A new treatment called TAR-200 has shown promise in eliminating tumors in 82% of patients with high-risk bladder cancer who have not responded to immunotherapy. The phase 2 clinical trial, known as SunRISe-1, involved 85 participants and found that nearly half remained cancer-free after a year.
TAR-200 is a slow-release drug delivery system that contains the chemotherapy drug gemcitabine. It is inserted into the bladder using a catheter and remains in place for three weeks at a time, slowly releasing the drug throughout each treatment cycle. The method differs significantly from conventional delivery, which involves instilling the drug as a liquid that is expelled within hours.
The trial found that 70 of the participants showed a complete response to the therapy, with many responses persisting after 12 months. The treatment was generally well tolerated, with few adverse effects reported. A separate arm of the study combining TAR-200 with immunotherapy agent cetrelimab showed a lower response rate and increased side effects.
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted TAR-200 a New Drug Application Priority Review, which may accelerate the evaluation process. Researchers believe that this breakthrough treatment offers improved outcomes and saved lives for patients with high-risk non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer.
Source: https://www.technologynetworks.com/drug-discovery/news/tar-200-eliminates-tumors-in-82-of-high-risk-bladder-cancer-patients-403437