Access To Better Care For Every Patient
We recently shared that a CARE patient, A.R., had started a new treatment for glioblastoma. Glioblastoma is a rare and aggressive form of brain cancer that grows rapidly and currently does not have any FDA approved treatments.
A.R.’s only option was NEO100-01 study, which was not available at the University of Washington Medical Center where the patient was receiving care. Since it typically takes months to activate a site, A.R. reached out to CARE through our partner ANOVA to help her gain emergency access. CARE sent a request to the pharma sponsor and the FDA and was able to obtain the drug through Compassionate Use.
This treatment is incredibly unique—the drug is dispensed through a nebulizer treatment which helps penetrate the blood-brain barrier to effectively reach the tumor. Although she comes into the clinic once a month, A.R. is able to do her daily treatments at home.
Early studies of this drug have indicated that it is well tolerated and correlated with improved survival. Additionally, studies have shown that perillyl alcohol (and its metabolite perillic acid) can be detected in resected brain tumor tissue after inhalation of NEO100 by the patient. This shows that the drug gets into the brain after intranasal delivery. This is incredible news for the future of glioblastoma treatment!
A.R. began this novel treatment earlier this spring, we are thrilled to share that she is doing well and experiencing a reduction in symptoms!
A.R.’s husband recently shared the following update with the CARE team.
“When my wife A.R. was diagnosed with recurrent glioblastoma, the standard of care was a second-line chemotherapy drug with unpleasant side effects and limited treatment potential. We found a trial for NEO-100, an alcohol that is inhaled through the nose and enters the brain through the olfactory bulb to treat tumors. Working around the clock, the SSCF was able to activate their trial site in a matter of weeks, which would be unheard of at a large academic medical center. Although the drug is still in a phase 2 clinical trial, the preliminary findings are encouraging, particularly for A.R.'s tumor genotype. Also, the drug has virtually no side effects, which is a huge advantage compared to the standard of care. Accessing this treatment has given us hope, and the results of her first scan on the medication suggest that it's working. We are extremely grateful to have access to the treatment, as well as the incredible team at the SSCF. Dr. Senecal and his team have been remarkably caring and responsive. They call and text to check in (even on weekends and evenings!), they promptly order tests and scans, and they are genuinely kind people—we look forward to visiting them at the beginning of each cycle. We are in a much better place because of the treatment options and the remarkable quality of care provided by the SSCF. We would enthusiastically recommend working with Dr. Senecal and his team to access novel and experimental cancer treatments.”
This is what your support for CARE provides—hope for patients fighting cancer! Thank you for partnering with us and helping A.R. and countless patients like her receive access to life-changing clinical trials—at no cost to the patient.
