ClinicalTrials.gg
Active, not recruitingNCT04620239UCM301Updated Jul 30, 2026

ENdoluminal LIGHT ActivatED Treatment of Upper Tract Urothelial Cancer (ENLIGHTED) Study

A Phase 3 interventional study of padeliporfin VTP in Transitional Cell Cancer of Renal Pelvis and Ureter, sponsored by Steba Biotech S.A.. Active, not recruiting at 18 sites in 5 countries. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-07-30.

Sponsored by Steba Biotech S.A. · Phase 3, Interventional, and Treatment

Phase
Phase 3
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
89
Allocation
Not applicable
Ages
18 Years and older
Sex
All
01

Study summary

This is a phase 3, open label, single arm study of padeliporfin in the treatment of Upper Tract Urothelial Carcinoma (UTUC). The ENLIGHTED study will recruit patients with low-grade non-invasive upper tract urothelial carcinoma in either the kidney or the ureter. Patients will be treated with padeliporfin VTP in two phases: an Induction Treatment Phase and a Maintenance Treatment Phase and will be followed up for up to an additional 48 months in the long term (non intervention) follow up phase with the specific duration depending on the patient's response to treatment

Read the detailed description

Induction Treament Phase: Patients entered in the study will undergo an induction treatment phase consisting of 1-3 padeliporfin VTP treatments provided 4 weeks (28 +/-3 days) apart. The goal of this induction treatment phase will be to achieve Complete Response (CR) in the involved ipsilateral tract system. During this phase, patients will be treated with padeliporfin VTP to visually identified tumor sites in the calyces, renal pelvis and/or ureter and subsequently examined endoscopically at 28 +/- 3 days post treatment to determine whether the treatment was successful. If CR is not achieved, an additional two treatments of padeliporfin VTP are permitted 28 +/- 3 days apart for a total of up to 3 treatments during the induction treatment phase. The Primary Response Evaluation (PRE) will be performed 28 +/- 3 days after the last VTP treatment, to determine if the treatment was successful at achieving CR defined as: absence of visible tumor on endoscopy, negative urinary cytology by instrumented collection, and no evidence of tumor on biopsy (if feasible). Patients undergoing extirpative surgery of any part of the ipsilateral kidney or ureter for indications related to urothelial cancer will be considered as no longer having CR. If CR is not achieved after 3 treatments with padeliporfin VTP the treatment will be considered unsuccessful and the patient will be discontinued from the Treatment Phases.

Maintenance Treatment Phase: Patients achieving CR at the induction treatment phase will be allowed into the maintenance treatment phase of the study. The patients will then be followed over a period of 12 months post PRE, to assess the duration of response and its safety, and to provide planned maintenance treatment.

Repeated maintenance VTP treatments during this period will be provided for patients who show evidence of tumor recurrence that is deemed treatable as defined by the following criteria: low-grade tumors with the largest tumor (index tumor) betwen 5 mm and 15 mm in diameter, in up to 2 anatomical locations in the calyces, renal pelvis or the ureter with ureter involvement in one anatomical location with no more than 20 mm of contiguous ureteral length). Patients with treatable tumor recurrence post Induction Treatment Phase would be considered as no longer having 'complete response in the entire ipsilateral kidney' and time to recurrence will be recorded. Patients undergoing extirpative surgery of any part of the ipsilateral kidney or ureter for indications related to urothelial cancer will be considered as no longer having CR and time to this event will be recorded.

Long Term Follow-up Phase: Patients completing the 12 months of the maintenance treatment phase of the study, could be followed for an additional 48 months to monitor for disease related outcomes and VTP treatment related adverse events with the specific duration depending on the patient's response to treatment. No additional padeliporfin VTP treatment will be administered during this phase. Patients completing the maintenance phase of the study who are in CR in V3 will undergo additional assessments 18 and 24 months (+/- 1 month) post-PRE and annually thereafter and for up to 5 years post PRE or until recurrence, progression, death or loss to follow up, to document safety and ongoing response.

