Atlantic Health System on Monday announced it reached a medical milestone. The hospital system has treated the first patient in the Northeast with a novel cellular immunotherapy for glioblastoma (GBM). The treatment is part of an ongoing Phase 2 clinical trial aimed at combating one of the most aggressive and deadly forms of brain cancer.
Atlantic Health is one of only 11 sites in the United States selected for this study, which is sponsored by Diakonos Oncology. The trial focuses on DOC1021, a “first-in-class” autologous dendritic cell therapy that leverages a patient’s own immune system to target tumor cells.
Glioblastoma is notoriously difficult to treat, with typical survival rates ranging from only 14 to 20 months. The DOC1021 therapy represents a shift toward personalized medicine; it is created by combining a patient’s own dendritic cells with mRNA and proteins extracted directly from their specific tumor specimen.
“The Diakonos dendritic cell therapy enhances a patient’s natural immune response, mimicking the way the body fights off viral infections to target and eliminate cancer cells,” Dr. Robert Aiken, a neuro-oncologist and co-investigator at Atlantic Health, said.
Because the therapy requires fresh tissue specimens and blood-derived cells, the process requires intense coordination between surgical and oncology teams. At Atlantic Health, the treatment is being administered through a collaboration between Morristown Medical Center and Overlook Medical Center.
Dr. Yaron Moshel, neurosurgeon and co-investigator, emphasized the importance of timing: “This type of immunotherapy needs to be considered early in diagnosis and coordinated before surgery to meet the study’s technical requirements with precision.”
The Phase 2 trial (NCT06805305) is evaluating the safety and efficacy of DOC1021 in combination with standard-of-care treatments, such as radiation and chemotherapy. Researchers are primarily measuring:
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Overall Survival (OS) at one, two, and three-year intervals.
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Progression-Free Survival (PFS).
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Quality of Life and neuro-cognitive function.
“We are optimistic that DOC1021 could lead to meaningful improvements in survival and quality of life for patients facing this aggressive disease,” Dr. Laura Aguilar, chief medical officer of Diakonos Oncology said.
The study is currently enrolling adult patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma (IDH-wildtype) who are candidates for surgical resection. For more information regarding eligibility and enrollment, interested parties can contact Atlantic Health at (908) 522-5985 or visit ClinicalTrials.gov.
