Sorafenib, Valproic Acid, and Sildenafil in Treating Patients With Recurrent High-Grade Glioma
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ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01817751 |
Recruitment Status :
Active, not recruiting
First Posted : March 25, 2013
Results First Posted : October 28, 2021
Last Update Posted : March 23, 2022
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Condition or disease | Intervention/treatment | Phase |
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Glioblastoma Recurrent Adult Brain Neoplasm Malignant Glioma WHO Grade III Glioma | Drug: sorafenib tosylate Drug: valproic acid Drug: sildenafil citrate | Phase 2 |
The study is a single-center, open-label phase 2 study, with an early stopping rule in place for safety. The trial will include patients with recurrent or progressive high-grade glioma.
The trial will be conducted in an adaptive design, with a Simon's mini-max 2-stage design incorporating an interim analysis for efficacy
Study Type : | Interventional (Clinical Trial) |
Actual Enrollment : | 47 participants |
Allocation: | N/A |
Intervention Model: | Single Group Assignment |
Masking: | None (Open Label) |
Primary Purpose: | Treatment |
Official Title: | Phase 2 Study of Sorafenib, Valproic Acid, and Sildenafil in the Treatment of Recurrent High-Grade Glioma |
Actual Study Start Date : | April 11, 2013 |
Actual Primary Completion Date : | August 27, 2020 |
Estimated Study Completion Date : | October 30, 2027 |

Arm | Intervention/treatment |
---|---|
Experimental: Treatment (sorafenib tosylate, valproic acid, sildenafil)
A cycle consists of 4 weeks. *The first 6 patients evaluable for qualifying toxicity assessment will be treated as a safety lead-in; enrollment will be gated (the first 3 evaluable patients must complete 4 weeks of the combination therapy before the next 3 patients start combination treatment on protocol) |
Drug: sorafenib tosylate
Given by mouth
Other Name: pyridinecarboxamide, chloro-trifluoromethylphenyl pyridine-carboxylic acid methylamide-methylbenzenesulfonate tosylate, Nexavar Drug: valproic acid Given by mouth
Other Name: 2-Propylpentanoic or Propylvaleric Acid, Alti-Valproic, Depakene, Di-n-propylacetic Acid, Ergenyl, Novo-Valproic, VA, Valproate, Valproate Sodium Drug: sildenafil citrate Given by mouth
Other Name: Viagra |
- Number of Participants With 6-Month Progression Free Survival (PFS) [ Time Frame: Up to 6 months ]Number of patients evaluable for response, regardless of tumor platelet derived growth factor receptor (PDGFR) status, with 6- month PFS defined as the time from the first day a patient receives study treatment until time of progression per response assessment in neuro-oncology (RANO) or Macdonald criteria or death, whichever occurs first.
- Number of Participants Whose Tumors Express PDGFRa With and Without 6-Month PFS. [ Time Frame: Up to 6 months ]Number of patients evaluable for response, with tumors that express PDGFRα, with 6-month PFS defined as the time from the first day a patient receives study treatment until time of progression per RANO or Macdonald criteria or death, whichever occurs first.
- Number of Participants With Best Response of CR Plus Number of Participants With Best Response of PR. [ Time Frame: From the first day of study treatment until best response or off study, up to 4 years ]Overall response rate (CR+PR), using RANO or Macdonald criteria, in patients evaluable for response regardless of tumor PDGFR status
- Number of Participants Whose Tumors Express PDGFRa With Best Response of CR Plus Number of Participants Whose Tumor Expresses PDGFRa With Best Response of PR. [ Time Frame: From initiation of study treatment to time of best response or off-study (up to 4 years) ]Overall response rate (CR+PR), using RANO or Macdonald criteria, in patients who are evaluable for response and who have tumors that express PDGFRα.
- Number of Participants With 12-Month Progression Free Survival (PFS). [ Time Frame: Up to 12 months ]Number of patients evaluable for response, regardless of tumor PDGFR status, who are alive at 12 months after the first day a patient receives study treatment. Overall Survival (OS) defined as the time from the first day a patient receives study treatment until death by any cause.
