Lantern Pharma (NASDAQ: LTRN) and its wholly owned subsidiary, Starlight Therapeutics, have published Phase 1a clinical data for LP-184 (zirdafulven), also known as STAR-001, in patients with recurrent glioblastoma (GBM). The study, which evaluated 16 patients, was published in the October 2026 issue of Cancer Research Communications. It found that LP-184 was generally well tolerated and established a recommended expansion dose of 0.39 mg/kg. No objective radiographic responses were observed, but one patient remained clinically and radiographically stable for more than 22 months after enrollment. The findings also revealed limited drug exposure in brain tumors, supporting further evaluation of LP-184 in combination with spironolactone, an FDA-approved drug that reduced the concentration of LP-184 needed to kill GBM cells by threefold to sixfold in preclinical models. According to the company, these results establish a dosing rationale for a planned Phase 1b/2a trial evaluating LP-184 plus spironolactone in patients experiencing their first GBM recurrence. The study, sponsored by Starlight Therapeutics under an FDA-cleared Investigational New Drug application, will assess safety, pharmacokinetics, and objective response. The combination strategy was developed with support from Lantern's RADR(R) AI platform and research collaborators at Johns Hopkins University. LP-184 has received FDA Fast Track Designation for GBM and triple-negative breast cancer, along with Orphan Drug Designations for certain central nervous system cancers.
This news is significant because glioblastoma is an aggressive brain cancer with limited treatment options, and the publication of Phase 1a data provides a foundation for the next stage of clinical development. The planned Phase 1b/2a trial will test whether adding spironolactone can improve LP-184's effectiveness by increasing drug exposure in brain tumors. For investors and industry observers, the advancement of LP-184 toward a combination trial signals progress in Lantern's pipeline and validates the company's AI-driven approach to oncology drug development. Lantern Pharma is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company leveraging its proprietary RADR artificial intelligence and machine-learning platform to transform the cost, pace, and precision of oncology drug development. By integrating large-scale genomic and biological data with advanced machine learning, RADR is designed to identify the patients most likely to benefit from Lantern's therapies and to guide biomarker-driven clinical development. The company's pipeline includes LP-184, LP-300, and LP-284, along with its central-nervous-system-focused subsidiary, Starlight Therapeutics, and its AI subsidiary, Open-Medicine AI.
For more details, the full press release is available at https://ibn.fm/qaLVQ, and the latest news and updates relating to LTRN can be found in the company's newsroom at https://ibn.fm/LTRN. The announcement was distributed through MissionIR, a specialized communications platform focused on assisting IR firms with syndicated content. MissionIR is part of the Dynamic Brand Portfolio within IBN, which provides access to wire solutions via InvestorWire, editorial syndication to 5,000+ outlets, press release enhancement, social media distribution, and corporate communications solutions. For more information, visit MissionIR.