02

Conditions studied

  • Transitional Cell Cancer of Renal Pelvis and Ureter

Keywords

  • UTUC
  • Low Grade
03

In context

Lead sponsor

Steba Biotech S.A. is the lead sponsor of 13 studies on the registry; none are open to participants now.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years and older
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
No

Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.

Inclusion criteria

  • Male and female patients 18 years or older
  • Able to understand and provide written and willing to comply with all tests and procedures associated with the study
  • New or recurrent low-grade, non-invasive UTUC disease
  • -proven disease . A concurrence of the central pathology reader will be required for eligibility.
  • Up to 2 biopsy-proven sites of low-grade involvement with the largest tumor (index tumor) between 5 mm and 15 mm in diameter (as measured by endoscopy), both located in the calyces,renal pelvis or in the ureter of the ipsilateral kidney, with an absence of high-grade cells on cytology. (Ureter involvement should be in one anatomical location with no more than 20 mm of contiguous ureteral length)
  • Performance Status ≥ 50%
  • Adequate organ function defined at baseline as:

    • ≥1,000/ μl,
    • ≥75,000/ μl, ≥9 g/dl,
    • ≤ 2
    • Estimated glomerular giltration rate () ≥30 ml/min (using CKD-EPI Method)
    • Total serum \<3 mg/dL, /ALT ≤5×

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Current high-grade or muscle invasive (>pT1) urothelial carcinoma of the bladder
  • Carcinoma in situ (CIS) current or previous in the upper urinary tract
  • History of invasive T2 or higher urothelial cancer in past 2 years
  • Participation in another clinical study involving an product within 1 month before study entry
  • BCG or local chemotherapy treatment (including VEGF-targeted therapy) in the upper urinary tract within 2 months prior to inclusion
  • Systemic chemotherapy treatment (including VEGF-targeted therapy) within 2 months prior to enrollment
  • Prohibited medication that could not be adjusted or discontinued prior to study treatment

    • Patients with photosensitive skin diseases or porphyria
  • Any other medical or psychiatric co-morbidities, including decompensated heart failure, unstable angina or coronary artery disease or severe pulmonary or liver disease or current heavy smoker that, in the opinion of the study investigator, would make the patient a poor candidate for the study
  • Pregnant or breast-feeding women.Women of (WOCBP) must undergo a negative serum pregnancy test prior to study entry.
  • Men and women of not willing to observe conventional and effective for the duration of treatment and for 90 days following the last padeliporfin VTP treatment.
Terms in these criteria, in plain language(15)

Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.

Informed consent

Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.

You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.

Biopsy and archival tissue

A biopsy takes a small piece of tissue to examine. “Archival tissue” is a sample already taken, for example at diagnosis, and kept by the hospital.

Whether a stored sample will do depends on when it was taken, how much there is and what the study needs. Ask whether the study accepts your stored sample or needs a new biopsy.

Karnofsky performance status (KPS)

A 0–100 scale of how well someone can carry out everyday activities. 100 is no complaints and no signs of illness; 70 is able to look after yourself but not to work or keep up normal activity; 50 is needing considerable help and frequent medical care.

Studies often ask for 60 or 70 and above. Your doctor gives the score.

Absolute neutrophil count (ANC)

The number of neutrophils, white blood cells that help fight infection, in a given amount of blood. Too few raises the risk of infection.

It is a count, not a percentage of the white cells. Limits are written in units that mean the same: ≥ 1.5 × 10⁹/L is ≥ 1,500 per mm³ (µL). Each lab has its own reference range.

Platelets

Blood cells that help blood clot. Too few raises the risk of bleeding and bruising. A usual adult range is about 150–400 × 10⁹/L (150,000–400,000 per µL); each lab has its own reference range.

Hemoglobin (Hb)

The protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen. A low level is anaemia, which can cause tiredness and breathlessness. Measured in g/dL or g/L (9 g/dL is 90 g/L).

