CClinicalTrials.gg
Not yet recruitingNCT06686381Updated Feb 5, 2025

Tetra-modality Bladder Preservation Strategies in Muscle-invasive Bladder Cancer: TURBT+ Chemo/immunotherapy+ Radiation Therapy+ Maintenance Immunotherapy Vs. W&W

A Phase 2 interventional study of Maximum TURBT and Chemotherapy + Immunotherapy Induction in Muscle-invasive Bladder Cancer, sponsored by American University of Beirut Medical Center. Not yet recruiting at 1 site in Lebanon. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2025-02-05.

Sponsored by American University of Beirut Medical Center · Phase 2, Interventional, and Treatment

Phase
Phase 2
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
80
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
18 Years and older
Sex
All
01

Study summary

The purpose of this study is to assess the efficacy and safety of adding the immunotherapy Avelumab as a fourth component, alongside tumor removal, chemotherapy, and radiation, to increase the chance of preserving the bladder in the treatment of muscle-invasive bladder cancer.

Read the detailed description

Muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) is an aggressive form of bladder cancer, with a 5-year survival rate of about 40%.

The standard treatment for MIBC is induction platinum-based chemotherapy followed by radical cystectomy. Recently bladder preservation strategies have emerged as an alternative to radical cystectomy, particularly useful for patients who are unfit for surgery or would rather opt for non-surgical approaches. Knowing the high risks related to surgery and its significant complications, the investigators propose to implement 2 tetra-modalities treatment strategies to increase the chance of preserving the bladder and decrease the need of salvage cystectomy.

The purpose of this study is to assess the efficacy and safety of 2 bladder-preservation treatments plans called tetra-modalities:

First plan:

  • maximium TURBT
  • chemo-immunotherapy as induction phase (Avelumab added to chemotherapy)
  • radiation therapy
  • maintenance phase with Avelumab

Second plan:

  • Maximum TURBT
  • chemo-immunotherapy as induction phase (Avelumab added to chemotherapy)
  • radiation therapy
  • Watch and wait

Both tetra-modalities duration will last maximum of 2 years from patient inclusion.

These treatment plans are based on the synergistic action between immunotherapy, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy. The use of Avelumab in the maintenance group is supported by its proven success in treating advanced cancer and various studies looking at immunotherapy as a way to avoid or delay bladder removal.

02

Conditions studied

  • Muscle-invasive Bladder Cancer

Keywords

  • Muscle-invasive bladder cancer
  • Bladder preservation
  • Avelumab
  • Tetramodalities
03

In context

Urinary Bladder Neoplasms

1,616 studies on the registry are indexed under Urinary Bladder Neoplasms; 421 are open to participants now.

This study's planned enrollment of 80 is above the median of 60 across 1,163 interventional studies indexed under Urinary Bladder Neoplasms.

Browse Urinary Bladder Neoplasms studies →

Lead sponsor

American University of Beirut Medical Center is the lead sponsor of 152 studies on the registry; 27 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

Inclusion criteria

  1. Provision of signed and dated informed consent form (ICF) before any trial related procedures.
  2. Male or female participant with ≥ 18 years of age at time of consenting.
  3. Participant is able and willing to comply with the requirements of trial protocol.
  4. Pathologically (histologically or cytologically) and radiologically confirmed newly diagnosed MIBC (T2-T4 N0 M0) or recurrent previously NMIBC.
  5. Histologically confirmed transitional cell carcinoma.
  6. Participant with ECOG Performance Status (PS) ≤ 1 at screening visit.
  7. An estimated life expectancy of more than 6 months.
  8. At screening visit, Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction LVEF >50% by echocardiography, for participants planned to receive DDMVAC.
  9. Participant must have adequate laboratory values at screening visit as follow:

    1. Hematologic:

      • Absolute neutrophil count (ANC) ≥ 1.5 × 10\^9/L
      • Platelet count ≥ 100 × 10\^9/L
      • Hemoglobin ≥ 9 g/dL (may have been transfused)
    2. Hepatic:

      • Total bilirubin level ≤ 1.5 × ULN
      • AST ≤ 2.5 × ULN
      • ALT ≤ 2.5 × ULN
    3. Renal:

      • Estimated creatinine clearance > 50 mL/min according to the Cockcroft-Gault formula
      • Serum urea ≤ 1.5 x ULN
      • Serum creatinine ≤ 1.5 x ULN.
  10. Female participant of childbearing potential must have a negative serum pregnancy test at screening.
  11. For female participant of childbearing potential: use one of the following highly effective contraception methods throughout the trial and for 30 days after the last Avelumab treatment administration.

