MRI Interventions, Brainlab ally with Tocagen

MRI Interventions and image-guided therapy firm Brainlab said they have formed an alliance with cancer drug developer Tocagen to target the most aggressive form of brain cancer, recurrent high-grade gliomas including glioblastoma multiforme (GBM).

Under the arrangement, MRI Interventions' ClearPoint neurological intervention system will be used at selected sites in Tocagen's investigational phase I/II clinical trial for the delivery of Toca 511 into brain tumors under real-time MRI guidance, according to MRI Interventions and Brainlab. Toca 511 is a retroviral replicating vector designed to deliver a cytosine deaminase gene selectively to cancer cells.

Patient recruitment for this part of the study is currently under way.