A drug called Apatinib® (Rivoceranib), is approved in China, South Korea and Europe for gastric cancer but not for GBM.
Why is it related to GBM?
On February 14, 2017, 2 cases of brain tumor patients treated with this drug, taken orally, were reported in the literature.
One case is of a 37-year-old patient with high-grade glioma during her second recurrence of the disease failed on Temodar ®, radiation, Avastin® and more. The second case reported was of a 40-year-old man diagnosed with GBM and his condition worsened and progressed after undergoing repeated surgery, radiation and Temodar®. Both started treatment with Apatinib®.
The standard protocol for GBM patients includes surgery (if the patient can be operated), radiotherapy and Temodar®. The radiation therapy is administered under a regime called “Stupp regimen”. Just to remark – Temodar® is a well-known drug since 1999 and the “Stupp regimen” has been in place since 2005 and since then, is the standard treatment.
And the patients?
They continue to agree to accept it despite its disappointing efficacy expressed in the severity or recurrence of the disease in almost 100% of cases.
So yes, in 2019, there are more innovative and advanced treatments and not only that – we also help connect GBM patients to those treatments. That’s our specialty.
And the results?
The first patient reported, achieved complete regression (!) of the disease according to MRI thanks to the treatment of Apatinib®, which lasted some time and the second patient treated with this drug, responded to treatment in such a way that his disease is small and did not progress for 12 months!! Remember, these are two patients in advanced disease condition.
These results indicate that Apatinib® has an efficacy potential previously not observed in GBM.
How to access?
Today, Apatinib is already in Phase II clinical trials in China and the point is that we may be able to get her to suitable patients, of course, as a compassionate drug. In such a case, the drug company may agree to send the drug to other countries and then the patient will receive it for free at the medical center where it is being treated.
The second way is to try to buy it ‘off-label’ with a prescription from the attending oncologist. In this case, it is likely that the oncologist will not really want to cooperate and sign the documents because you know … The medical world is conservative and therefore you need to push.
You don’t have to be alone in this process. You should not be alone.
