Study of Liposomal Curcumin in Combination With RT and TMZ in Patients With Newly Diagnosed High-Grade Gliomas

This study is a Phase Ib-IIa, single-center, single-institution, open-label, dose-escalation study in patients with newly diagnosed high-grade malignant gliomas. Dose finding will be performed using a time-to-event Bayesian optimal interval (TITE-BOIN) rule-based schema.

The primary objectives of the study are to determine the maximum tolerated dose /recommended phase 2 dose of Liposomal Curcumin (LC) in combination with radiotherapy (XRT), and TMZ and adjuvant TMZ in newly diagnosed High-Grade Gliomas.

The secondary objectives are to estimate the safety and tolerability of LC in combination with standard XRT and TMZ and adjuvant TMZ, to determine the feasibility of treatment during first 10 week.

This study is an unblinded, sequential treatment intervention employing 3 dose levels.

Approximately 50 patients will be screened to achieve up to 30 patients assigned to study intervention: up to 24 in Study Part 1 and up to 6 in Study Part 2.

All patients will be treated with open-label intravenous (IV) LC on a weekly basis for a minimum of 34 infusions which begins following healing of glioma resection and at the approximate time of the initiation of SOC XRT and TMZ therapy. Patients will have LC therapy discontinued when there is either evidence of a) disease progression, b) safety concerns leading to discontinuation, or c) the patient requests to terminate LC therapy. LC weekly treatment will be continued following 34 weeks of treatment depending on patient's desires. Regular phone (or clinic) follow-up follows cessation of LC treatment (if stopped) to capture patient data on OS and PFS.

Inclusion criteria

• ≥18 years of age
• Histologically confirmed HGG (WHO grade III or IV, including GBM, astrocytoma, gliosarcoma, H3K27M mutant diffuse midline glioma). Patients with methylated or unmethylated O(6)-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) promoter are eligible, as are IDH WT and mutant patients as long as the treatment plan is for combined XRT/TMZ. The neuropathologic diagnosis of HGG will be made at the respective institution. If any question arises regarding the accuracy of the neuropathologic diagnosis, slides (and pathological blocks, if necessary) will be centrally reviewed
• Planning standard therapy with TMZ and XRT for 6 weeks and adjuvant TMZ for six 28-day cycles.
• Karnofsky Performance Scale (KPS) ≥ 70%

Adequate organ and marrow function defined as:

• Hgb > 9 g/dL
• ANC ≥ 1500/µL
• Platelet count ≥ 100,000/µL
• Total bilirubin ≤ 1.5 * institutional ULN
• AST and ALT ≤ 3 * institutional ULN OR
• Estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) ≥ 60 mL/min/1.73 m2 unless data exist supporting safe use at lower values of renal function, but eGFR must be ≥ 30 mL/min/1.73 m2
• Patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) who are on effective antiretroviral therapy are eligible if the viral load was assessed as undetectable within 6 months prior to baseline
• Women: WOCBP must agree to use adequate contraception (hormonal or barrier method of birth control or abstinence) prior to study entry and for the duration of study participation
• Men: must agree to use adequate contraception prior to study entry, for the duration of study participation, and for 4 months after completion of LC administration

Exclusion criteria

• Any concurrent cancer diagnosis that is untreated, actively treated, or has undergone any therapy (XRT, cytotoxic, targeted, immunotherapeutic, etc.) within 2 years of study enrollment, with the exception of squamous or basal cell skin cancer
• Patient has not recovered from AEs due to prior anticancer therapy (i.e., residual toxicities > Grade 1), with the exception of alopecia
• Receiving any other investigational agent
• Active infection requiring systemic antibiotics
• History of allergic reaction to compounds that are chemically or biologically similar to LC
• Patient is taking a medication that may potentiate hemolysis
• Unstable angina or myocardial infarction within the past 6 months
• Prolonged QTc interval, Fridericia formula (QTcF) (> 450 msec for males or > 460 msec for females)
• Psychiatric illness or social situation that could limit compliance with study requirements
• Pregnant or breastfeeding