PRIMARY OBJECTIVES:

I. Test whether the experimental combination of ABT-888 (veliparib) combined with TMZ (temozolomide), compared to the control of placebo combined with TMZ, significantly extends overall survival in newly diagnosed glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) patients with tumor O-6-methylguanine-deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) methyltransferase (MGMT) promoter hypermethylation.

SECONDARY OBJECTIVES:

I. Test whether the experimental treatment significantly extends progression-free survival.

II. Test whether the experimental treatment improves objective tumor response. III. Test whether the experimental treatment is associated with significantly greater rates of grade 3 or higher adverse events.

TERTIARY OBJECTIVES:

I. Evaluate the utility of dynamic susceptibility contrast (DSC) and diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques in defining time to progression in the setting of a large multi-institutional clinical trial.

II. Test the concordance between site-determined MGMT methylation status and central laboratory determination of MGMT status in cases with local testing.

III. Evaluate whether genetic or epigenetic alterations in deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) repair or replication genes are associated with overall survival, progression-free survival, and objective tumor response.

IV. Test whether polymorphisms in MGMT, poly (adenosine diphosphate [ADP]-ribose) polymerase 1 (PARP1), or other DNA repair proteins, are associated with overall survival, progression-free survival, objective tumor response, or rates of grade 3 or higher adverse events.

OUTLINE: Patients are randomized to 1 of 2 treatment arms.

ARM I: Patients receive temozolomide orally (PO) once daily (QD) on days 1-5 and veliparib PO twice daily (BID) on days 1-7. Treatment repeats every 28 days for 6 courses in the absence of disease progression (confirmed progression) or unacceptable toxicity.

ARM II: Patients receive temozolomide as in Arm I and placebo PO BID on days 1-7. Treatment repeats every 28 days for 6 courses in the absence of disease progression (confirmed progression) or unacceptable toxicity.

After completion of study treatment, patients are followed up every 3 months for 3 years, every 6 months for 2 years, and then every 6 months for up to 5 years.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Histologic documentation: newly diagnosed World Health Organization (WHO) grade IV intracranial glioblastoma or gliosarcoma; GBM with oligodendroglial features are NOT PERMITTED in this study if they are 1p19q codeleted; sites submitting GBM with oligodendroglial features will be asked to provide results of 1p/19q codeletion status
• Sufficient tissue available for central pathology review and MGMT methylation status evaluation
• Patients who have had a local MGMT testing that is unmethylated are not allowed to participate
• Tumor MGMT promoter hypermethylation determined by central testing at MD Anderson
• Confirmation by central pathology review of WHO grade IV glioblastoma or gliosarcoma
• Absolute neutrophil count (ANC) >= 1500 cells/mm^3
• Platelets >= 100,000 cells/mm^3
• Creatinine =< 1.5 x upper limit of normal (ULN)
• Bilirubin =< 1.5 x ULN; unless patient has Gilbert's disease
• Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) =< 3 x ULN
• Aspartate aminotransferase (AST) =< 3 x ULN
• Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status =< 2
• Measurable disease and/or non-measurable disease; extent of resection: patients with complete resection, partial resection, or biopsy are eligible
• Progression: patients deemed to have progressive disease based on clinical deterioration after chemoradiation or radiographic progression outside of the radiation field are not eligible; patients deemed to have pseudoprogression are eligible
• Prior treatment:
  • Must have completed standard radiotherapy and concomitant TMZ therapy as defined and determined by the study oncologist
  • Besides concomitant TMZ with radiation, no other therapy (neo-adjuvant or adjuvant) can be given prior to study registration, including chemotherapy, biologics, immunotherapy, radiation therapy
• Not pregnant and not nursing; females of childbearing potential must have negative urine or serum pregnancy test within 7 days of registration but before start of treatment; a female of childbearing potential is a sexually mature female who: 1) has not undergone a hysterectomy or bilateral oophorectomy; or 2) has not been naturally postmenopausal for at least 12 consecutive months (i.e., has had menses at any time in the preceding 12 consecutive months)
• Concomitant medications: patients receiving anticoagulation should be on stable dose 2 weeks prior to registration
• Comorbid conditions: patients are unable to participate due to the following:
  • Seizure disorder that is uncontrolled at the time of registration; the definition of controlled seizures is patients must be without seizures for at least 10 days prior to registration
  • Grade 3 or 4 thromboembolic disease within 6 months (mo) of registration
  • Known history of prolonged QT syndrome
• No history of major surgery =< 14 days prior to registration