Study of Enfortumab Vedotin and Pembrolizumab for Bladder Preservation in Patients with Muscle‑Invasive Bladder Cancer

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What is this study about?

Muscle-invasive Bladder Cancer is a form of bladder cancer that has grown into the muscle layer of the bladder wall. The study looks at whether a combination of two medicines, enfortumab vedotin given as a solution for infusion and pembrolizumab given as an injection, can treat this condition while allowing the bladder to be kept intact.

The purpose of the study is to find out if the drug combination can lead to a clinical complete response, meaning no detectable cancer after treatment, and to see how many participants remain free of disease for two years. Researchers will also record any side effects and overall safety.

Participants will receive the two medicines together in a series of treatment cycles over several months, with regular doctor visits, scans, and lab tests to check how the cancer is responding and to monitor health. After the treatment period, follow‑up visits will continue for up to two years to observe long‑term outcomes.

1 initial treatment visit

on the first day after joining the study you receive two medicines. enfortumab vedotin is given as a 125 mg infusion (a liquid that is delivered into a vein). pembrolizumab is given as a 400 mg injection (a liquid that is delivered under the skin or into a vein). the exact schedule for repeating these medicines is defined by the study protocol.

the medical team monitors you for any immediate reactions during and after the administration of the medicines.

2 subsequent treatment cycles

you return for additional treatment cycles as instructed by the study schedule. each cycle includes the same doses of enfortumab vedotin (125 mg) and pembrolizumab (400 mg). the interval between cycles is determined by the protocol, but the same medicines and doses are used each time.

3 assessment after four cycles

after completing four cycles of treatment, the investigators evaluate whether a complete clinical response has been achieved. a complete clinical response means that no signs of cancer are found with the tests used in the study.

4 ongoing follow‑up

following the treatment period, you are followed for up to two years. during this time the investigators assess bladder‑preservation event‑free survival, which measures how long the bladder remains cancer‑free without any events related to the disease.

Who Can Join the Study?

  • You must be 18 years old or older when you sign the informed consent form.
  • You need to have bladder cancer that has grown into the muscle layer, confirmed by looking at tissue under a microscope, and it must be in one of the specific early‑stage categories (stage cT2‑cT4a, with or without limited spread to nearby lymph nodes).
  • At least half of the tumor must be made up of urothelial carcinoma, which is the most common type of bladder cancer.
  • A urologist or cancer doctor must determine that you are a candidate for surgery to remove the bladder (radical cystectomy) and to remove nearby lymph nodes (pelvic lymph node dissection).
  • You must have a stored sample of your tumor tissue that can be accessed, or you will need a small tissue sample taken (a biopsy) before the study starts.
  • Your overall health and ability to carry out daily activities must be rated between 0 and 2 on the ECOG performance status scale (0 = fully active, 2 = able to care for yourself but not able to work).
  • You must have had a tumor removal procedure called transurethral resection of bladder tumor (TURBT) within about two months (60 days, plus up to 14 days) before the screening visit.

Who Cannot Join the Study?

  • Having existing nerve problems that cause numbness or weakness (known as sensory or motor neuropathy) at a moderate level or worse (Grade ≥ 2) excludes you.
  • Having cancer that has spread to many lymph nodes (N2 disease) or to other parts of the body (metastatic disease, M1) as seen on imaging excludes you.
  • Having uncontrolled diabetes within the last three months excludes you. This is defined as a blood sugar control test called HbA1c of 8 % or higher, or an HbA1c between 7 % and < 8 % with symptoms like frequent urination or extreme thirst.
  • Having a second cancer diagnosed within three years before the study, or still having any leftover disease from a previous cancer, excludes you. (Exceptions are low‑risk non‑melanoma skin cancers, localized prostate cancers treated with cure intent, very low‑risk prostate cancers under watchful waiting, or carcinoma in situ that has been completely removed.)
  • Having received any previous treatment with drugs that block the immune checkpoints PD‑1, PD‑L1, PD‑L2 or other similar agents that affect T‑cell activity (such as CTLA‑4, OX‑40, CD137) excludes you.
  • Having received any prior systemic (whole‑body) anti‑cancer therapy for bladder cancer, or any investigational drugs (including enfortumab vedotin or other drugs that use the toxin MMAE attached to an antibody, called ADC) within three years before screening excludes you.
  • Having had a partial removal of the bladder (partial cystectomy) for bladder cancer excludes you.
  • Having received any radiation treatment to the bladder (radiotherapy) before the study excludes you.
  • Having an active eye surface infection or inflammation such as keratitis or an open sore on the eye (corneal ulceration) excludes you, unless it is a mild form called superficial punctate keratitis that is being treated.
  • Having a past history of non‑infectious lung inflammation (pneumonitis) or interstitial lung disease (ILD) that needed steroid treatment, or currently having pneumonitis/ILD, excludes you.
  • Having a history of specific lung diseases such as idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, organizing pneumonia, drug‑induced pneumonitis, idiopathic pneumonitis, or showing active lung inflammation on a screening chest CT scan excludes you.
  • Having an immune system deficiency (immunodeficiency) or taking strong systemic steroids (more than 10 mg of prednisone or equivalent each day) or other immune‑suppressing medicines within seven days before the first dose excludes you. Inhaled or skin‑applied steroids are allowed if there is no active autoimmune disease, and low‑dose replacement steroids are allowed for adrenal insufficiency.
  • Having an active autoimmune disease (where the body attacks itself) that required systemic treatment (such as disease‑modifying drugs, steroids, or other immune‑suppressing medicines) in the past two years excludes you.