INR, PT and aPTT (clotting tests)

Blood tests of how long blood takes to clot. The INR is the prothrombin time (PT) put on a common scale; about 1 is usual for someone not taking a blood thinner.

Criteria often make an exception for people on a blood thinner such as warfarin, whose INR is raised on purpose.

GFR and eGFR (kidney filtering)

GFR (glomerular filtration rate) is how much blood the kidneys filter each minute. It is usually estimated from a blood test — eGFR, by formulas such as CKD-EPI or MDRD — and some studies ask for it to be measured directly instead. Usually given in mL/min/1.73 m².

Check the method, the units and the minimum the study states. A value of 90 or above is in the normal-or-high range, but kidney damage can show in other tests too.

Bilirubin

A yellow substance made when red blood cells are broken down, which the liver clears. A high level can mean a problem with the liver or the bile ducts.

Criteria often allow more for people with Gilbert’s syndrome, a harmless inherited condition that raises bilirubin.

ALT and AST (liver enzymes)

Two enzymes measured in a routine blood test of the liver. Higher levels can mean the liver is under strain or damaged. SGPT and SGOT are older names for ALT and AST.

Criteria usually give a limit as a multiple of the upper limit of normal (ULN), often higher when cancer has spread to the liver.

ULN (upper limit of normal)

The top of the normal range for a blood test, as set by the laboratory that runs it. Each lab prints its own range next to your result.

“≤ 2.5 × ULN” means the result can be up to two and a half times that top value.

Investigational drug or device

A drug or device being studied in a clinical trial.

It may be new, or already approved and being studied for another use, dose or form. Criteria often leave out people who took part in another study of one within a recent period, commonly 30 days or five half-lives.

Childbearing potential

Able to become pregnant: from the first period until menopause, unless permanently unable to through surgery (removal of the womb, or of both ovaries or both fallopian tubes).

Criteria for people of childbearing potential usually ask for a negative pregnancy test and for contraception during the study and for a time after it.

Reproductive potential

Able to have children. For women this usually means from the first period until menopause, unless permanently unable to through surgery; for men, unless permanently sterile. Read who the line is about — participants, women, men, or their partners.

Criteria about it usually ask for contraception during the study and for a time after it.

Contraception

Ways of preventing pregnancy. “Highly effective” methods fail less than 1% of the time a year when used correctly — for example an IUD or an implant.

Criteria usually say which methods count and how long to keep using them after the last dose, sometimes for male participants too. Some studies accept a partner’s vasectomy if it was confirmed successful and that person is the participant’s only sexual partner.

05

Study design

Phase
Phase 3
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Not applicable
Intervention model
Single group
Masking
None (open label)
Enrollment
89 participants (actual)

Study arms

  • Experimental
    padeliporfin VTP

    Induction Treatment phase:1-3 padeliporfin VTP treatments provided 4 weeks (28 +/-3 days) apart. Maintenance Treatment Phase: Repeated maintenance VTP treatments during this period will be provided for patients who show evidence of tumor recurrence that is deemed treatable.

    Drug: padeliporfin VTP

Interventions

  • During treatment, placement at the target area of an optical light fiber, through the working channel of the ureteroscope. Intravenous administration of padeliporfin at the dose of 3.66 mg/kg infused over 10 minutes. Each target area will be illuminated for 10 minutes.

