Improving brain function and quality of life for patients with newly diagnosed gliomas.
Official title: Improvement of Functional Outcome for Patients With Newly Diagnosed Grade 2 or 3 Glioma With Co-deletion of 1p/19q - IMPROVE CODEL: the NOA-18 Trial
Run by University Hospital Heidelberg · NCT05331521 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is testing a new combination of chemotherapy and radiotherapy to see if it can improve brain function and quality of life for people with newly diagnosed oligodendrogliomas.
Quick facts
| Phase | Phase 3 |
|---|---|
| Study type | Interventional |
| Ages | 18 Years and up |
| Sex | All |
| Enrollment | 406 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | University Hospital Heidelberg Academic / other |
| Drugs / interventions | chemotherapy, radiation |
| Locations | 19 sites (Heidelberg, Baden-Wurttemberg and 18 other locations) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | April 7, 2021 |
| Main results expected | March 31, 2033 |
| Study ends | March 31, 2033 |
| Registry record updated | February 3, 2026 |
| Trial ID | NCT05331521 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
Ideal candidates for this study are adults aged 18 and older with newly diagnosed CNS WHO grade 2 or 3 gliomas that have specific genetic mutations.
✕Probably not a fit
Patients with gliomas that do not meet the molecular criteria or those with a Karnofsky Performance Status below 60% may not benefit from this study.
A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.
What this trial studies
This clinical trial aims to evaluate the effectiveness of an initial treatment regimen combining chemotherapy and radiotherapy for patients with newly diagnosed oligodendrogliomas. The study will compare the outcomes of this regimen against standard treatment approaches, focusing on cognitive and functional quality of life. Patients will undergo regular assessments, including MRI scans and neurologic evaluations, to monitor their progress and response to treatment. The trial is being conducted at multiple sites across Germany, involving a comprehensive approach to patient care and data collection.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this study could lead to improved treatment protocols that enhance brain function and quality of life for patients with gliomas.
How similar studies have gone: Previous studies have shown promising results with similar treatment approaches, indicating potential for success in this trial.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria:
1. Histologically confirmed, newly diagnosed CNS WHO grade 2 or 3 glioma.
2. Tumor carries an isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) mutation (determined by immunohistochemistry (IHC) and/or deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) sequencing).
3. Tumor is co-deleted for 1p/19q (determined by copy number variations, fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA) or other appropriate methods).
4. Biopsy (with sufficient tissue for molecular pathology) or resection.
5. Age: ≥18 years.
6. Karnofsky Performance status (KPI) ≥60%.
7. Life expectancy \>6 months.
8. Availability of formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) or fresh-frozen tissue and ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA) blood for biomarker research.
9. Standard magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) ≤ 72 h post-surgery according to the present national and international guidelines.
10. Craniotomy or intracranial biopsy site must be adequately healed.
11. ≥ 2 weeks and ≤ 3 months from surgery without any interim radio- or chemotherapy or experimental intervention.
12. Willing and able to comply with regular neurocognitive and health-related quality of life tests/questionnaires.
13. Indication for postsurgical cytostatic/-toxic therapy.
14. Written Informed consent.
15. Female patients with reproductive potential have a negative pregnancy test (serum or urine) day -6 until day 0 of screening (and 3 days prior to first IMP-intake or RT). Female patients are surgically sterile or agree to use adequate contraception during the period of therapy and 7 months after the end of study treatment, or women have been postmenopausal for at least 2 years.
16. Male patients are willing to use contraception
Exclusion Criteria:
1. Participation in other ongoing interventional clinical trials.
2. Inability to undergo MRI.
3. Abnormal (≥ Grade 2 CTCAE v5.0 laboratory values for hematology (Hb, WBC, neutrophils, or platelets), liver (serum bilirubin, ALT, or AST) or renal function (serum creatinine).
4. Clinically active tuberculosis; known HIV infection or active Hepatitis B (HBV) or Hepatitis C (HCV) infection, or active infections requiring oral or intravenous antibiotics or that can cause a severe disease and pose a severe danger to lab personnel working on patients' blood or tissue (e.g. rabies).
5. Any prior anti-cancer therapy or co-administration of anti-cancer therapies other than those administered/allowed in this study. History of low-grade glioma that did not require prior treatment with chemotherapy or radiotherapy is not an exclusion criterion.
6. Immunosuppression, not related to prior treatment for malignancy.
7. History of other malignancies (except for adequately treated basal or squamous cell carcinoma or carcinoma in situ) within the last 5 years unless the patient has been disease-free for 5 years.
8. Any clinically significant concomitant disease (including hereditary fructose intolerance) or condition that could interfere with, or for which the treatment might interfere with, the conduct of the study or the absorption of oral medications or that would, in the opinion of the Principal Investigator, pose an unacceptable risk to the patient in this study.
9. Any psychological, familial, sociological, or geographical condition potentially hampering compliance with the study protocol requirements and/or follow-up procedures; those conditions should be discussed with the patient before trial entry.
10. Pregnancy or breastfeeding.
11. History of hypersensitivity to the investigational medicinal product or to any drug with similar chemical structure or to any excipient present in the pharmaceutical form of the investigational medicinal product. (E.g.: In the discretion of the investigator patients are allowed to take part in the study even if they suffer from celiac disease: Cecenu contains very small amounts of gluten (from wheat starch). It is considered gluten-free and is tolerated by patients suffering from celiac disease. One capsule contains no more than 4 micrograms of Gluten.)
