A Phase 1/2 interventional study of Gliolan and Radiodynamic therapy in Glioblastoma, sponsored by Universität Münster. Recruiting at 1 site in Germany. Open to participants aged 18 Years to 75 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-06-23.
Sponsored by Universität Münster · Phase 1/2, Interventional, and Treatment
The investigational drug 5-ALA (known under the trade name Gliolan®) is an approved drug for the surgical removal of malignant glioma (WHO grade III and IV). In this trial, the drug is being tested outside of its actual approval as a radiosensitizer in combination with conventional radiotherapy for first-time recurrence (relapse) of malignant glioma. In this clinical trial, the investigational drug 5-ALA is being used for the first time in a multiple dose escalation regimen in combination with radiotherapy following surgical removal of a recurrent malignant glioma in humans. The investigational drug, 5-ALA, has been used as a single dose to date as a standard of care for visualization of malignant tissue in the surgical removal of gliomas.
The planned clinical trial will first and foremost investigate how well repeated administration of the investigational drug 5-ALA is tolerated in combination with radiotherapy. At the same time, the design of the trial serves to optimize this novel therapeutic procedure with regard to the frequency of administration of the investigational drug 5-ALA in combination with radiotherapy for future clinical trials.
As a secondary objective, the efficacy of additional 5-ALA administration will also be investigated.
2,132 studies on the registry are indexed under Glioblastoma; 464 are open to participants now.
This study's planned enrollment of 34 is close to the median of 36 across 1,753 interventional studies indexed under Glioblastoma.
Browse Glioblastoma studies →Universität Münster is the lead sponsor of 30 studies on the registry; 19 are open to participants now.
Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.
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.
For female and male patients and their female partners of childbearing/(*): Willingness to apply highly effective (Pearl index \<1) during the entire study (and for at least 6 months after the first application of 5-ALA). Such methods include:
(*) Definition: A man is considered of reproductive potential after puberty unless permanently sterile by bilateral orchidectomy. A woman is considered of childbearing potential (WOCBP), i.e. fertile, following menarche and until becoming unless permanently sterile. Permanent sterilisation methods include hysterectomy, bilateral salpingectomy and bilateral oophorectomy. A post-menopausal state is defined as no menses for 12 months without an alternative medical cause. A high follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) level in the postmenopausal range may be used to confirm a post-menopausal state in women not using hormonal contraception or hormonal replacement therapy. However in the absence of 12 months of amenorrhea, a single FSH measurement is insufficient.
Exclusion Criteria:
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.
Neoadjuvant treatment is given before the main treatment (usually surgery), often to shrink a tumour. Adjuvant treatment is given after it, to lower the chance of the cancer coming back.
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.
Able to have children. For women this usually means from the first period until menopause, unless permanently unable to through surgery; for men, unless permanently sterile. Read who the line is about — participants, women, men, or their partners.
Criteria about it usually ask for contraception during the study and for a time after it.
Ways of preventing pregnancy. “Highly effective” methods fail less than 1% of the time a year when used correctly — for example an IUD or an implant.
Criteria usually say which methods count and how long to keep using them after the last dose, sometimes for male participants too. Some studies accept a partner’s vasectomy if it was confirmed successful and that person is the participant’s only sexual partner.
Able to become pregnant: from the first period until menopause, unless permanently unable to through surgery (removal of the womb, or of both ovaries or both fallopian tubes).
Criteria for people of childbearing potential usually ask for a negative pregnancy test and for contraception during the study and for a time after it.
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.
The top of the normal range for a blood test, as set by the laboratory that runs it. Each lab prints its own range next to your result.
“≤ 2.5 × ULN” means the result can be up to two and a half times that top value.
Two enzymes measured in a routine blood test of the liver. Higher levels can mean the liver is under strain or damaged. SGPT and SGOT are older names for ALT and AST.
Criteria usually give a limit as a multiple of the upper limit of normal (ULN), often higher when cancer has spread to the liver.
GFR (glomerular filtration rate) is how much blood the kidneys filter each minute. It is usually estimated from a blood test — eGFR, by formulas such as CKD-EPI or MDRD — and some studies ask for it to be measured directly instead. Usually given in mL/min/1.73 m².
Check the method, the units and the minimum the study states. A value of 90 or above is in the normal-or-high range, but kidney damage can show in other tests too.
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.
Periods have stopped for good: usually no period for 12 months in a row without another medical reason, sometimes confirmed by a blood test (FSH).
The New York Heart Association’s four classes of how much heart failure limits physical activity.
Studies set their own limit — many outside heart failure leave out class III–IV, while heart failure studies may ask for a particular class. Check the class this study names.
An allergy, or another reaction of the immune system, to a substance. “Hypersensitivity to the study drug” means a known allergic reaction to it — not every side effect a medicine can have.
Adjuvant and neoadjuvant
Neoadjuvant treatment is given before the main treatment (usually surgery), often to shrink a tumour. Adjuvant treatment is given after it, to lower the chance of the cancer coming back.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
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.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Reproductive potential
Able to have children. For women this usually means from the first period until menopause, unless permanently unable to through surgery; for men, unless permanently sterile. Read who the line is about — participants, women, men, or their partners.
Criteria about it usually ask for contraception during the study and for a time after it.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Contraception
Ways of preventing pregnancy. “Highly effective” methods fail less than 1% of the time a year when used correctly — for example an IUD or an implant.
Criteria usually say which methods count and how long to keep using them after the last dose, sometimes for male participants too. Some studies accept a partner’s vasectomy if it was confirmed successful and that person is the participant’s only sexual partner.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Childbearing potential
Able to become pregnant: from the first period until menopause, unless permanently unable to through surgery (removal of the womb, or of both ovaries or both fallopian tubes).