- Number of Participants Whose Tumors Express PDGFRa With and Without 12-Month PFS. [ Time Frame: Up to 12 months ]Proportion of patients evaluable for response with tumors that express PDGFRα who are alive at 12 months after the first day a patient receives study treatment. On study is defined as the time from the first day a patient receives study treatment until death by any cause.
- Evaluation of Safety and Toxicity of Sorafenib, Valproic Acid, and Sildenafil [ Time Frame: From initiation of study therapy to completion of adverse event (AE) observation period, up to 30 days following the end of study treatment. ]Number of patients with adverse events, and types of events, as assessed by National Cancer Institute Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events version 4.0 (NCI CTCAE v4.0).

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Ages Eligible for Study: | 18 Years and older (Adult, Older Adult) |
Sexes Eligible for Study: | All |
Accepts Healthy Volunteers: | No |
Inclusion Criteria:
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Pathologically confirmed high-grade glioma (World Health Organization (WHO) grade 3 or 4), with documented computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) progression or recurrence. Biopsy is also an acceptable method of confirming progression or recurrence. If initial tumor was grade 2 glioma, histological confirmation of high-grade recurrence is required
- After first interim analysis, if the study proceeds to enrollment of selected patients (only those who have platelet-derived growth factor receptor (PDGFRa)-positive tumors), patients will be pre-registered for PDGFRa analysis and registered to the combination treatment schema only if PDGFRa-positive an all other enrollment criteria are met.
- Measurable or evaluable disease by response assessment in neuro-oncology (RANO) (MRI) or MacDonald (CT) criteria
- Fixed or decreasing dose of corticosteroids (or no corticosteroids) for at least 1 week prior to cycle 1 day 1.
- At least 12 weeks since the completion of radiation therapy to a total of >=50 Gray (Gy).
- Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status of 0, 1, or 2
- White blood cell (WBC) >= 3,000/mm^3
- Absolute neutrophil count (ANC) >= 1,500/mm^3
- Platelets >= 100,000/mm^3
- Hemoglobin (Hgb) >= 8.5 g/dL
- Aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) =< 3 x upper limit of normal (ULN) for the laboratory
- Total bilirubin =< 1.5 x ULN for the laboratory (total bilirubin criteria may be waived if a patient has documented Gilbert's disease)
- Creatinine clearance (CrCL) >= 30 mL/min as calculated by standard Cockcroft-Gault equation
- Women of childbearing potential must have a negative serum pregnancy test performed within 7 days prior to the start of treatment.
- Women of childbearing potential and men must agree to use a medically accepted form of birth control for the duration of study participation and for 2 months following completion of study treatment.
- Ability to understand and the willingness to sign a written informed consent document
Exclusion Criteria:
- Investigational agent within 4 weeks of first dose of study treatment
- Prior bevacizumab or tyrosine-kinase inhibitor
- History of allergic reactions or intolerance to any of the required agents on the study
- Any condition that would prohibit patient from initiating valproic acid. Current or prior valproic acid treatment is allowed (do not need to be ≥ LLN for laboratory for enrollment).
- Seizure disorder necessitating the use of enzyme-inducing antiepileptic drugs (EIAEDs). Efforts may be made by the treating physician to change the antiepileptic drug from another agent to valproic acid or non-EIAED prior to excluding the patient from study
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Contraindication to antiangiogenic agents, including:
- Bronchopulmonary hemorrhage/bleeding event >= grade 2 (NCI Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events [CTCAE] version 4.0) within 4 weeks or less prior to first dose of study drug
- Any other hemorrhage/bleeding event >= grade 3 (NCI CTCAE v4.0) within 4 weeks or less prior to first dose of study treatment
- Radiological evidence of any intracranial hemorrhage within the 4 weeks or less less prior to first dose of study treatment
- History of significant intratumoral, intracerebral, or subarachnoid hemorrhage
- Serious non-healing wound, ulcer, or bone fracture
- Documented bowel perforation within 6 months of the start of study treatment.
