About this trial
This is a non-blinded phase 2 trial in Stage II-IIIa urothelial cancer randomizing pre-operative nivolumab with or without relatlimab to assess whether bladder preservation after dual immunotherapy would be a viable treatment option for patients responding to treatment
Eligibility criteria
This trial does not accept healthy volunteersQualifiers
Willing and able to provide informed consent
Age ≥ 18 years
Resectable muscle-invasive UC of the bladder, defined as cT2-4aN0M0 OR cT1-4aN1M0. In cT1N1 patients, lymph node positivity would need to be cytologically or histologically confirmed.
Surgical resection (cystectomy) is the advised locoregional treatment and is accepted by the subject after consultation with the urologist.
Disqualifiers
Subjects with active autoimmune disease in the past 2 years. Patients with diabetes mellitus, properly controlled hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism, vitiligo, psoriasis or other mild skin disease can still be included.
Documented history of severe autoimmune disease (e.g. inflammatory bowel disease, myasthenia gravis).
Previous intravenous systemic therapy or radiotherapy for UC.
Upper urinary tract disease, unless all disease is planned to be resected in the same surgery as for UBC. This includes non-muscle-invasive disease.
Trial design
Parallel
Treatments tested in this trial
Nivolumab
DrugInduction with immune checkpoint blockade nivolumab on day 1. Nivolumab will also be administered on day 29. Response evaluation will be after the last cycle of checkpoint inhibition.
Relatlimab
DrugInduction with immune checkpoint blockade nivolumab and relatlimab on day 1. Nivolumab and relatlimab will also be administered on day 29. Response evaluation will be after the last cycle of checkpoint inhibition.
Treatment groups
Trial outcomes
Primary outcomes
Pathological complete response
Pathological complete response defined as pT0N0 or pTisN0 in all evaluable patients
Secondary outcomes
Drug toxicity
Safety in terms of immunotherapy-related adverse events according to CTCAE 5.0 criteria
Feasibility of dual immunotherapy
Percentage of patients that completes cystectomy within 12 weeks of start of treatment. Patients who elect to not undergo surgery or have a delay due to logistical reasons not related to study treatment will be excluded from this analysis.
Tumor tissue biomarkers predicting treatment response
PD-L1 expression of tumor tissue (obtained pre-treatment) will be determined using immunohistochemistry of tissue slides. For PD-L1, tumor proportion score (TPS) will be determined. Pathological complete response will be related to PD-L1 expression
Exploring the Immunological effects of immunotherapy on the tumor microenvironment
RNA sequencing and multiplex immunofluorescence will be carried out on TUR and cystectomy tumor tissue. Methods may include RNA expression profiling and multiplex immunofluorescence.
Sponsors and contacts
Click on the lead sponsor to view all of their trials.
The Netherlands Cancer Institute
Lead sponsor
Bristol-Myers Squibb
Collaborator