Glioblastoma is the most common aggressive brain cancer in adults, about 12,000 US cases a year. Standard care is surgery, radiation and temozolomide, sometimes with tumor-treating fields. Many drugs have failed; the most promising work now uses CAR T cells, devices that get drugs past the blood-brain barrier, and immunotherapy combinations.
- 573studies open or running
- 31phase 3 trials
- 4,698papers published this year
- 40NIH-funded projects
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Now
Nov 2026
CAR T cells show durable responsesHappened 12.0 mo median survival
Two-target CAR T cells: median survival 12.0 months after relapse, with one response lasting 33 months.
12.0 mo: median survival in recurrent glioblastoma.
Many add-on drugs have failedHappened
A 749-person phase 3 of marizomib added no survival.
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6 months
by May 2027
Niraparib against temozolomidePossible
A 450-person phase 3 compares niraparib with temozolomide for tumors unlikely to respond to temozolomide; due December 2027.
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12 months
by Nov 2027
Re-irradiation at first relapsePossible
EORTC LEGATO (411 people) tests adding a second course of radiation to lomustine; due September 2027.
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3 years
by late 2029
Ultrasound to open the brain barrierPossible 90% barrier opened
SONOBIRD (560 people) tests SonoCloud-9 with carboplatin at relapse; due January 2028.
90%: of emitters opened the blood-brain barrier.
Tumor-treating fields plus immunotherapyPossible 12.0 mo before growth
EF-41 (741 people) follows a phase 2 where time before growth was 12.0 vs 5.8 months; due April 2029.
12.0 mo: median time before growth, vs 5.8 in matched controls.
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5 years
by late 2031
CAR T cells in larger trialsLong shot 12.0 mo median survival
If early results hold, multi-target CAR T cells could become an option at relapse.
12.0 mo: median survival in recurrent glioblastoma.
Radiation implanted at surgeryLong shot
BRIDGES (766 people) tests GammaTile radiation seeds placed during surgery; due 2031.
The research paths
Cell and immune therapy
12.0 mo median survivalDetails and 1 trialsHide
CAR T cells and immunotherapy combined with devices that prime the immune system.
WatchEF-41; larger CAR T trials.
Getting drugs into the brain
90% barrier openedDetails and 2 trialsHide
Ultrasound devices and brain-penetrating drugs.
WatchSONOBIRD.
Radiation and surgery
Details and 2 trialsHide
Re-irradiation, implanted radiation and new schedules.
WatchLEGATO.
Platform trials
Details and 1 trialsHide
GBM AGILE tests several drugs at once against a shared control group.
WatchEach arm's graduation.
Borrowed from other cancers
From Ovarian cancer
Niraparib
Phase 3
A PARP inhibitor that crosses into the brain well.
From Leukemia and lymphoma
CAR T cells
Phase 1
Engineered immune cells, redesigned to hit two brain tumor targets.
From Melanoma and lung cancer
Pembrolizumab
Phase 3
Immunotherapy paired with tumor-treating fields.
Open to join now
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New or recurrent
GBM AGILE platform
Locations and eligibility → -
First relapse, Europe
Lomustine with re-irradiation
Locations and eligibility → -
New diagnosis
GammaTile at surgery
Locations and eligibility → -
New diagnosis
Pulsed radiation therapy
Locations and eligibility →
See every recruiting Glioblastoma trial →
When the trials finish
Completion dates the trials registered. Results usually follow 3 to 12 months later.
- Heating up
- Maturing
- Early
- Cooling
- Fully enrolled, waiting on results
- Still enrolling
What just happened
CAR T update: 12.0-month median survival
ASCO 2026, 18 people.
Temozolomide timing changes did not help
MAGMA and JCOG1703 at ASCO 2026.
Standard treatment today
- New diagnosisMaximal safe surgery, then radiation with temozolomide, then temozolomide; tumor-treating fields often added.
- Older or frailShorter radiation, temozolomide alone, or both, depending on MGMT status.
- RelapseLomustine, bevacizumab, repeat surgery or radiation, or a clinical trial.
How to read this page, and sourcesHow to read this page, and sources
- Vorasidenib and other IDH drugs are for lower-grade IDH-mutant gliomas, not glioblastoma.
- Forecasts are editorial judgments by Find a Trial, not predictions from sponsors or regulators.
See Glioblastoma trials recruiting now →