ClinicalTrials.gg
CompletedNCT02457845Updated Jan 19, 2024

HSV G207 Alone or With a Single Radiation Dose in Children With Progressive or Recurrent Supratentorial Brain Tumors

A Phase 1 interventional study of G207 in Supratentorial Neoplasms, Malignant, Malignant Glioma and Glioblastoma, sponsored by Gregory K. Friedman, MD. Completed at 2 sites in United States. Open to participants aged 3 Years to 18 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2024-01-19.

Sponsored by Gregory K. Friedman, MD · Phase 1, Interventional, and Treatment

Phase
Phase 1
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
13
Allocation
Not applicable
Ages
3 Years to 18 Years
Sex
All
01

Study summary

This study is a clinical trial to determine the safety of injecting G207 (a new experimental virus therapy) into a recurrent or progressive brain tumor. The safety of combining G207 with a single low dose of radiation, designed to enhance virus replication and tumor cell killing, will also be tested.

Read the detailed description

Outcomes for children with recurrent or progressive supratentorial malignant brain tumors are very poor, and there are a lack of effective salvage therapies once a patient fails standard treatments.

G207 is an oncolytic herpes simplex virus-1 (HSV) that has been successfully engineered to introduce mutations in the virus that enable it to selectively replicate in and kill cancer cells, but not normal cells. Replication of G207 in the tumor not only kills the infected tumor cells, but causes the tumor cell to act as a factory to produce new virus. These virus particles are released as the tumor cell dies, and can then proceed to infect other tumor cells in the vicinity, and continue the process of tumor kill. In addition to this direct oncolytic activity, the virus engenders an anti-tumor immune response; the virus is immunogenic and produces a debris field which exposes cancer cell antigens to immune cells which can target other cancer cells. Thus, the oncolytic effect of the virus and the immune response that the virus stimulates provide a one-two punch at attacking cancer cells. In preclinical studies, a single 5 Gy dose of radiation within 24 hours of virus inoculation to the tumor increased virus replication and tumor cell killing.

The University of Alabama at Birmingham has conducted three phase I trials of G207 injected into the recurrent tumor alone or combined with a single dose of radiation in adults with recurrent high-grade gliomas. In these trials, high doses (up to 3 x 10\^9 plaque-forming units) of virus were safely injected directly into the tumor or surrounding brain tissue without serious toxicities. A maximum tolerated dose was not reached in all 3 trials. Radiographic and neuropathologic evidence of an antitumor response was seen in some patients. Preclinical laboratory studies have demonstrated that a variety of aggressive pediatric brain tumor types are sensitive to G207.

This study is a phase I, open-label, single institution clinical trial of G207 alone or combined with a single low dose of radiation in children with recurrent or progressive supratentorial brain tumors. The primary goal is to determine safety. The secondary aims are to obtain preliminary information on the effectiveness of and immune response to G207.

A traditional 3 + 3 design will be used with four patient cohorts. The first two cohorts will receive G207 at one of two doses, and the second two cohorts will receive G207 at one of two doses followed by a 5 Gy dose of radiation.

02

Conditions studied

  • Supratentorial Neoplasms, Malignant
  • Malignant Glioma
  • Glioblastoma
  • Anaplastic Astrocytoma
  • PNET
  • Cerebral Primitive Neuroectodermal Tumor
  • Embryonal Tumor

Keywords

  • Brain Tumor, Recurrent
  • Glioma
  • Glioblastoma
  • Gliosarcoma
  • Anaplastic Astrocytoma
  • Oligodendroglioma
  • Rhabdoid Tumor
  • Cerebral Primitive Neuroectodermal Tumor
  • PNET
  • Ependymoma
  • Germ Cell Tumor
  • Choroid Plexus Carcinoma
  • Oncolytic Virus Therapy
  • Virotherapy, Oncolytic
  • Immunotherapy
  • Central Nervous System Agents
  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • Neoplasms
  • Pediatric
  • Pediatrics
  • Embryonal Tumor
  • Oncolytic
  • Virus
  • HSV
  • Herpes Virus
03

In context

Supratentorial Neoplasms

22 studies on the registry are indexed under Supratentorial Neoplasms; 3 are open to participants now.

This study's enrollment of 13 is below the median of 80 across 20 interventional studies indexed under Supratentorial Neoplasms.

Browse Supratentorial Neoplasms studies →

Lead sponsor

This is the only study on the registry with Gregory K. Friedman, MD as lead sponsor.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
3 Years to 18 Years
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
No

Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.