12. QTc time prolongation \>500 ms.
13. Patients under restricted medication for procarbazine, lomustine, vincristine and temozolomide.
14. Liver disease characterized by:
1. ALT or AST (≥ Grade 2 CTCAE v5.0) confirmed on two consecutive measurements OR
2. Impaired excretory function (e.g., hyperbilirubinemia) or synthetic function or other conditions of decompensated liver disease such as coagulopathy, hepatic encephalopathy, hypoalbuminemia, ascites, and bleeding from esophageal varices (≥ Grade 2 CTCAE v5.0) OR
3. Acute viral or active autoimmune, alcoholic, or other types of acute hepatitis.
15. Known uncorrected coagulopathy, platelet disorder, or history of non-drug induced thrombocytopenia.
16. History of autoimmune disease, including but not limited to myasthenia gravis, myositis, autoimmune hepatitis, systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, vascular thrombosis associated with antiphospholipid syndrome, Wegener's granulomatosis, Sjögren's syndrome, Guillain-Barré syndrome, multiple sclerosis, vasculitis, or glomerulonephritis; autoimmune-related hypothyroidism (patients on a stable dose of thyroid replacement hormone are eligible for this study) and type I diabetes mellitus (patients on a stable dose of insulin regimen are eligible for this study).
17. Vaccination with life vaccines during treatment and 4 weeks before start of treatment.
18. Existing neuromuscular diseases, especially neural muscular atrophy with segmental demyelination (demyelinising form of Charcot-Marie-Tooth syndrome).
19. Chronic constipation and subileus.
20. Combination treatment with mitomycin (risk of a pronounced bronchospasm and acute shortness of breath).
21. Hypersensitivity to dacarbazine (DTIC).
22. Patients with hereditary galactose intolerance, complete lactase deficiency or glucose-galactose malabsorption (Temodal contains Lactose).
23. Patients with clinical wheat allergy.
Where it's running
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University Hospital Heidelberg, Department of Neurooncology
Heidelberg, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany Recruiting -
Charité, University Medicine Berlin, Neurosurgery
Berlin, Germany Recruiting -
Knappschaftskrankenhaus Bochum GmbH, Neurology Clinic
Bochum, Germany Recruiting -
University Hospital Bonn, Neurology Clinic
Bonn, Germany Recruiting -
Chemnitz Hospital, Neurosurgery
Chemnitz, Germany Recruiting -
University Hospital Cologne, Neurosurgery
Cologne, Germany Recruiting
Show 13 more locations
-
University Hospital Duesseldorf, Neurooncology
Düsseldorf, Germany Recruiting -
University Hospital Frankfurt, Neurooncology
Frankfurt, Germany Recruiting -
University Hospital Göttingen, Neurosurgery
Göttingen, Germany Recruiting -
University Hospital Saarland, Neurosurgery
Homburg, Germany Recruiting -
University Hospital of Jena, Neurosurgery
Jena, Germany Recruiting -
University Hospital Leipzig, Radiation Therapy
Leipzig, Germany Recruiting -
University Hospital Mannheim, Neurology Clinic
Mannheim, Germany Recruiting -
University Clinic Muehlenkreis, Minden
Minden, Germany Recruiting -
University Hospital rechts der Isar, Radiation Oncology
Munich, Germany Recruiting -
University Hospital Regensburg, Neurology Clinic
Regensburg, Germany Recruiting -
Helios Hospital Schwerin, Neurosurgery
Schwerin, Germany Recruiting -
University Hospital Tuebingen, Neurooncology
Tübingen, Germany Recruiting -
University Hospital Wuerzburg, Neurosurgery
Würzburg, Germany Recruiting
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: Wolfgang Wick, Prof. Dr. — University Hospital Heidelberg
- Study coordinator: Wolfgang Wick, Prof. Dr.
- Email: wolfgang.wick@med.uni-heidelberg.de
- Phone: +49 6221 56
Similar studies
Other studies for the same condition or treatment. Recruiting studies are listed first.
-
Safusidenib in IDH1-mutant glioma after vorasidenib progression
This trial tests safusidenib in people with IDH1-mutant glioma who progressed on vorasidenib and did not need immediate chemo or radiation.
-
Pre-radiation chemotherapy for high-grade glioma
Researchers are testing whether giving temozolomide before radiation can help patients with newly diagnosed high-grade gliomas see better outcomes and clearer MRI results after treatment.
-
FearLess for adults with malignant brain tumors and their caregivers
This project will test whether the FearLess psychological program can reduce fear of cancer recurrence in adults with primary malignant brain tumors and their nonprofessional caregivers.
-
Home-based self-management and cognitive training for brain tumor survivors
This trial will try a home-based cognitive coaching program to see if it improves thinking and quality of life for adults who survived non-glioblastoma brain tumors, with optional caregiver participation.
-
Treatment of high-grade glioma in young patients using olutasidenib and temozolomide
This study is testing if a new combination of olutasidenib and temozolomide can help young patients with high-grade gliomas that have a specific mutation feel better after their radiotherapy.
-
Treatment for young patients with relapsed or refractory brain tumors
This study is testing a new way to deliver cancer drugs directly to the brain tumors of young patients under 22 who have not responded to other treatments, to see if it helps them feel better.
How to take part
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
- Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.