Overcoming Critical Issues in Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM) Therapeutic Development

This article, originally posted on Scientist.com, was written in collaboration with Certis Oncology Solutions and highlights their dedication to advancing glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) drug development.

Glioblastoma multiforme is one of the most common and difficult-to-treat adult brain tumors. With an estimated 10,000 annual new diagnoses in the United States and a near 100% recurrence rate, safe and effective brain-penetrant therapies are essential to combat this disease. However, developing drugs that effectively treat GBM has proved exceedingly challenging to date.

The current standard of care for GBM, surgical resection followed by radiation therapy and temozolomide, is largely ineffective, with 95% of patients suffering a relapse. Furthermore, temozolomide has been the only first-line approved anti-GBM drug in the last 20 years, with limited efficacy and a high rate of resistant patients. Additionally, between 1983 and 2020, only 4 out of 161 orphan drugs were approved for GBM treatment, as well as one implant.

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) statistic

A major bottleneck in GBM drug development is a lack of preclinical models that accurately predict pathogenesis and resistance. Model reproducibility and cost-effectiveness are important factors to consider, yet precisely duplicating optimal preclinical models for this disease is particularly challenging for drug developers. This article takes a close look at three challenges in developing more accurate preclinical GBM models and effective therapeutics, including:

  • An evolving genetic background
  • Temporal and spatial intra-tumoral heterogeneity
  • The tumor microenvironment and blood-brain barrier

Additionally, this article delves into the future neurotherapeutic landscape, as well as how Certis Oncology Solutions is helping drug developers fulfill the unmet need for safe and effective GBM treatments through well-characterized orthotopic patient-derived xenograft models. Click the link below to read more, and to reserve your virtual seat for an upcoming webinar on GBM preclinical model and drug development!