An Analysis of Interventional Clinical Trials and Trends in Potential Glioblastoma Therapeutics

Abstract

Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM), an aggressive malignant tumor of the central nervous system, carries a poor prognosis. This research aimed to analyze the current and future trends of interventional GBM clinical trials. Analyzed trials met the following eligibility criteria: registration between January 1st, 2012, and July 19, 2022, of interventional study type, in trial phases II-IV, and were either completed, recruiting, or active. Of 1,728 GBM-related trials, 336 were eligible. A majority of trials were of open-label masking (89.58%, n=301), academia-sponsored (44.94%, n=151), and systemic interventions (87.20%, n=293). Despite an increasing trend in the number of trials initiated, other findings provided a basis for concern: negligible focus on localized interventions, minimal funding by industry, and widespread use of open-label maskingof funding by industry and minimal trials examining localized therapies hinders the availability of interventions and the improvement of treatment techniques, respectively. Likewise, open-label masking is not the standard, nor is the use supported in clinical trial studies, as it does not eliminate placebo responses. These conclusions are the basis of concerns and areas of improvement in the GBM clinical trial landscape.