CAPhO Connections Podcast: Brain Matters: Targeting IDH Mutant Low Grade Gliomas with Vorasidenib
Step into the future of neuro-oncology with Vorasidenib, the first-in-class targeted therapy for dual IDH-mutant gliomas. In this episode, an oncology Nurse Practitioner and neurology Clinician-Investigator share their real-world experience, tracing Vorasidenib’s journey from early SAP use to Health Canada approval and its transformative impact on low-grade glioma management.
We explore key findings from the INDIGO trial, practical prescribing considerations, drug access, interaction management, toxicity monitoring, and how interprofessional teams optimize care across all age groups. Discover how this breakthrough therapy is reshaping glioma treatment, redefining pharmacy practice, and empowering pharmacists to drive better patient outcomes and quality of life.
Learning Objectives:
- Discuss key findings from the INDIGO trial, including clinical implications and touch upon future potential uses
- Provide real-world experience and implications with vorasidenib at all stages from drug access, prescribing, monitoring, dispensing, tolerability, drug-interactions, follow up, and collaboration with care teams to optimize patient outcomes
- Explore strategies to preserve neurocognitive function and quality of life for glioma patients receiving long-term vorasidenib treatment, including approaches to monitoring cognitive health, managing symptoms, and supporting patients’ functional well-being throughout therapy
- Reflect on the role of oncology pharmacists in managing oral targeted therapies such as vorasidenib, and how pharmacists can work with other disciplines for effective care
The Canadian Drug Agency (CDA) has recommended Voranigo(r) (vorasidenib) for reimbursement by provinces according to the criteria found here. Since the recording of this episode, the province of Ontario has began funding vorasidenib under the Ontario Drug Benefit Exceptional Access Program, with the anticipation that other Canadian health ministries will follow.
About the Guests:
Andrea Wong
Andrea graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Windsor in 2016, with her primary focus in oncology. She began her career at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in 2016, working on the inpatient Medical and Radiation Oncology unit before transitioning to the Complex Malignant Hematology unit in 2018. In 2019, she obtained her Canadian Nurses Association (CNA) certification in Oncology Nursing.
Andrea went on to complete her Master of Nursing and Primary Health Care Nurse Practitioner Certificate at Toronto Metropolitan University in 2022. Since then, she has worked as a Nurse Practitioner in the Neuro-oncology Clinic at the Odette Cancer Centre, where her recent focus has been on the development and implementation of the vorasidenib program at Sunnybrook.
Andrea is a member of the Canadian Association of Nurses in Oncology and serves as an Adjunct Lecturer at the Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing at the University of Toronto.
Dr. James Perry
Dr. James Perry is a Toronto-based clinical investigator and professor of neurology specializing in innovative therapies for primary brain tumours. He leads outcomes focused research for the Canadian brain tumour consortium, and has been the PI of several practice-changing clinical trials including new standards of care using metronomic temozolomide, chemoradiation in the eldery with glioblastoma, and recently the INDIGO study of vorasidenib for low grade glioma.
Resources Used
1. Brain Tumour Foundation of Canada- https://www.braintumour.ca/
2. CANON (Canadian Adolescent & Young Adult Neuro-Oncology Network)- https://ayabraincancer.ca/
3. Wellspring - https://wellspring.ca/
4. UHN AYA program - https://www.uhn.ca/PrincessMargaret/Clinics/Adolescent_Young_Adult_Oncology
5. Gilda’s Club - https://www.gildasclubtoronto.org/
6. ASCO education book on glioma: https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://ascopubs.org/doi/full/10.1200/EDBK_431450__;!!Ibyq0D7xP3j_!q3vnndMwON-lISRy1dusgldfyZUNq0FE1fOm-NJSK97xlqL4-Yz9JZI1QDk0fhqr0RDOr-MDTkJZUB1yFkGegj0IKCzrOrvdqZ8$
INDIGO TRIAL: Vorasidenib in IDH1- or IDH2-Mutant Low-Grade Glioma | New England Journal of Medicine