    • combined (estrogen and progesterone) hormonal contraception associated with inhibition of ovulation: either oral, intravaginal or transdermal
    • progesterone-only hormonal contraception associated with inhibition of ovulation: either oral, injectable or implantable
    • intrauterine device (IUD)
    • intrauterine hormone-releasing system (IUS)
    • bilateral tubal occlusion
    • vasectomised partner (provided that partner is the sole sexual partner of the female trial participant and that the vasectomised partner has received medical assessment of the surgical success)
    • sexual abstinence

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  1. Participant with non-muscle invasive bladder cancer or Metastatic disease (M1) and/or lymph node positive.
  2. Participant who underwent radical cystectomy or is planned for radical cystectomy.
  3. Histologically confirmed squamous cell carcinoma, micropapillary carcinoma, neuroendocrine carcinoma, adenocarcinoma, or mixed histology.
  4. Participant had received treatment for urothelial carcinoma, with any of the following anti-cancer therapies prior the first dose of trial treatment: systemic chemotherapy, targeted small molecule therapy, or radiation therapy.
  5. Participant had received prior treatment with any drug or antibody (anti-PD-1, anti-PD- L1, anti-PD-L2, anti-CD137, or anti-CTLA-4 antibody) targeting T-cell co-stimulation or checkpoint pathways.
  6. Participant who are not eligible to receive DDMVAC or Cisplatin-Gemzar.
  7. History of severe hypersensitivity to Avelumab or any component in its formulations, including known severe hypersensitivity reactions to monoclonal antibodies (NCI- CTCAE v5.0 Grade ≥ 3).
  8. Participant with hydronephrosis.
  9. Active infection requiring systemic therapy within 28 days before the first dose of trial treatment (e.g., urinary tract infection).
  10. History of testing positive for the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) or known acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.
  11. Hepatitis B virus (HBV) or hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection at screening visit (positive Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) or HCV RNA if anti-HCV antibody screening test is positive).
  12. Participant currently using immunosuppressive medication, except for the following:

    • Intranasal, inhaled, topical steroids, or local steroid injection (e.g., intra-articular injection).
    • Systemic corticosteroids at physiologic doses ≤ 10 mg/day of prednisone or equivalent.
    • Steroids as premedication for hypersensitivity reactions (e.g., CT scan premedication).
  13. Active autoimmune diseases that might deteriorate upon receiving an immune- stimulatory agent. Conditions such as vitiligo, psoriasis, diabetes type I, or hypo - or hyper-thyroid diseases not requiring immunosuppressive treatment are eligible.
  14. Participant has any of the following medical conditions: Addison's disease, thyroiditis/Hashimoto's thyroiditis, systemic lupus erythematosus, Sjogren's syndrome, scleroderma, myasthenia gravis, Goodpasture's syndrome, and Grave's disease.
  15. Any psychiatric condition that would prohibit the understanding or rendering of informed consent form.
  16. Hepatic insufficiency manifesting as clinical jaundice, hepatic encephalopathy, and/or variceal bleed within 60 days prior to screening.
  17. Clinically significant, active cardiovascular disease, such as:

    • Transmural myocardial infarction within 6 months of enrollment
    • Unstable angina
    • Congestive heart failure (New York Heart Association Classification Grade II or greater)
    • Serious cardiac arrhythmia requiring medical treatment
  18. Cerebral vascular accident/ stroke within 6 months of enrollment.
  19. End-stage renal disease requiring dialysis.
  20. Participant has severe acute or chronic medical conditions including immune colitis, inflammatory bowel disease, immune pneumonitis, pulmonary fibrosis, or psychiatric conditions including recent (within the past year) or active suicidal ideation or behavior.
  21. Prior organ transplantation including allogenic stem-cell transplantation.
  22. Treatment with an investigational agent within 28 days before the first dose of trial treatment.
  23. Participation in another clinical trial.
  24. Participants who are taking prohibited medication.
  25. Pregnant or breastfeeding women or who are planned to get pregnant or breastfeed during the trial.
  26. Vaccination within 4 weeks of the first dose of Avelumab is prohibited except for administration of inactivated vaccines.
  27. Persisting toxicity related to prior therapy with Grade > 1 (NCI-CTCAE v 5.0); with the exception of: alopecia, sensory neuropathy Grade ≤ 2, or other toxicity with Grade ≤ 2 not constituting a safety risk based on investigator's judgment.
05

Study design

Phase
Phase 2
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Parallel assignment
Masking
None (open label)
Enrollment
80 participants (estimated)

Study arms

  • Experimental
    Arm A (Maintenance Avelumab)

    Arm A: TURBT followed by induction Chemo/immunotherapy (DDMVAC (6 cycles) + Avelumab (6 cycles) or cisplatin/Gemzar (4 cycles) + Avelumab (6 cycles). A clinical evaluation is scheduled at 4 months post-day1 cycle 1 with CT scan/MRI for chest/abdomen/pelvis (CTCAP), Cystoscopy with Biopsy and urine cytology. Then complete or near complete responders will undergo 20 fractions of hypo-fractionated radiotherapy 55 grays followed by Avelumab every 2 weeks for 12-month maintenance phase.