    Also known as: WST11

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Number of patients with absence of UTUC tumors in the entire ipsilateral calyces, renal pelvis and ureter

    Primary efficacy outcome is the absence of UTUC tumors in the entire ipsilateral calyces renal pelvis and ureter on endoscopic evaluation at the time of Primary Response Evaluation (PRE) (28 +/- 3 days post last treatment) during padeliporfin VTP induction treatment phase. This outcome will be determined dichotomously as either failure or success in achieving complete response. · Complete Response will be defined as absence of disease based on: * absence of visual tumor on endoscopy * no evidence of tumor on biopsy (if feasible) * negative urinary cytology by instrumented collection

    Time frame: 28 +/- 3 days post last treatment

Secondary outcomes

  1. Duration of response at the entire ipsilateral kidney

    The duration of response at the entire ipsilateral kidney will be defined as absence of disease in the entire ipsilateral calyces, renal pelvis and ureter, based on: * instrumented cytology * visually on endoscopy * biopsy pathology (if feasible) as will be measured at the 12 months maintenance treatment visit post PRE

    Time frame: 12 months post PRE

  2. Duration of response at the entire ipsilateral kidney

    The duration of response at the entire ipsilateral kidney will be defined as absence of disease in the entire ipsilateral calyces, renal pelvis and ureter, based on: * instrumented cytology * visually on endoscopy * biopsy pathology (if feasible) as will be measured at the 3, 6, 9 months maintenance treatment visits post PRE

    Time frame: 3, 6, 9 months post PRE

  3. Duration of response at the Treatment Area of the ipsilateral kidney

    Duration of response at the Treatment Area of the ipsilateral kidney will be defined as absence of disease in the ipsilateral Treatment Area, based on: * instrumented cytology * visually on endoscopy * biopsy pathology (if feasible) as will be measured at the 3, 6, 9, and 12 months maintenance treatment visits post PRE

    Time frame: 3, 6, 9, and 12 months post PRE

  4. Overall renal function

    Overall renal functional outcome will be measured at the 6 and 12 months maintenance treatment visits post PRE, and will be evaluated by comparing pre-treatment and 12-month estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), calculated from serum creatinine levels, using the CKD-Epi method including: * Absolute change in eGFR as well as categories of CKD will be utilized based on KDIGO 2012 criteria * Description will include change in eGFR, change in CKD stage/risk category

    Time frame: 6 and 12 months post PRE

  5. Kidney organ loss or preservation

    Kidney organ loss or preservation will be recorded at each maintenance treatment visit post PRE at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months Maintenance Treatment visits, and will describe the reasons for organ preservation or loss. A radical nephroureterectomy, nephron-sparing surgery for UTUC or ureterectomy will be considered as organ loss.

    Time frame: 3, 6, 9, and 12 months post PRE

  6. Pathological evaluation of response

    PathologicalPathological evaluation of response will be performed in kidney tissue of patients that will undergo kidney surgical removal (kidney sparing, or radical nephroureterectomy) following at least one padeliporfin VTP treatment

    Time frame: After at least one VTP treatment

  7. Patients with ureteral obstruction and/or ureteral stent

    Patients with existing ureteral obstruction and/or existing ureteral stent will be permitted with radiographic evidence of pre-existing obstruction documented, to demonstrate the site and degree of obstruction with retrograde pyelography at baseline (prior to treatment) and will be repeated and recorded at 12 months maintenance treatment visit (post treatment) which will further be supported with CT Urogram results at 12 months to demonstrate the site and degree of obstruction using standard nomenclature.

    Time frame: Baseline 12 months

  8. Long Term follow-up Duration of the response

    The duration of response in the ipsilateral kidney and treatment area will be defined as absence of disease, based on: * instrumented cytology * visually on endoscopy * biopsy pathology (if present and performed)

    Time frame: 18, 24,36,48 and 60 months post PRE or 6 and 12 months post PRE

  9. Long Term follow-up Kidney organ loss or preservation

    Kidney organ loss or preservation will be recorded and will describe the reasons for organ preservation or loss. A radical nephroureterectomy, nephron-sparing surgery for UTUC or ureterectomy will be considered as organ loss and a pathology report of the removed tissue will be recorded (if available or feasible)

    Time frame: 18, 24,36,48 and 60 months post PRE or 6 and 12 months post PRE

  10. Long Term follow-up Overall renal functional

    Overall renal functional outcome will be evaluated by estimated glomerular filtration rate(eGFR) using CKD-Epimethod