Inclusion criteria

  • Age ≥ 36 months and \< 19 years
  • proven malignant supratentorial brain tumor (including glioblastoma multiforme, giant cell glioblastoma, anaplastic astrocytoma, primitive neuroectodermal tumor, ependymoma, atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumor, germ cell tumor, or other high-grade malignant tumor) which is progressive or recurrent despite standard care including surgery, radiotherapy, and/or chemotherapy. A pathologically proven secondary malignant tumor without curative treatment options is eligible.
  • Lesion must be > 1.0 cm in diameter and surgically accessible as determined by MRI
  • Patients must have fully recovered from acute treatment related toxicities of all prior chemotherapy, immunotherapy or radiotherapy prior to entering this study.
  • Myelosuppressive chemotherapy: patients must have received their last dose at least 3 weeks prior (or at least 6 weeks if nitrosurea)
  • /Biologic agents: patients must have recovered from any acute toxicities potentially related to the agent and received last dose ≥ 7 days prior to entering this study (this period must be extended beyond the time during which adverse events are known to occur for agents with known adverse events ≥ 7 days). For viral therapy, patients must have received viral therapy ≥ 3 months prior to study entry and have recovered from all acute toxicities potentially related to the agent
  • Monoclonal antibodies: patient must have received last dose ≥ 21 days prior
  • Radiation: Patients must have received their last fraction of craniospinal radiation (>24 Gy) or total body irradiation ≥ 3 months prior to study entry. Patients must have received focal radiation to symptomatic sites or local palliative radiation > 28 days prior to study entry.
  • bone marrow transplant: Patients must be ≥ 3 months since transplant prior to study entry.
  • Normal hematological, renal and liver function ( > 1000/mm3, > 100,000/mm3, (PT) or Partial Thromboplastin Time (PTT) \< 1.3 x control, Creatinine within normal institutional limits OR > 60 mL/min/1.73 m2 for patients with creatinine levels above institutional normal, Total \< 1.5 mg/dl, Transaminases \< 3 times above the upper limits of the institutional norm)
  • Patients \< 10 years, Modified Lansky score ≥ 60; patients > 10 years, score ≥ 60
  • Patient must be at least 8 weeks
  • Written in accordance with institutional and FDA guidelines must be obtained from patient or legal guardian

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Acute infection, granulocytopenia or medical condition precluding surgery
  • Pregnant or lactating females
  • Prior history of encephalitis, multiple sclerosis, or other central nervous system (CNS) infection
  • Tumor involvement which would require ventricular, cerebellar or brainstem inoculation or would require access through a ventricle in order to deliver treatment
  • Required increase within 1 week prior to injection
  • Known seropositivity
  • Concurrent therapy with any drug active against HSV (acyclovir, valaciclovir, penciclovir, famciclovir, gancyclovir, foscarnet, cidofovir) or any drug therapy (except dexamethasone or prednisone).
Terms in these criteria, in plain language(14)

Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.

Histologically or cytologically confirmed

The diagnosis was confirmed by looking at a sample under a microscope: tissue from a biopsy or surgery (histology), or cells from a fluid or needle sample (cytology).

Your pathology report is the document that shows this.

Investigational drug or device

A drug or device being studied in a clinical trial.

It may be new, or already approved and being studied for another use, dose or form. Criteria often leave out people who took part in another study of one within a recent period, commonly 30 days or five half-lives.

Metastases

Cancer that has spread from where it began to other parts of the body. “Metastatic” cancer is cancer that has spread this way.

Allogeneic and autologous transplant

Stem cell (bone marrow) transplants. Allogeneic uses cells from a donor; autologous uses your own cells, collected earlier and given back.

Absolute neutrophil count (ANC)

The number of neutrophils, white blood cells that help fight infection, in a given amount of blood. Too few raises the risk of infection.

It is a count, not a percentage of the white cells. Limits are written in units that mean the same: ≥ 1.5 × 10⁹/L is ≥ 1,500 per mm³ (µL). Each lab has its own reference range.

Platelets

Blood cells that help blood clot. Too few raises the risk of bleeding and bruising. A usual adult range is about 150–400 × 10⁹/L (150,000–400,000 per µL); each lab has its own reference range.

INR, PT and aPTT (clotting tests)

Blood tests of how long blood takes to clot. The INR is the prothrombin time (PT) put on a common scale; about 1 is usual for someone not taking a blood thinner.

Criteria often make an exception for people on a blood thinner such as warfarin, whose INR is raised on purpose.

Bilirubin

A yellow substance made when red blood cells are broken down, which the liver clears. A high level can mean a problem with the liver or the bile ducts.

Criteria often allow more for people with Gilbert’s syndrome, a harmless inherited condition that raises bilirubin.

Karnofsky performance status (KPS)

A 0–100 scale of how well someone can carry out everyday activities. 100 is no complaints and no signs of illness; 70 is able to look after yourself but not to work or keep up normal activity; 50 is needing considerable help and frequent medical care.

Studies often ask for 60 or 70 and above. Your doctor gives the score.

Life expectancy

The study doctor’s estimate of how long someone is likely to live. Criteria use it so that people can stay in the study long enough for it to answer its question.

Informed consent

Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.

You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.

Corticosteroids (steroids)

Anti-inflammatory medicines such as prednisone, prednisolone and dexamethasone — not the anabolic steroids used for muscle.

Studies differ in what they allow: check which steroid medicines, routes (tablets, injections, creams, inhalers, eye drops) and doses this study accepts.

