy. This trial reflects ongoing efforts to harness immune modulation against GBM.
While the search results do not specifically mention Merck or Jazz Pharmaceuticals in detail, it is known that Merck has been involved in GBM research mainly through immune checkpoint inhibitors like pembrolizumab, which is referenced in immunotherapy studies for GBM. Jazz Pharmaceuticals, while not directly cited in the latest search results regarding clinical trials or investment, is a known player in oncology and neuro-oncology pipelines and may be involved in related research or collaborations outside the provided data.
Developing a treatment for glioblastoma is both appealing to the pharmaceutical industry due to potential high revenues and prohibitive due to its difficult-to-treat nature, small patient population, and high level of clinical failure. High-profile trial failures led to a decline in interest from the pharmaceutical industry in developing new glioblastoma treatments. However, the development of platforms like GBM Agile, an adaptive clinical trial platform, has piqued big pharma and investor interest, with the markets realizing that there is real reward potential in the field of brain cancer treatments.
Since its inception in 2018, GBM Agile has allowed eight companies, including Kazia Therapeutics, Vigeo Therapeutics, and Biohaven, to test therapies in later-stage trials. This platform, which uses real-time data to cut the cost of trials from approximately $75 million to $25 million, marks an inflection point for the therapeutic space.
The U.S. has approximately 3 people per 100,000 with glioblastoma. Glioblastoma, a type of brain cancer, has a median survival rate of 14.6 months, according to The Glioblastoma Research Organization. Despite these challenges, the advancements in research and clinical trials offer renewed hope for patients and their families.
- Science and innovation are driving progress in cancer research, specifically in the treatment of glioblastoma (GBM), with numerous clinical trials, investment from biotech and pharmaceutical companies, and the development of new immunotherapy approaches and novel treatment modalities.
- Organizations like Innovation GBM are playing a significant role in cancer research financing, having raised over $170 million in public investments since 2023 for brain tumor companies.
- Businesses and investors are increasingly recognizing the potential rewards in the field of brain cancer treatments, with platforms such as GBM Agile attracting big pharma and investor interest due to its cost-cutting capabilities in later-stage trials.
- In the realm of health and wellness, ongoing research and clinical trials offer hope for patients and their families, as advances in cancer research, such as the development of new treatment modalities for GBM, aim to improve survival rates and quality of life.
