Losartan is a drug commonly used to treat conditions including high blood pressure, heart disease and kidney disease in people with diabetes. You may also hear losartan called by its brand name Cozar®.
NICE do not recommend taking losartan for the treatment of a brain tumour.
There are currently ongoing trials to see if this type of drug could be effective in improving the outcomes of chemotherapy in patients with pancreatic cancer. In pre-clinical trials with mice, scientists discovered that Losartan increased the blood flow within tumours, therefore improving the delivery of chemotherapy.
Losartan is able to cross the blood-brain barrier. A trial was carried out testing the effect of Losartan on rats implanted with glioma cells which appeared to decrease in tumour volume after 30 days compared to those which were not given the drug. Researchers in France began a clinical trial in 2013 “Angiotensin II Receptor Blockers, Steroids and Radiotherapy in Glioblastoma" which has not yet posted results.
Further research is needed.
NICE do not recommend losartan as a treatment for brain tumours. It is important to speak to your healthcare team before taking any new medications or making changes to your current brain tumour treatment.
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