HIV

The human immunodeficiency virus, which weakens the immune system.

Many studies now accept people whose HIV is controlled on treatment, judged by the viral load and the CD4 count. Check the limits this study sets.

Immunosuppression

A weakened immune system. It can come from an illness, such as HIV or some blood cancers, or from medicines that turn the immune system down, for example after an organ transplant or for an autoimmune disease; steroids at higher doses count.

Read whether the line is about a condition or about medicines, and which medicines and doses it means.

05

Study design

Phase
Phase 1
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Not applicable
Intervention model
Single group
Masking
None (open label)
Enrollment
13 participants (actual)

Study arms

  • Experimental
    HSV G207

    Single dose of HSV-1 (G207) infused through catheters into region(s) of tumor defined by MRI. If G207 is safe in the first two cohorts of patients, subsequent patients will receive a single dose of G207 infused through catheters into region(s) of tumor defined by MRI followed by a 5 Gy dose of radiation to the tumor given with 24 hours of virus inoculation. Intervention: Biological: G207

    Biological: G207

Interventions

  • BiologicalG207

    Drug pages: G 207 · Oncolytic HSV-1 G207

    Single dose of HSV-1 (G207) infused through catheters into region(s) of tumor defined by MRI

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Safety and Tolerability as Measured by Frequency of Grade 3 or Above Adverse Events

    All events with a Grade 3 or above toxicity (defined by the CTCAE v4.0) will be tabulated by event and by relationship to G207.

    Time frame: Baseline to 15 years

Secondary outcomes

  1. Immunologic Response

    HSV-1 antibody titers will be checked by ELISA prior to the administration of G207 and at regular intervals after treatment.

    Time frame: Baseline to 12 months

  2. Virologic Shedding

    Saliva, blood and conjunctival secretions will be checked by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and culture at regular intervals for evidence of HSV shedding and/or viremia.

    Time frame: Baseline to 15 years

  3. Progression Free Survival

    Time after G207 administration to clinical and radiographic disease progression will be evaluated.

    Time frame: Baseline to 24 months

  4. Overall Survival

    The overall survival for each patient receiving G207 will be calculated.

    Time frame: Baseline to 24 months

  5. Change in Performance (Ability to Perform Normal Activities)

    A modified Lansky score (for children under 16 years of age) or Karnofsky score (for children 16 and older) will be recorded and measured serially with the pre-treatment score.

    Time frame: Baseline to 12 months

  6. Quality of Life (optional)

    Quality of life will be measured with questionnaires taken at baseline (before administration of G207) and at specified times thereafter.

    Time frame: Baseline to 12 months

07

Study locations

2 sites
  • Children's of Alabama
    Birmingham, Alabama 35233, United States
  • Nationwide Children's Hospital
    Columbus, Ohio 43205, United States
08

References and documents

Publications

  • Friedman GK, Johnston JM, Bag AK, Bernstock JD, Li R, Aban I, Kachurak K, Nan L, Kang KD, Totsch S, Schlappi C, Martin AM, Pastakia D, McNall-Knapp R, Farouk Sait S, Khakoo Y, Karajannis MA, Woodling K, Palmer JD, Osorio DS, Leonard J, Abdelbaki MS, Madan-Swain A, Atkinson TP, Whitley RJ, Fiveash JB, Markert JM, Gillespie GY. Oncolytic HSV-1 G207 Immunovirotherapy for Pediatric High-Grade Gliomas. N Engl J Med. 2021 Apr 29;384(17):1613-1622. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa2024947. Epub 2021 Apr 10. PubMed 33838625 ↗

Study documents

PDFs hosted by the registry, ClinicalTrials.gov.

09

Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Jan 19, 2024, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
10

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT02457845
Lead sponsor
Gregory K. Friedman, MD
Collaborators
Food and Drug Administration (FDA), National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences of the National Institutes of Health, Cannonball Kids' Cancer Foundation, Rally Foundation for Childhood Cancer Research, Hyundai Hope On Wheels, St. Baldrick's Foundation, United States Department of Defense, The Andrew McDonough B+ Foundation, Kaul Pediatric Research Institute, NIH/National Cancer Institute Cancer Center Support Grants to the University of Alabama at Birmingham, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Kelsie's Crew, Eli's Block Party Childhood Cancer Foundation, Eli Jackson Foundation, Jaxon's F.R.O.G. Foundation, Battle for a Cure Foundation, Sandcastle Kids
Responsible party
Gregory K. Friedman, MD (Principal investigator, University of Alabama at Birmingham) — Sponsor-investigator
First posted
May 29, 2015
Start date
May 2016
Primary completion
Jun 2020
Completion
Jan 2024
Last update
Jan 19, 2024

Study contacts

Gregory K Friedman, M.D.
principal investigator · University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB)

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
Yes
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

Not currently enrolling

This study is completed, as verified in Jan 2024. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

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Studies of the drugs tested here: G 207 · Oncolytic HSV-1 G207

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