Can less chemo keep bladder cancer in check? new trial investigates
NCT ID NCT07183319
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study is testing whether people with advanced bladder cancer can switch to a milder treatment after an initial strong combination therapy. Participants first receive two drugs (pembrolizumab and enfortumab vedotin) for 24 weeks. If their cancer is controlled, they then receive only pembrolizumab. The goal is to see if this de-escalation keeps the cancer from growing while reducing side effects. About 30 adults with metastatic urothelial carcinoma are being enrolled.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Pembrolizumab and Enfortumab Vedotin
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could show that some patients with metastatic bladder cancer can safely reduce their treatment intensity without losing disease control.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-phase trial with only 30 participants. The cancer may progress during the de-escalation phase, and side effects from the drugs remain possible.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
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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About 30 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Jan 2026
- Expected to finish
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Mar 2029
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: * Have histologically documented unresectable, locally advanced, or metastatic urothelial carcinoma. * Measurable disease according to the New Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST v1.1)38 a. Participants with prior definitive radiation therapy must have measurable disease per RECIST v1.1 that is outside the radiation field or has demonstrated unequivocal progression since completion of radiation therapy. * Must be considered eligible to receive cisplatin- or carboplatin-containing chemotherapy, in the investigator's judgment. * Archival tumor tissue comprising muscle-invasive urothelial carcinoma, or a biopsy of metastatic urothelial carcinoma must be available for tumor-informed ctDNA analysis. * Meets Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) Performance Status score of 0, 1, or 2. * Adequate hematologic and organ function (Hb ≥ 8.0 g/dL; ANC ≥ 1.5x109 cells/L; CrCl \~30 mL/min; total bilirubin ≤ 1.5 mg/dL; ALT and AST within normal limits). Exclusion Criteria: * Previously received enfortumab, vedotin, or other monomethyl auristatin E (MMAE)-based ADCs. * Received prior treatment with a programmed cell death ligand-1 (PD-(L)-1) inhibitor for any malignancy, including earlier stage UC, defined as a PD-1 inhibitor or PD-L1 inhibitor within 12 months. * Has received anti-cancer treatment with chemotherapy, biologics, or investigational agents not otherwise prohibited by exclusion criterion 1-3 that is not completed within 28 days prior to cycle 1 day 1. * Has uncontrolled diabetes or ≥ grade III peripheral neuropathy. * Patient's estimated life expectancy is less than 12 weeks. * Has untreated central nervous system metastases. * Experiences ongoing clinically significant toxicity associated with prior treatment that has not resolved to ≤ Grade 1 or returned to baseline. * Is currently receiving systemic antimicrobial treatment for active infection (viral, bacterial, or fungal). Routine antimicrobial prophylaxis is permitted. * Has known active hepatitis B, active hepatitis C, or human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. * Has history of another invasive malignancy requiring treatment within 3 years before the first dose of study drug, or any evidence of residual disease from a previously diagnosed malignancy (excluding localized prostate cancer or basal cell carcinoma of skin or squamous cell carcinoma of the skin). * Has documented history of a cerebral vascular event (stroke or transient ischemic attack), unstable angina, myocardial infarction, or cardiac symptoms consistent with New York Heart Association (NYHA) Class IV within 6 months. * Received radiotherapy within 2 weeks. * Received major surgery (defined as requiring general anesthesia and \>24-hour inpatient hospitalization) within 2 weeks. * Known severe (≥ Grade 3) hypersensitivity to any EV excipient contained in the drug formulation of EV. * Has active keratitis or corneal ulcerations. * Has a history of autoimmune disease that has required systemic immunosupressive treatment in the past 2 years, or uncontrolled autoimmune disease. * Participants must not have received prior systemic therapy for locally advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma with the following exceptions: * Participants that received neoadjuvant chemotherapy with recurrence \>12 months from completion of therapy are permitted. * Participants that received adjuvant chemotherapy or ICPIs therapy following cystectomy with recurrence \>12 months from completion of therapy are permitted. * Has a history of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, organizing pneumonia, drug induced pneumonitis, idiopathic pneumonitis, or evidence of active pneumonitis on screening chest computed tomography (CT) scan. * Has received prior allogeneic stem cell or solid organ transplant. * Received a live attenuated vaccine within 30 days.
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Genom att skicka in godkänner du våra Användarvillkor
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.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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OU Health Stephenson Cancer Center
RECRUITINGOklahoma City, Oklahoma, 73117, United States
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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- Chemo gel delivered directly to kidney tumors: can it help when other options run out?
- Can tumor genes decide who keeps their bladder?
- New antibody aims to preserve immune checkpoint while fighting cancer
- Can a new drug shrink advanced solid tumors?