Assessment of Safety and Feasibility of ExAblate Blood-Brain Barrier (BBB) Disruption for Treatment of Glioma
![]() |
The safety and scientific validity of this study is the responsibility of the study sponsor and investigators. Listing a study does not mean it has been evaluated by the U.S. Federal Government. Read our disclaimer for details. |
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03616860 |
Recruitment Status :
Active, not recruiting
First Posted : August 6, 2018
Last Update Posted : January 4, 2023
|
- Study Details
- Tabular View
- No Results Posted
- Disclaimer
- How to Read a Study Record
Condition or disease | Intervention/treatment | Phase |
---|---|---|
Glioblastoma | Device: Focused Ultrasound (FUS) BBB Disruption | Not Applicable |
Study Type : | Interventional (Clinical Trial) |
Actual Enrollment : | 14 participants |
Allocation: | N/A |
Intervention Model: | Single Group Assignment |
Masking: | None (Open Label) |
Primary Purpose: | Treatment |
Official Title: | Assessment of Safety and Feasibility of ExAblate Blood-Brain Barrier Disruption for the Treatment of High Grade Glioma in Patients Undergoing Standard Chemotherapy |
Actual Study Start Date : | October 16, 2018 |
Estimated Primary Completion Date : | December 2023 |
Estimated Study Completion Date : | December 2024 |

Arm | Intervention/treatment |
---|---|
Experimental: Focused Ultrasound (FUS) BBB Disruption
The Exablate Model 4000 Type 2 system is intended for use as a tool to induce localized and temporary blood-brain barrier disruption in patients with glioblastoma undergoing standard of care chemotherapy.
|
Device: Focused Ultrasound (FUS) BBB Disruption
FUS BBB disruption involves the application of acoustic energy at low frequencies from over 1000 individual transducers into distinct body targets
Other Name: Exablate Neuro |
- Device and procedure related adverse events [ Time Frame: Throughout the study, approximately 12 months. ]The number and severity of device and BBB disruption procedure related adverse events will be evaluated and classified according to the CTCAE
- Feasibility of repeated BBB disruption will be evaluated through assessment of post-procedure contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance (MR) imaging [ Time Frame: Immediately after each FUS BBB disruption procedure ]The repeatability of BBB disruption will be evaluated at each of the 6 procedures (coincident with standard of care chemotherapy) and will be evaluated through assessment of post-procedure contrast enhanced MR imaging.
- Effectiveness of BBB disruption in the treated tumor region [ Time Frame: at each standard of care neuro-oncology follow up visit until date of death from any cause, assessed up to 48 months ]Effectiveness will be assessed based on the MRI characteristics of the FUS treated tumor region as assessed by the modified Response Assessment in Neuro-Oncology Criteria (RANO) to establish GBM status

Choosing to participate in a study is an important personal decision. Talk with your doctor and family members or friends about deciding to join a study. To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contacts provided below. For general information, Learn About Clinical Studies.
Ages Eligible for Study: | 18 Years to 80 Years (Adult, Older Adult) |
Sexes Eligible for Study: | All |
Accepts Healthy Volunteers: | No |
Inclusion Criteria:
- Men or women.
- Age between 18 and 80 years, inclusive.
- Able and willing to give informed consent.
- Grade IV malignant glioma (GBM) confirmed through assessment of surgical specimens by a board-certified neuropathologist.
- Undergone maximal safe surgical resection and completed concurrent radiotherapy+oral TMZ without any complications and deemed eligible for the maintenance phase of TMZ treatment.
- Karnofsky rating 70-100.
- ASA score 1-3.
- Able to communicate during the ExAblate MRgFUS procedure.
- Able to attend all study visits (i.e., life expectancy of at least 3 months).
Exclusion Criteria:
-
Patients presenting with the following imaging characteristics:
i. Evidence of recent intracranial hemorrhage.
-
The sonication pathway to the tumour involves:
i. Extensive scalp scars, ii. Clips or other metallic implanted objects in the skull or the brain (brain implants).
- The subject presents with symptoms and signs of increased intracranial pressure (e.g., headache, nausea, vomiting, lethargy, and papilledema).
- Patients requiring increasing doses of corticosteroids.
- Patient receiving bevacizumab (Avastin) therapy.
- Patients undergoing other concurrent therapies such as chemotherapy wafers, immunotoxins delivered by convection-enhanced delivery, regionally administered gene and viral therapies, immunotherapies, and focal irradiation with brachytherapy, stereotactic radiosurgery, and laser interstitial thermotherapy.
-
Cardiac disease or unstable hemodynamics including:
i. Documented myocardial infarction within six months of enrollment. ii. Unstable angina on medication. iii. Congestive heart failure. iv. Left ventricular ejection fraction <50%. v. History of a hemodynamically unstable cardiac arrhythmia. vi. Cardiac pacemaker.
- Severe hypertension (diastolic BP > 100 on medication).
- Anti-coagulant therapy, or medications known to increase risk of hemorrhage within washout period prior to treatment.
- History of a bleeding disorder, coagulopathy or with a history of spontaneous tumour hemorrhage.
- Documented cerebral infarction within the past 12 months.
- TIA in the last 1 month.
- Cerebral or systemic vasculopathy.
- Insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus that is not well-controlled or that in the Investigator's opinion precludes participation in the study.
- Known sensitivity to gadolinium-DTPA.
- Known sensitivity to DEFINITY ultrasound contrast agent or perflutren.
- Contraindications to MRI such as non-MRI-compatible implanted devices.
- Large subjects not fitting comfortably into the MRI scanner.
- Difficulty lying supine and still for up to 4 hours in the MRI unit or claustrophobia.
- Untreated, uncontrolled sleep apnea.
- Positive pregnancy test (for pre-menopausal women).
- Known life-threatening systemic disease.
- Severely impaired renal function.
- Cardiac shunt.
- Previous full course of chemotherapy.
- Allergy to eggs or egg products.
- Subjects with evidence of cranial or systemic infection.
- Subjects with chronic pulmonary disorders.
- Subjects with a history of drug allergies, asthma or hay fever, and multiple allergies, in particular subjects with a history of anaphylaxis.
- Subjects with evidence of Hepatitis B virus infection/carrier state.
- Liver injury as indicated by liver function tests.

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): NCT03616860
Canada, Ontario | |
Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre | |
Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M4N 3M5 |
Principal Investigator: | Nir Lipsman, MD | Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre |
Responsible Party: | InSightec |
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: | NCT03616860 |
Other Study ID Numbers: |
BT008C 277981 ( Other Identifier: Health Canada ) |
First Posted: | August 6, 2018 Key Record Dates |
Last Update Posted: | January 4, 2023 |
Last Verified: | January 2023 |
Individual Participant Data (IPD) Sharing Statement: | |
Plan to Share IPD: | No |
Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated Drug Product: | No |
Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated Device Product: | No |
Product Manufactured in and Exported from the U.S.: | No |
Glioblastoma Astrocytoma Glioma Neoplasms, Neuroepithelial Neuroectodermal Tumors |
Neoplasms, Germ Cell and Embryonal Neoplasms by Histologic Type Neoplasms Neoplasms, Glandular and Epithelial Neoplasms, Nerve Tissue |