New hope for bladder cancer patients who can't take chemo
NCT ID NCT02845323
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study tests two immunotherapy drugs (nivolumab with or without urelumab) given before bladder removal surgery in 15 patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer who cannot or refuse standard chemotherapy. The goal is to see if adding urelumab boosts the immune response against the tumor. Participants are randomly assigned to receive either the combination or nivolumab alone.
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Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Phase 2
Tests whether the treatment actually works, and watches for side effects, in a larger group.
- Participants
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15 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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May 2017
- Expected to finish
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Dec 2027
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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18 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Electively refusing cisplatin-based neoadjuvant chemotherapy or * Ineligible to receive cisplatin-based neoadjuvant chemotherapy based upon at least one of the following criteria: * Creatinine clearance \< 60 ml/min * ECOG status =2 * Grade \> 2 hearing loss * Grade \> 2 neuropathy * New York Heart Association Class III heart failure * Age ≥ 18 years old at time of consent * Patients must have the following laboratory values: a) Absolute neutrophil count (ANC) ≥ 1.5 K/mm3 (must be stable off any growth factor within 4 weeks of first study drug administration) b) Platelets ≥ 100 K/mm3 (transfusion to achieve this level is not permitted within 2 weeks of first study drug administration) c) Hemoglobin (Hgb) ≥ 9 g/dL d) Serum total bilirubin: ≤ 1.5 x ULN e) ALT and AST ≤ 3.0 x ULN f) Serum creatinine clearance (CrCl) ≥ 30 mL/min using the Cockcroft-Gault equation, see formula below: * CrCl = \[140-age (years)\] x weight (kg) / \[72 x serum Cr (mg/dL)\] (if patient is female multiply the above by 0.85) * Patients who give a written informed consent obtained according to local guidelines Exclusion Criteria: * Patients with locally advanced unresectable or metastatic urothelial carcinoma as assessed on baseline radiographic imaging obtained within 28 days prior to study registration. The required radiographic imaging includes: a) Abdomen/Pelvis - CT scan b) Chest - chest x-ray or CT scan * Patients with concurrent upper urinary tract (i.e. ureter, renal pelvis) invasive urothelial carcinoma. * Patients with another active second malignancy other than non-melanoma skin cancers and biochemical relapsed prostate cancer * Patients who have received the last administration of an anti-cancer therapy including chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and monoclonal antibodies ≤ 4 weeks prior to starting study drug, or who have not recovered from the side effects of such therapy * Patients who have received prior therapy with immune checkpoint inhibitors (e.g. anti-PD-1, anti-PD-L1, anti-LAG3, anti-CTLA-4) or immune costimulatory molecules (e.g. anti-CD137, anti-OX40, anti-GITR) directed agents. * Patients who have had radiotherapy ≤ 4 weeks prior to starting study drug, or who have not recovered from radiotherapy toxicities * Patients who have undergone major surgery (e.g. intra-thoracic, intra-abdominal or intra-pelvic), open biopsy or significant traumatic injury ≤ 4 weeks prior to starting study drug, or patients who have had minor procedures (i.e. TURBT), percutaneous biopsies or placement of vascular access device ≤ 1 week prior to starting study drug, or who have not recovered from side effects of such procedure or injury * Patients with history of alcoholic or non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), auto-immune hepatitis, or previous grade 3-4 drug-related hepatitis. (Note: Patients with radiographic evidence of steatohepatitis are excluded unless a liver biopsy is obtained demonstrating no evidence of alcoholic or non-alcoholic steatohepatitis). * Patient with history of prior solid organ or allogeneic bone marrow transplant. * Patients with any of the following concurrent severe and/or uncontrolled medical conditions which could compromise participation in the study: 1. Clinically significant cardiac diseases, including any of the following: i. History or presence of serious uncontrolled ventricular arrhythmias ii.Clinically significant resting bradycardia iii.Any of the following within 3 months prior to starting study drug: myocardial infarction (MI), severe/unstable angina, Coronary Artery Bypass Graft (CABG), Congestive Heart Failure (CHF), Cerebrovascular Accident (CVA), Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA), Pulmonary Embolism (PE) iv.Uncontrolled hypertension defined by a SBP ≥ 160 mm Hg and/or DBP ≥ 100 mm Hg, with or without anti-hypertensive medication(s) b) Cirrhosis, chronic active hepatitis or chronic persistent hepatitis c) Known diagnosis of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection (HIV testing is not mandatory) d) Known diagnosis of any condition (i.e. post-hematopoietic or organ transplant, rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, inflammatory bowel disease, etc.) that requires chronic immunosuppressive therapy. Usage of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDS) for the treatment of osteoarthritis and uric acid synthesis inhibitors for the treatment of gout are permitted. For questions, please consult the study chair. e) Other concurrent severe and/or uncontrolled concomitant medical conditions (e.g. active or uncontrolled infection, uncontrolled diabetes) that could cause unacceptable safety risks or compromise compliance with the protocol * Pregnant or breast-feeding women * Women of child-bearing potential, who are biologically able to conceive, and not employing two forms of highly effective contraception. Highly effective contraception must be used throughout the trial and up to 8 weeks after the last dose of study drug (e.g. male condom with spermicidal; diaphragm with spermicide; intra-uterine device). Women of child-bearing potential, defined as sexually mature women who have not undergone a hysterectomy or who have not been naturally postmenopausal for at least 12 consecutive months (i.e., who has had menses any time in the preceding 12 consecutive months), must have a negative serum pregnancy test ≤ 14 days prior to starting study drug * Fertile males not willing to use contraception, as stated above * Patients unwilling or unable to comply with the protocol
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Columbia University Medical Center
New York, New York, 10032, United States
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Johns Hopkins Hospital
Baltimore, Maryland, 21205, United States
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UCLA Institute of Urologic Oncology
Los Angeles, California, 90095, United States
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University of Chicago
Chicago, Illinois, 60637, United States
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University of Colorado Cancer Center
Aurora, Colorado, 80045, United States
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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- Can tumor genes decide who keeps their bladder?
- Lab-Grown tumor models could match patients to the right cancer drug