- Major surgery within 2 weeks of the start of study treatment, or ongoing complications from surgeries performed previously
- Clinically significant cardiac disease, including major cardiac dysfunction, such as uncontrolled angina, clinical congestive heart failure with New York Heart Association (NYHA) class III or higher, ventricular arrhythmias requiring antiarrhythmic therapy, recent (within 6 months) myocardial infarction or unstable coronary artery disease.
- Systolic blood pressure (BP) > 160 mm Hg or diastolic pressure > 100 mm Hg despite optimal medical management
- History of priapism
- Known history of retinitis pigmentosa
- Known mitochondrial disorder caused by mutations in mitochondrial DNA polymerase γ.
- Arterial thromboembolic or embolic events such as myocardial infarction, cerebrovascular accident, including transient ischemic attacks 6 months prior to first study treatment
- Serious uncontrolled infection > grade 2 (CTCAE v 4)
- Known human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) positivity
- Unable to swallow medication or suspected malabsorption
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Patients on chronic nitrate therapy or alpha-blockers
* Exclude persons who require ongoing administration of STRONG CYP3A4 inhibitors and/or STRONG CYP3A4 inducers and/or STRONG CYP2C9 inhibitors.
- Women who are pregnant or nursing
- Persistent heart rate (HR) <50 or >120 beats per minute (bpm)
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Corrected QT (QTc) > 480 ms (grade 2 or greater) on screening electrocardiogram (ECG)
* If baseline QTc on screening ECG meets exclusion criteria on screening assessment:
- Check potassium and magnesium levels
- Correct any identified hypokalemia and/or hypomagnesemia and repeat ECG to confirm exclusion of patient due to QTc
- For patients with a heart rate (HR) 60-100 bpm, no manual read of QT is required
- For patients with baseline HR < 60 or > 100 bpm, manual read of QT by cardiologist is required using Fridericia correction
- Other condition(s) that in the opinion of the investigator might compromise the objectives of the study

To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contact information provided by the sponsor.
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier (NCT number): NCT01817751
United States, Virginia | |
Virginia Commonwealth University/Massey Cancer Center | |
Richmond, Virginia, United States, 23298 |
Principal Investigator: | Zhi-Jian Chen, MD | Massey Cancer Center |
Documents provided by Virginia Commonwealth University:
Responsible Party: | Virginia Commonwealth University |
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: | NCT01817751 |
Other Study ID Numbers: |
MCC-14816 HM14816 ( Other Identifier: VCU IRB ) NCI-2013-00705 ( Other Identifier: NCI ) P30CA016059 ( U.S. NIH Grant/Contract ) |
First Posted: | March 25, 2013 Key Record Dates |
Results First Posted: | October 28, 2021 |
Last Update Posted: | March 23, 2022 |
Last Verified: | March 2022 |
Individual Participant Data (IPD) Sharing Statement: | |
Plan to Share IPD: | No |
Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated Drug Product: | Yes |
Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated Device Product: | No |
Product Manufactured in and Exported from the U.S.: | Yes |
central nervous system Brain and Nervous System |
Glioblastoma Glioma Brain Neoplasms Astrocytoma Neoplasms, Neuroepithelial Neuroectodermal Tumors Neoplasms, Germ Cell and Embryonal Neoplasms by Histologic Type Neoplasms Neoplasms, Glandular and Epithelial Neoplasms, Nerve Tissue Central Nervous System Neoplasms Nervous System Neoplasms Neoplasms by Site Brain Diseases |
Central Nervous System Diseases Nervous System Diseases Sorafenib Sildenafil Citrate Valproic Acid Molecular Mechanisms of Pharmacological Action Antineoplastic Agents Protein Kinase Inhibitors Enzyme Inhibitors Vasodilator Agents Phosphodiesterase 5 Inhibitors Phosphodiesterase Inhibitors Urological Agents Anticonvulsants GABA Agents |