In a significant development for bladder cancer treatment, a new combination of cretostimogene grenadenorepvec and pembrolizumab has shown impressive results in patients with BCG-unresponsive non-muscle invasive bladder cancer. The phase 2 CORE-001 trial has demonstrated a significant increase in complete response rates and long-term disease control, offering hope for patients with limited treatment options. This breakthrough could change the way bladder cancer is treated.
repvec and pembrolizumab showed impressive effectiveness in patients with Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG)-unresponsive non-muscle invasive bladder cancer. The phase 2 CORE-001 trial, which was published in Nature Medicine, demonstrated a significant increase in complete response rates and long-term disease control. This offers new hope for patients with this challenging condition, who have limited treatment options.
The trial specifically focused on patients with BCG-unresponsive carcinoma in situ of the bladder, a condition that is notoriously difficult to treat and often results in radical cystectomy. The combination therapy showed promising results in these patients.A recent study on the use of intravesical cretostimogene grenadenorepvec and systemic pembrolizumab in the treatment of BCG-unresponsive NMIBC showed promising results. The combination therapy had a complete response rate of 57.1% at 12 months, exceeding previous benchmarks set by other treatments. The trial also found that the therapy led to durable responses, with a complete response rate of 82.9% at three months and a median duration of response that has not been reached after a median follow-up of 26.5 months. Principal investigator of the trial, Roger Li, M.D., highlighted the study as a significant advancement in the treatment of BCG-unresponsive NMIBC.Oncologist at Moffitt Cancer Center stated that their research showed that the combination of cretostimogene grenadenorepvec and pembrolizumab provides an effective and long-lasting alternative to radical cystectomy for bladder preservation. The oncolytic immunotherapy directly targets and destroys bladder cancer cells, while also triggering an anti-tumor response from the body’s immune system. Pembrolizumab, a well-known PD-1 inhibitor, further boosts the immune system’s ability to fight cancer cells. The positive clinical outcomes are a result of the combined effect of these two therapies. These promising findings emphasize the potential of this treatment approach.The possibility of oncolytic immunotherapy combining with immune checkpoint inhibitors has the potential to provide a new treatment option for patients who have exhausted other options, according to Li. The hope is that further clinical trials will confirm these benefits and establish both monotherapy and combination therapies as standard-of-care for BCG-unresponsive non-muscle invasive bladder cancer.”
Adverse events in the study were manageable and consistent with previous monotherapy trials. The most common side effects related to cretostimogene were bladder-related symptoms, while pembrolizumab-related adverse events were common with systemic immunotherapy.
