Comparing two ways to deliver medicine directly into the brain for recurrent high‑grade glioma

Comparison of convection enhanced delivery systems in a randomized controlled clinical study of recurrent Grade 3-4 glioma patients

NIH-funded research Creosalus, INC. · NIH-11176927

This compares a new porous brain infusion catheter plus planning software to a standard end‑port catheter to deliver more medication into tumors for people with recurrent grade 3–4 glioma.

Quick facts

Grant typeSbir 2 grant
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionCreosalus, INC. NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (Louisville, United States)
Project IDNIH-11176927 on NIH RePORTER

What this research studies

If I had recurrent high‑grade glioma, this project would randomly assign patients to receive drug delivery through either a new porous brain infusion catheter (PBIC) paired with molecular flow planning software, or a standard end‑port convection‑enhanced delivery catheter. The team will use FDA‑cleared infusion planning software to map and predict how drugs distribute in the tumor and surrounding brain. Doctors will measure how much of the enhancing tumor is covered by the infused medication and monitor safety outcomes. The company has preclinical data showing greater drug spread with the PBIC and will run a randomized controlled comparison in people to confirm those findings.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: Ideal candidates are adults with recurrent Grade 3 or Grade 4 glioma (including glioblastoma) who are medically eligible for convection‑enhanced neurosurgical catheter infusion.

Not a fit: Patients with low‑grade gliomas, non‑enhancing tumors, those who are not candidates for neurosurgery, or people with unrelated medical conditions are unlikely to benefit from this intervention.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this could increase how much of a tumor receives locally delivered therapy and possibly improve treatment effects for people with recurrent high‑grade glioma.

How similar studies have performed: Preclinical animal studies and infusion modeling have shown increased distribution with the PBIC and the planning software is FDA 510(k)‑cleared, but randomized human comparisons of catheter designs are novel.

Where this research is happening

Louisville, United States

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.
Conditions Brain DiseasesBrain DisordersCancer Treatment
Last reviewed 2026-06-13 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.