Where you can join this trial?

Verified and Recommended Sites

No sites found in this category

Verified Sites

Site Name City Country Status
Centre Jean Perrin Clermont Ferrand France
Comite Entreprise Paul Papin Angers France
Hospital Clinico San Carlos Madrid Spain
Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Federico II Di Napoli Naples Italy
Centre Hospitalier Universitaire De Lille Lille France
Institut Gustave Roussy Villejuif France
Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria Careggi Florence Italy
Oncopole Claudius Regaud Toulouse France
Hospital Universitario De Navarra Pamplona Spain

Other Sites

Site Name City Country Status
Centre De Lutte Contre Le Cancer Eugene Marquis Rennes France
Ospedale San Raffaele S.r.l. Milan Italy
Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria San Luigi Gonzaga Orbassano Italy
Hospital Universitario Fundacion Jimenez Diaz Madrid Spain
St. Elisabeth Gruppe GmbH Katholische Kliniken Rhein-Ruhr Herne Germany
Centro Di Riferimento Oncologico Di Aviano Aviano Italy
Hospital Foch Suresnes France
IRCCS Istituto Nazionale Tumori Fondazione Pascale Naples Italy
Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria Di Modena Modena Italy
Universitaetsklinikum Schleswig-Holstein AöR Kiel Germany
SRH Wald-Klinikum Gera GmbH Gera Germany
Hopital Beaujon Clichy France
Hospital Universitario Virgen De Las Nieves Granada Spain
Complejo Hospitalario Universitario Insular Materno Infantil Las Palmas De Gran Canaria Spain
Fondazione I.R.C.C.S. Istituto Neurologico Besta Milan Italy
Azienda Universitaria Ospedaliera Consorziale Policlinico Bari Bari Italy
Logicuro GmbH Potsdam Germany
Cymykd dl Reapvjintythi &tfdudl Ctviyskj Smzycd Awym STRASBOURG, Alsace France
Irewehdt Rvdfhczzz Psv Lt Skjlxj Dgq Tszghu Dbpi Avqchum Iowq Sdjjsp Meldola Italy
Uyxevyycmjpukdhhutmiz Dspcxohsehg Amk Duesseldorf Germany
Ufanbrqbbxsrbaczukbpb Munuitys Aje Munster Germany
Aiqyygx Otnixnrgkod Ufjqupvwxiydr Oocaaegp Rhklqrj Foggia Italy
Kerdzrmm dxh Uxgfaclhyzrn Mnwerttw Afr Munich Germany
Aphgcag Ukukm Smzivvorv Lxblhs Dz Bywrjdf Bologna Italy
Ahdpgbe Oefflqxgasp Uxfoeougkjjhp Pfnrw Parma Italy
Cgzehf Ltrd Bfmfnz Lyon France
Ibjvtz Icxieuei Ftnjbkbypatgw Oedndelmjhe Rome Italy
Hkkgunpu Uqfkmzzbsfqfr Dz Lw Pvrfzsrv Madrid Spain
Fsdlillia Pcht Lj Iiohcdgnezgwo Bmxnzztef Dcq Hfxsmphj Ulixskwmaxptj Lm Psv Madrid Spain
Hnnkfukz Utmrxmjedqmgvm Sdijfrgzpu &mswjmj Hzexzpe dk Hefmpuygpmu STRASBOURG, Alsace France

Want to learn more about this study or check if you can participate? Contact us.

Trial status

Country Status Recruitment Start
France France
Not yet recruiting
31.07.2026
Germany Germany
Not yet recruiting
31.07.2026
Italy Italy
Not yet recruiting
31.07.2026
Spain Spain
Not yet recruiting
31.07.2026

Trial locations

Enfortumab vedotin (brand name Padcev) is a medicine that attaches to a protein found on bladder cancer cells. It carries a chemotherapy drug straight to those cells, helping to kill the cancer while causing less damage to normal cells. In this study the drug is given through an IV infusion and is combined with pembrolizumab to try to shrink or remove the tumor so the bladder can be saved.

Pembrolizumab (brand name Keytruda) is an immunotherapy that helps the body’s immune system see and attack cancer cells. It is given as an injection and works together with enfortumab vedotin to increase the chance that the cancer disappears completely and stays gone.

Muscle-invasive bladder cancer – It is a type of bladder cancer that has grown from the inner lining into the muscle layer of the bladder wall. The disease begins as abnormal cells in the bladder lining and then spreads deeper into the muscle. As it progresses, it can extend to nearby tissues and regional lymph nodes. This growth may cause changes in urinary habits, such as blood in the urine or difficulty urinating. The cancer continues to expand outward if not controlled.

Trial ID:
2025-524488-18-00
Protocol code:
7465-CL-0209
Trial Phase:
Therapeutic exploratory (Phase II)

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