    Procedure: Maximum TURBT · Drug: Chemotherapy + Immunotherapy Induction · Radiation: Radiotherapy · Drug: Immunotherapy Maintenance

  • Experimental
    Arm B (W&W)

    Arm B: TURBT followed by induction Chemo/immunotherapy (DDMVAC (6 cycles) + Avelumab (6 cycles) or cisplatin/Gemzar (4 cycles) + Avelumab (6 cycles). A clinical evaluation is scheduled at 4 months post-day1 cycle 1 with CT scan/MRI for chest/abdomen/pelvis (CTCAP), Cystoscopy with Biopsy and urine cytology. Then complete or near complete responders will undergo 20 fractions of hypo-fractionated radiotherapy 55 grays followed by 1 year watch and wait.

    Procedure: Maximum TURBT · Drug: Chemotherapy + Immunotherapy Induction · Radiation: Radiotherapy · Other: Watchful waiting with supportive care

Interventions

  • ProcedureMaximum TURBT

    Total removal of the bladder tumor through TURBT

  • DrugChemotherapy + Immunotherapy Induction

    Chemotherapy: DDMVAC (6 cycles) or Gemcitabine-Cisplatin (4 cycles) Immunotherapy: Avelumab (6 cycles)

  • RadiationRadiotherapy

    Hypofractionated radiotherapy: 20 fractions, 55 Grays

  • DrugImmunotherapy Maintenance

    Maintenance Avelumab every 2 weeks for 12 months

  • OtherWatchful waiting with supportive care

    1 year watch and wait

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Efficacy of Avelumab in 2 non-comparative arms

    2 years proportion of MIBC bladder preserved participants in each tetra-modality arm.

    Time frame: 2 years

Secondary outcomes

  1. Response rate post-induction

    Response rate of participants in each arm following induction chemo/immunotherapy

    Time frame: At week 17 (after 4 months of induction)

  2. Quality of life

    Effect of each tetra-modality arm on the quality of life of participants using the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy - Bladder (FACT-Bl) questionnaire; FACT-Bl total score range: 0-156 (higher scores mean worse quality of life)

    Time frame: Every 3 weeks (up to 3 months), then every 4 months (up to 1 year)

  3. Safety

    Incidence of Treatment-Emergent Adverse Events \[Safety and Tolerability\]

    Time frame: During treatment (up to 90 days after end of treatment)

07

Study locations

1 site
  • American University of Beirut
    Beirut, Lebanon
    • Monita H Darazi, Master in science · Contact · ma99@aub.edu.lb · 961-3-166385
    • Kristel K Dagher, MBA · Contact · kd17@aub.edu.lb · 961-3-724383
    • Ali I Shamseddine, MD · Contact
08

References and documents

Individual participant data

Plan to share: No

No publications or documents are linked to this record.

09

Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Feb 5, 2025, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
10

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT06686381
Lead sponsor
American University of Beirut Medical Center
Collaborators
Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany
Responsible party
Sponsor
First posted
Nov 13, 2024
Start date
Apr 15, 2025 (estimated)
Primary completion
Aug 2028 (estimated)
Completion
Aug 15, 2028 (estimated)
Last update
Feb 5, 2025

Study contacts

Ali I. Shamseddine, MD, FRCP, ESCO
Contact
as04@aub.edu.lb
9311350000 ext. 5390

Oversight

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

Not currently enrolling

This study is not yet recruiting, as verified in Oct 2024. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

Follow this study

Get an email when the registry record changes — status, dates, results — or when someone posts here.

Sign in to follow

Discussion

Questions and observations about this study, from anyone following it. Not medical advice, and not a channel to the study team — their contact details are on the registry record.

Sign in to join the discussion. Reading takes no account; posting does. You choose a display name, and a pseudonym is the default.

Nothing here yet. If you are running this trial, taking part in it, or weighing whether to, this is the place to say so.

Start the discussion