Tarlatamab for Brain Tumor

This trial tests the effectiveness of a new drug, tarlatamab, for treating certain brain tumors. It targets tumors called oligodendroglioma and astrocytoma, which have a specific gene mutation known as IDH. The trial includes two groups: one for patients eligible for surgery and another for those who are not. This trial may suit individuals with these specific brain tumors who experience tumor growth despite previous treatments. As a Phase 2 trial, it measures the treatment's effectiveness in an initial, smaller group of participants.

The trial protocol does not specify if you must stop taking your current medications. However, you must be on stable doses of corticosteroids and/or anti-seizure medications for at least 14 days before starting the study treatment.

Research has shown that tarlatamab caused some side effects in earlier studies. Patients who took tarlatamab for other conditions reported issues like cytokine release syndrome (CRS), which can cause fever and tiredness, and ICANS, a condition affecting the brain that can lead to confusion. These side effects appeared more frequently at the beginning of treatment.

On the positive side, promising evidence indicates that tarlatamab can shrink brain tumors, reducing their size by at least 30% in many patients. This suggests the treatment is effective, despite some side effects.

Researchers are excited about tarlatamab for brain tumors because it represents a novel approach compared to traditional treatments like surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy. Unlike these standard options, which generally aim to remove or kill tumor cells directly, tarlatamab works by engaging the body's immune system to specifically target and attack cancer cells. This immunotherapy approach could potentially lead to more precise and effective treatments with fewer side effects. Moreover, tarlatamab's ability to be administered both before and after surgical resection provides flexibility in treatment and could enhance outcomes by addressing residual disease.

Research has shown that tarlatamab yields promising results in treating certain cancers. One study found that it helped shrink brain tumors by 30% or more in 62.5% of patients with specific initial tumor characteristics. This trial will evaluate tarlatamab in two different cohorts: Cohort 1 involves patients whose disease is amenable to resection, receiving up to 3 cycles of tarlatamab before surgical resection, while Cohort 2 includes patients with progressive or refractory disease receiving tarlatamab every 2 weeks. In small cell lung cancer, tarlatamab demonstrated a response rate of 42.9%, indicating its potential in treating cancers that affect the brain. Overall, these findings highlight tarlatamab's potential effectiveness in treating brain tumors with genetic mutations.²³⁴⁵⁶