Collaboration Established for MRI-Guided, Neurointerventional Delivery of Brain Cancer Drug

MRI Interventions, Inc. (Memphis, TN, USA) and Brainlab, AG (Feldkirchen, Germany) announced an alliance with Tocagen, Inc. (San Diego, CA, USA) in the fight against the most aggressive form of brain cancer, recurrent high-grade gliomas, including glioblastoma multiforme (GBM).

Under the collaboration, MRI Interventions’ ClearPoint neuro-interventional system will be utilized at selected sites in Tocagen’s ongoing investigational clinical trial for the delivery of Toca 511 into brain tumors under real-time magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) guidance. Patient recruitment is currently underway at one of several potential trial centers for this arm of this multicenter phase I/II study.

Typically, delivery of drug therapies to brain tumors has been performed with neuronavigation, a computer-assisted technology utilized by neurosurgeons that does not provide for direct visualization of drug delivery in real-time. The ClearPoint system, which is in commercial use in the United States for a range of minimally invasive neurosurgery procedures, is designed to allow real-time, direct visualization during neurosurgery.

MRI Interventions and Brainlab have partnered to enable neurosurgeons to visualize local drug delivery to the brain and central nervous system using the ClearPoint platform. “We are enthusiastic about the potential of combining our new Toca 511investigational therapy with the next-generation brain delivery platform represented by the ClearPoint system,” said Harry Gruber, MD, CEO of Tocagen.

Tocagen is currently enrolling patients in its investigational clinical trial of Toca 511 in combination with Toca FC (flucytosine, extended-release) tablets. This multicenter, open-label trial is evaluating the safety and efficacy of Toca 511 injected into the brain tumor and followed by oral administration of Toca FC in patients with recurrent high-grade glioma.

Toca 511 is a retroviral replicating vector (RRV) that is designed to deliver a cytosine deaminase (CD) gene selectively to cancer cells. After Toca 511 spreads through the tumor, the CD gene in the cancer cells converts the prodrug, flucytosine, into the anticancer agent 5-fluorouracil (5-FU).

Under this new alliance, at selected trial centers, neurosurgeons participating in the Tocagen clinical trial plan to employ the ClearPoint system to accurately place the drug delivery catheter in the brain tumor and then deliver Toca 511 directly into the tumor while visualizing this delivery real-time via MRI.

Related Links:
MRI Interventions
Brainlab
Tocagen