Criteria for people of childbearing potential usually ask for a negative pregnancy test and for contraception during the study and for a time after it.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
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.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
ULN (upper limit of normal)
The top of the normal range for a blood test, as set by the laboratory that runs it. Each lab prints its own range next to your result.
“≤ 2.5 × ULN” means the result can be up to two and a half times that top value.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
ALT and AST (liver enzymes)
Two enzymes measured in a routine blood test of the liver. Higher levels can mean the liver is under strain or damaged. SGPT and SGOT are older names for ALT and AST.
Criteria usually give a limit as a multiple of the upper limit of normal (ULN), often higher when cancer has spread to the liver.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
GFR and eGFR (kidney filtering)
GFR (glomerular filtration rate) is how much blood the kidneys filter each minute. It is usually estimated from a blood test — eGFR, by formulas such as CKD-EPI or MDRD — and some studies ask for it to be measured directly instead. Usually given in mL/min/1.73 m².
Check the method, the units and the minimum the study states. A value of 90 or above is in the normal-or-high range, but kidney damage can show in other tests too.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
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.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Postmenopausal
Periods have stopped for good: usually no period for 12 months in a row without another medical reason, sometimes confirmed by a blood test (FSH).
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
NYHA class (heart failure)
The New York Heart Association’s four classes of how much heart failure limits physical activity.
Studies set their own limit — many outside heart failure leave out class III–IV, while heart failure studies may ask for a particular class. Check the class this study names.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Hypersensitivity
An allergy, or another reaction of the immune system, to a substance. “Hypersensitivity to the study drug” means a known allergic reaction to it — not every side effect a medicine can have.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
All patients will be treated with RDT. Patients are devided into cohorts which differs in the total amount and frequence of RDT.
Drug: Gliolan · Radiation: Radiodynamic therapy
A repetitive dose of Gliolan will be administrated in combination with radiotherapy (radiodynamic therapy)
Also known as: 5-Aminolevulinic acid
Radiotherapy will be performed in combination with Gliolan administration
Maximum tolerated dose (MTD)
In the resent study we will investigate the maximum-tolerated dose (MTD) of the combination of 5-ALA and radiation. MTD is defined as the highest number of RDT that does not cause unacceptable side effects, i.e. at which no more than 1 of 6 patients suffers a dose-limiting toxicity (DLT). DLT describes side effects of a drug that are serious enough to prevent an increase of dose (NCI dictionary of cancer terms). In the present study it is defined as any ≥ Gr.3 hematological toxicity, any ≥ Gr.3 neurological toxicity and any ≥ Gr.3 non-hematological toxicity occurring during the 6 week observation period, that does not resolve to pre-treatment baseline or ≤ Gr. 2 within 3 weeks, either spontaneously or with adequate treatment. To detect any relevant DLT the following aspects are monitored: * Toxicological safety of repeat doses of 5-ALA * Neurological safety of RDT * Dermatological safety of RDT * Assess all new AEs CTCAE grade 2 or higher
Time frame: 6 weeks after last R(D)T in adjuvant phase
Overall survival rate (OSR)
Percentage of patients who are alive 6 months after first R(D)T
Time frame: 6 months after first R(D)T in adjuvant phase
progression-free survival rate (PFS)
Percentage of patients without tumor progression 6 months after first R(D)T in adjuvant phase
Time frame: 6 months after first R(D)T in adjuvant phase
event-free survival rate (EFS)
Percentage of patients without suffering any disease related event such as DLT or progression until 6 months after inclusion
Time frame: 6 months after inclusion
concentration changes of immunhistochemistry marker (e.g. Caspase-3, IBA1, H&E, EvG, P53, Ki 67, gammaH2AX)
analytic results of pharma-radio-dynamic tissue changes. Tissue samples collected during surgery of cohort 0 and 1
Time frame: during surgery
concentration changes of CPI and CPIII
Analytic results for concentration changes as one combined sum parameter
Time frame: 6 months after first R(D)T in adjuvant phase
concentration changes of radiobiological marker CD3
Analytic results for concentration changes
Time frame: 6 months after first R(D)T in adjuvant phase
concentration changes of radiobiological marker CD4
Analytic results for concentration changes
Time frame: 6 months after first R(D)T in adjuvant phase
concentration changes of radiobiological marker CD8
Analytic results for concentration changes
Time frame: 6 months after first R(D)T in adjuvant phase
concentration changes of radiobiological marker C19
Analytic results for concentration changes
Time frame: 6 months after first R(D)T in adjuvant phase
concentration changes of radiobiological marker for total leucocyte count
Analytic results for concentration changes
Time frame: 6 months after first R(D)T in adjuvant phase
Plan to share: No
Started Nov 2022 (actual). Primary completion is estimated for Jan 2028, 62 months after the start.
Of 84 non-industry phase 1/2 interventional studies under Glioblastoma, half reached primary completion within 73 months of starting (the median), counting those still running; a quarter within 50 and three quarters within 102. This study's planned 62 months is below that.
Counting every sponsor, half of 137 studies reached it within 66 months; a quarter within 45 and three quarters within 100.
How these figures are worked out, and which studies are left out of them.
Eligibility is decided by the study team. Share this record with your doctor or contact the team directly.
Contact study teamGet an email when the registry record changes — status, dates, results — or when someone posts here.
Sign in to followQuestions and observations about this study, from anyone following it. Not medical advice, and not a channel to the study team — their contact details are on the registry record.
Sign in to join the discussion. Reading takes no account; posting does. You choose a display name, and a pseudonym is the default.
Nothing here yet. If you are running this trial, taking part in it, or weighing whether to, this is the place to say so.
Studies of the drug tested here: Oral Aminolevulinic Acid Hydrochloride
Universität Münster