5-Aminolevulinic acid (oral, for glioma surgery)
A drink taken before brain surgery that makes high-grade glioma glow under blue light, letting surgeons remove more tumour safely.
Stummer randomised trial (Lancet Oncol 2006): complete resection 65% vs 36% and better 6-month PFS. EMA approved 2007; FDA 2017 (first optical imaging agent for brain surgery). Also used topically for actinic keratosis photodynamic therapy (Levulan/Ameluz) and in bladder (hexaminolevulinate).
- Medicare
- Part B (clinician-administered)
Oral solution given two to four hours before glioma surgery in the hospital, so it is a surgical supply bundled into the Part A inpatient stay rather than a pharmacy benefit.
- Commercial insurance
- covered on label
Bundled into the craniotomy claim; no separate authorisation is typical.
Sources: Medicare.gov: Chemotherapy · Medicare.gov: Prescription drugs (outpatient, Part B) · Medicare.gov: Inpatient hospital care (Part A). Not medical or financial advice; verify with your plan.
- Appraised for
- Fluorescence-guided resection of high-grade glioma
- Notes
- Recommended in NICE guideline NG99 (brain tumours, 2018) rather than a TA; routinely used in NHS neurosurgical centres.
- NHS England
- Routinely funded for the appraised indication (or via managed access)
Sources: NICE search: 5-aminolevulinic acid (Gliolan). Funding decisions are indication-specific and change monthly; verify with NICE and your treating team.
Approvals
| Region | Year | Indication |
|---|---|---|
| EU | 2007 | Visualisation of malignant tissue during surgery for WHO grade III-IV glioma |
| US | 2017 | Imaging agent for visualisation of malignant tissue during glioma surgery (suspected high-grade) |
Trials
topRecruiting now (live from ClinicalTrials.gov)
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Latest papers
topQuery for this drug: (TITLE:"5-Aminolevulinic acid" OR ABSTRACT:"5-Aminolevulinic acid" OR TITLE:"oral, for glioma surgery" OR ABSTRACT:"oral, for glioma surgery" OR TITLE:"Gleolan" OR ABSTRACT:"Gleolan" OR TITLE:"Gliolan" OR ABSTRACT:"Gliolan") AND (cancer OR tumor OR tumour OR oncology OR carcinoma OR lymphoma OR leukemia OR leukaemia OR myeloma OR sarcoma OR melanoma OR glioma). Results are unfiltered search hits about 5-Aminolevulinic acid (oral, for glioma surgery), not a curated reading list.