    Time frame: 18, 24,36,48 and 60 months post PRE or 6 and 12 months post PRE

  11. Long Term follow-up Safety Follow up

    Safety follow up based and recording of adverse events

    Time frame: 18, 24,36,48 and 60 months post PRE or 6 and 12 months post PRE

  12. Exploratory Endpoint

    Blood,tumor and cytology samples will be collected, centrally stored and later submitted for tumor genomic sequencing studies to explore the tumor genomic alterations, and mutation status as biomarkers with association to treatment response and progression events such as recurrence, grade transformation, increased stage and metastases.

    Time frame: Baseline

  13. Pharmacokinetic Endpoint Cmax

    Patients with moderate hepatic impairment, will undergo a pharmacokinetic evaluation, blood samples will be collected to evaluate Cmax

    Time frame: 0 (before injection) and 20, 40, 60, 90, 120 and 360 mn after end of injection

  14. Pharmacokinetic Endpoint Tmax

    Patients with moderate hepatic impairment, will undergo a pharmacokinetic evaluation, blood samples will be collected to evaluate Tmax

    Time frame: 0 (before injection) and 20, 40, 60, 90, 120 and 360 mn after end of injection

  15. Pharmacokinetic Endpoint T1/2

    Patients with moderate hepatic impairment, will undergo a pharmacokinetic evaluation, blood samples will be collected to evaluate T1/2

    Time frame: 0 (before injection) and 20, 40, 60, 90, 120 and 360 mn after end of injection

  16. Pharmacokinetic Endpoint AUC

    Patients with moderate hepatic impairment, will undergo a pharmacokinetic evaluation, blood samples will be collected to evaluate AUC

    Time frame: 0 (before injection) and 20, 40, 60, 90, 120 and 360 mn after end of injection

  17. Pharmacokinetic Endpoint CL

    Patients with moderate hepatic impairment, will undergo a pharmacokinetic evaluation, blood samples will be collected to evaluate CL

    Time frame: 0 (before injection) and 20, 40, 60, 90, 120 and 360 mn after end of injection

07

Study locations

18 sites
08

References and documents

Individual participant data

Plan to share: No

No publications or documents are linked to this record.

09

Timeline

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
ElapsedEstimatedEstimated, not yet reached

Ran from Mar 2021 to primary completion in Jul 2026, 63 months.

How these figures are worked out, and which studies are left out of them.

Registered
Nov 5, 2020
First posted
Nov 6, 2020
StartActual
Mar 22, 2021
Primary completionActual
Jul 1, 2026
CompletionEst.
Aug 1, 2028
Last update
Jul 30, 2026
What these dates mean
Start.
When the first participant enrolled; while estimated, when the study expects to open to recruitment.
Primary completion.
When the last participant was examined or treated to collect data for the study's main question, its primary outcome. A study that stopped early gives the date its data collection stopped.
Completion.
When the last participant's last visit took place, for every outcome, secondary ones and side effects included: the end of the study. Often later than primary completion, sometimes the same day.
Actual and Est.
Actual means the registry says the date has happened. Est. (estimated) is a date the sponsor plans or expects. It can still move, and the sponsor is expected to change it to actual once it has passed.
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Jul 30, 2026, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
10

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT04620239
Lead sponsor
Steba Biotech S.A.
Collaborators
PrimeVigilance, ICON plc
Responsible party
Sponsor
First posted
Nov 6, 2020
Start date
Mar 22, 2021
Primary completion
Jul 1, 2026
Completion
Aug 1, 2028 (estimated)
Last update
Jul 30, 2026

Study contacts

Vitaly Margulis, MD
principal investigator · University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
Yes
FDA-regulated drug
Yes
FDA-regulated device
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

Not currently enrolling

This study is active, not recruiting, as verified in Jul 2026. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

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Studies of the drug tested here: Padeliporfin

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