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View Full Version : Interesting Trial -- Drug Crosses Blood Brain Barrier


Cynthia
08-02-2007, 02:42 PM
Friends,

There seems to be way too many folks on this site with brain mets. I recently posted on this topic, but wanted to do so again to keep this issue fresh. There is a very early clinical trial involving Vorinostat (also known as SAHA) + Herceptin for B/C patients with metastatic disease. While this trial is not focusing on brain mets specifically, having had brain mets does not exclude you from the trial if they were previously treated with WBR and they are stable. The interesting thing to me about the trial is that Vorinistat has been shown in other studies (mice models and humans with giloblastomas) to cross the blood brain barrier.

So far, only nine patients have been enrolled on this trial, though it is just now rolling over from a Phase I to a Phase II. While it should open around the country as an ECOG multi-center trial in about six months, it is currently only available at two sites: one in Philadelphia and one in New York. If you are interested, I can give you the the principal investigator's contact information. You and/or your doctor can contact her directly about the trial.

Here is the www.clinicaltrials.gov (http://www.clinicaltrials.gov) link for this trial: http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct/show/NCT00258349

Here is an article published by Mayo regarding the use of Vorinostat with recurrent glioblastomas: http://www.mayoclinic.org/news2007-rst/4082.html

Finally, here is an article about the use of Vorinostat in the mice model:
http://www.researchgrantdatabase.com/1Z01BC010538.html


Sorry, Joe, I know this really belongs on the Clinical Trials section -- and I am posting there as well. I just want to get the word out on this.

Please understand I have no personal experience with this trial other than to be aware of its existence. I am, however, intrigued with the very early data relative to Vorinostat's proven ability to cross the BBB and attach brain cancer -- albeit in another form of brain cancer and in mice models.

If you want contact information for the principal investigator, please email me at clgilman1@yahoo.com

Stay well.

Cynthia

Shell
08-08-2007, 01:09 PM
Cynthia-

I'm in Phila - could you send me more info about this?

Kind regards,

hutchibk
08-08-2007, 04:11 PM
I am just posting this as another perspective regarding brain mets...

FYI, Xeloda and Carboplatin are two chemos that are small enough molecule to cross the BBB and of course, Tykerb is the current monclonal that crosses... I am my own personal clinical trial regarding Tykerb/Xeloda as my doc agreed to let me hold off on WBR or any rads for a time while we scan regularly and see what T/X will do. So far, my brain mets showed stable on the MRI (with one of the 9 mm spots less enhanced) 6 weeks ago after a month on T/X and we will know more next week when I have another MRI. My TMs have dropped like an anvil from 45 to 9 in 2.5 months. I am still asymptomatic, and doing great. I am not recommending this brain mets course for anyone else as it was specific to me and I negotiated it with my onc. I will report my progress as we know more.

Alice
08-08-2007, 10:53 PM
I wasn't aware that Carboplatin crossed the blood brain barrier. I had carbo/taxol/herceptin in a trial and am NED for 18 months now. I do have 5mm nodules in the lungs but it is not confirmed as carcinoma. It is assumed to be scar tissue as it has not progressed. It is good to hear that there are more alternatives concerning the blood brain barrier.
Alice

hutchibk
08-09-2007, 12:12 AM
I didn't know about Carbo either until I was diagnosed with brain mets, and I asked my doc what chemos crossed the BBB and he said definitely Carbo and Xeloda. Don't know what that means in the grand scheme, but I believe it probably helped me keep them at bay for the time that I was on it...

Believe51
08-09-2007, 07:44 AM
Thanks for sharing this information it is very much appreciated and more ammo for my husband's journey with breast cancer. Since it is such an unpredictable disease we have always embraced learning all aspects of this illness. This board has been such a lifesaver for us during this rather horrific time in the journey called our life, a life we have always referred to as our 'Fairy Tale'. And by the way, we refuse to let breast cancer steal away our fairy tale!!!

Thank you for making us aware and providing us with knowledge, love, and hope.

ALWAYS BELIEVE!!!>>Believe51

Joe
08-09-2007, 09:35 AM
Details of this and other trials are on our featured trial page:

http://her2support.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=52&Itemid=75

Regards
Joe