A Phase 1 interventional study of Nivolumab-Placebo and Nivolumab in Glioblastoma, GBM and Glioblastoma Multiforme, sponsored by Patrick Wen, MD. Active, not recruiting at 4 sites in United States. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-02-17.
Sponsored by Patrick Wen, MD · Phase 1, Interventional, and Treatment
This research trial is studying the safety and effectiveness of nivolumab in combination with ipilimumab and surgery when used in the treatment of recurrent glioblastoma.
The names of the study drugs involved in this study are:
The research study procedures include screening for eligibility and study treatment including evaluations and follow up visits. It is expected that about 60 people will take part in this research study.
There are 3 study groups participating in this study and each group receives different study drugs. After screening, participants will be randomized into one of three study groups.
Participants will receive one of the following study treatments prior to undergoing surgery for tumor removal:
Neither the participant nor the research doctor will know which study drugs the participant will receive prior to surgery.
After recovering from surgery, participants will receive the following doses of study medication:
-- Nivolumab plus ipilimumab every 3 weeks for 3 doses followed by nivolumab every 4 weeks
This research study is a Phase Ib clinical trial, which tests the safety and effectiveness of an investigational drug to learn whether the drug works in treating a specific disease. "Investigational" means the drug is being studied.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not approved the use of nivolumab or ipilimumab for your specific disease, but it has been approved for other uses.
Both nivolumab and ipilimumab are antibodies (types of human protein) that work to stop tumor cells from growing and multiplying by immunotherapy.
Immunotherapy is trying to have the body's own immune system work against tumor cells. Nivolumab and ipilimumab have been used in other research studies, and information from those other research studies suggest these drugs may help to stop glioblastoma cells from growing.
Subjects also have the option of undergoing Zr-89 Crefmirlimab berdoxam PET scans. This consists of one infusion with Zr-89 Crefmirlimab berdoxam followed by a PET scan prior to starting study treatment and another infusion with PET scan about 3 days prior to surgery.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not approved Zr-89 Crefmirlimab berdoxam as a treatment for any disease.
1,920 studies on the registry are indexed under Glioblastoma; 450 are open to participants now.
This study's enrollment of 63 is above the median of 36 across 1,618 interventional studies indexed under Glioblastoma.
Browse Glioblastoma studies →This is the only study on the registry with Patrick Wen, MD as lead sponsor.
Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.
Participants must have confirmation of availability of sufficient tissue from prior surgery revealing glioblastoma or variants for submission following registration. The following amount of tissue is required:
All screening labs should be performed within 14 days of registration and demonstrate adequate organ function as defined below:
Women of child-bearing potential (WOCBP), defined as all women physiologically capable of becoming pregnant, must use highly effective contraception during study treatment and for 5 months after study discontinuation. Highly effective contraception is defined as either:
Use of a combination of any two of the following:
Exclusion Criteria:
One dose of nivolumab plus ipilimumab will be administered 14(±5) days before surgery. After surgery, participants receive nivolumab in combination with ipilimumab every 3 weeks for 9 weeks and then nivolumab alone every 4 weeks.
Drug: Nivolumab · Drug: Ipilimumab · Procedure: Surgery
One dose of nivolumab plus placebo-ipilimumab will be administered 14(±5) days before surgery. After surgery, participants receive nivolumab in combination with ipilimumab every 3 weeks for 9 weeks and then nivolumab alone every 4 weeks.
Drug: Nivolumab · Drug: Ipilimumab-Placebo · Procedure: Surgery
One dose of placebo-nivolumab plus placebo-ipilimumab will be administered 14(±5) days before surgery. After surgery, participants receive nivolumab in combination with ipilimumab every 3 weeks for 9 weeks and then nivolumab alone every 4 weeks
Drug: Nivolumab-Placebo · Drug: Nivolumab · Drug: Ipilimumab-Placebo · Drug: Ipilimumab · Procedure: Surgery
Intravenous (IV) solution that has no therapeutic effect, used as a control in testing investigational drug. One dose is received prior to surgery.
Given as intravenous (IV) infusion into a vein.
Also known as: Opdivo
Intravenous (IV) solution that has no therapeutic effect, used as a control in testing investigational drug. One dose is received prior to surgery.
Given as intravenous (IV) infusion into a vein.
Also known as: Yervoy
Treatment of disease or injury by cutting, abrading, suturing, or otherwise physically changing body tissues and organs.
Also known as: Resection
Tumor Infiltrating T Lymphocyte (TIL) Density
TIL density will be assessed and compared between the three arms using the Two-sample t-Test.
Time frame: 24 Months
Safety of Study Drug Therapy
Adverse events will be graded according to Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) version 4.0. Safety will be assessed by quantifying the toxicities and grades experienced by participants who have received at least one dose of study treatment.
Time frame: 24 Months
Cell Cycle-Related Genetic Signature within the Tumor Microenvironment
Multiplex IHC staining will be performed on tumor tissue to evaluate the influence of the neoadjuvant administration on the cell cycle-related genetic signature within the tumor microenvironment of recurrent glioblastoma.
Time frame: 24 months
Percentage of Progression Free Survival (PFS-6)
PFS-6 will be assessed using pooled data in comparison to appropriate historical controls. Percent PFS-6 will be estimated and compared using the Exact Binomial Test.
Time frame: 24 months
Plan to share: Yes — The Dana-Farber / Harvard Cancer Center encourages and supports the responsible and ethical sharing of data from clinical trials. De-identified participant data from the final research dataset used in the published manuscript may only be shared under the terms of a Data Use Agreement. Requests may be directed to Sponsor Investigator or designee. The protocol and statistical analysis plan will be made available on Clinicaltrials.gov only as required by federal regulation or as a condition of awards and agreements supporting the research.
Supporting information: Study protocol, Sap, Icf
No publications or documents are linked to this record.
This study is active, not recruiting, as verified in Feb 2026. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
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