Evaluation of Fluoxetine and Cytotoxic Lysosomal Stress in Glioma (FLIRT)

Launched by DUKE UNIVERSITY · Nov 22, 2022

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

The FLIRT trial is exploring whether a medication called fluoxetine can help improve treatment for patients with a specific type of brain tumor known as recurrent IDHwt glioma. Fluoxetine is commonly used to treat depression and anxiety, but researchers believe it might also enhance the effectiveness of a chemotherapy drug called temozolomide by increasing stress on certain parts of the cancer cells. In this study, doctors will take samples of the tumor before surgery to see how fluoxetine affects these cancer cells.

To participate in this trial, you would need to be at least 24 years old and have a recurrent glioma that requires surgery. You should also be in relatively good health, with a performance status indicating you can care for yourself. Participants will undergo a biopsy and surgery, along with treatment involving fluoxetine and temozolomide. It’s important to note that there are specific health conditions and medications that would prevent someone from joining the study, so discussing eligibility with your doctor is essential. This trial aims to gather valuable information that could improve future treatments for brain tumors.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • 1. Age ≥ 24 years of age Note: Fluoxetine has a warning about suicidal thoughts in children, adolescents, and young adults. Short-term studies did not show an increase in the risk of suicidality with antidepressants compared to placebo in adults beyond age 24.
• • 2. Patients with recurrent glioma
• • 3. Tumor volume ≥ 1 cm3
• • 4. Clinical indication for craniotomy for biopsy and resection of the lesion
• • 5. Clinical indication for repeat treatment with Temozolomide
• • 6. Karnofsky Performance Status (KPS) \> 70%
• • 7. Adequate organ function: platelets \> 100,000/µL, hemoglobin \>9 gm/dL, ANC \> 1000/µL; creatinine \< 1.5x upper limit of normal (ULN), total bilirubin \< 1.5x ULN, AST/ALT \< 2.5x ULN within 72 hours prior to first administration of Fluoxetine
• • 8. Able to undergo MRI brain with and without contrast
• • 9. If the patient is a sexually active female of childbearing potential, whose partner is male, or if the patient is a sexually active male, whose partner is a female of childbearing potential, the patient must use appropriate contraceptive measures for the duration of the treatment and for 6 months afterwards. Female patients of childbearing potential must have a negative serum pregnancy test at the time of screening and within 48 hours of starting the infusion of the study drug.
• • 10. Signed informed consent approved by the Institutional Review Board
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • 1. Patients currently taking or who have taken any other anti-depressant medication within the past year
• • 2. Patients currently taking psychotropic agents or who have taken other psychotropic agents within the past 7 days
• • 3. Patients with any history of mood/psychotic/substance use disorders
• • 4. Prior, unrelated malignancy requiring current active treatment except for cervical carcinoma in situ and adequately treated basal cell or squamous cell carcinoma of the skin
• • 5. Patients who are pregnant or breastfeeding
• • 6. Patients with contrast-enhancing tumor crossing the midline, multifocal tumor, infratentorial tumor, tumor in eloquent brain regions, extensive tumor dissemination (subependymal or leptomeningeal), or in unsafe brain regions per the opinion of the treating neurosurgeon
• • 7. Patients with worsening neurologic deficits, clinically significant increased intracranial pressure (e.g., impending herniation), uncontrolled seizures, or requirement for immediate palliative treatment
• • 8. Unstable systemic disease in the opinion of the treating physician
• • 9. Less than 12 weeks from radiation therapy, unless progressive disease outside of the radiation field or 2 progressive scans at least 4 weeks apart or histopathologic confirmation of recurrent tumor
• • 10. Treated with immunotherapeutic agents within 4 weeks, alkylating agents within 4 weeks, nitrosoureas within 6 weeks, or non-alkylating chemotherapy within 2 weeks before enrollment, unless the patient has recovered from the expected toxic effects of such therapy
• • 11. Treated with antiangiogenic agents (i.e., bevacizumab) within 4 weeks before biopsy
• • 12. Patients who have developed disease progression while receiving temozolomide treatment are not eligible
• • 13. Patients with allergy to fluoxetine
• • 14. Patients with known cardiac disease, predisposing to long QT syndrome
• • 15. Patients with diabetes mellitus, epilepsy, history of bleeding disorders, history of mania or susceptibility to angle-closure glaucoma
• • 16. Patients with a history or who develop significant hyponatremia (serum sodium less than 130mmol/L)
• • 17. Patients with a history of bipolar disorder or schizoaffective disorder
• • 18. Patients with a history of seizure disorder prior to onset of their primary glioma
• • 19. Patients who are currently taking or have taken in the past 2 months: Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors (MAOI), Pimozide, Thioridazine, Drugs metabolized by the CYP2D6 pathway, Tricyclic Antidepressants, Antipsychotics, Serotonergic Drugs, Triptans, Tryptophan, Anticoagulant drugs (e.g., NSAIDs, aspirin, warfarin), Olanzapine
• • 20. Patients who demonstrated thrombocytopenia following prior treatment with TMZ (platelets \< 50,000/µL)