GlaxoSmithKline Starts Brain Cancer Trials With Key Drug Zejula

(Bloomberg) -- GlaxoSmithKline Plc is partnering with the Ivy Brain Tumor Center to test one of its key oncology medicines against brain cancer as the British pharmaceutical giant looks to expand the drug’s use.

The early-stage trial will test Zejula -- currently used to treat ovarian cancer -- in patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma and recurrent glioma, the partners said in a statement Tuesday. The trial will enroll as many as 42 patients taking Zejula daily for four days before a tumor resection.

Researchers will be looking to see how much the drug can penetrate the tumor, blood, and spinal fluid. If the response is positive, the patients will continue to take Zejula alongside other relevant treatment in the next trial phase. The University of California San Francisco is also involved in running the study.

The trial is one of the many steps Glaxo is taking to try to try to increase its number of blockbuster medicines as it prepares to spin-off its consumer arm next year. Zejula was one of the key assets the company picked up in its $5.1 billion deal with Tesaro Inc. in 2018. Glaxo is also testing it against breast and lung cancer.

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