A Study of Aminolevulinic Acid Used to Enhance Visualization and Surgical Removal of Brain Tumors

MultiCare Health System Research Institute

Status and phase: Terminated; Phase 2

Conditions: Glioblastoma; Glioma; Glioblastoma Multiforme; Astrocytoma; Malignant Glioma

Treatments: Drug: Aminolevulinic Acid

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT01351519

ALA 11.07

Details and patient eligibility

About

In this study subjects will be administered a single oral dose of Aminolevulinic Acid (ALA) prior to surgical resection of their brain tumor. The ALA ultimately causes brain tumor tissue to fluoresce or light up under ultraviolet light. During surgery an ultraviolet light in the microscope chain will be turned on. The tumor tissue will fluoresce bright pink allowing the surgeon to more easily differentiate tumor tissue from normal brain tissue. The aim of the study is to determine whether ALA and fluorescent visualization of tumor tissue improves the surgeon's ability to completely resect or remove the brain tumor.

Full description

This is a Phase 2 study and all subjects will receive open label Aminolevulinic Acid in a dose of 20mg/kg given orally 3 hours prior to surgery. Brain tumors will be resected with the aid of ultraviolet light to visualize the tumor. After surgery an MRI will be done to determine whether the tumor has been completely or partially resected. All subjects will be followed for safety. All subjects will be followed closely by clinical examination and by MRI to monitor for disease recurrence.

Enrollment: 16 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Clinically documented primary brain tumor for which surgical resection is indicated.
• Age 18 years and older.
• ECOG Performance status less than or equal to 2.
• Laboratory values as follows:

Leukocytes greater than or equal to 3,000. ANC greater than or equal to 1,500. Platelets greater than or equal to 100,000. Total Bilirubin WNL. AST/ALT less than or equal to 2.5 times ULN. Creatinine WNL. or Creatinine Clearance greater than or equal to 60ml/min/1.73m2 if SCr above institutional normal.

-Ability to provide informed consent or consent from a Legally Authorized Representative.

Exclusion criteria

• Receipt of an investigational agent within 30 days.
• Allergy to ALA or similar compounds.
• Personal or family history of porphyria.
• Uncontrolled intercurrent illness.
• Inability to comply with the protocol.
• Pregnancy, breastfeeding.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: N/A

Interventional model: Single Group Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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16 participants in 1 patient group

Aminolevulinic Acid (AL)

Experimental group

Treatment:

Drug: Aminolevulinic Acid