VIDEO: Novel agent appears safe, effective in metastatic urothelial carcinoma

CHICAGO — Docetaxel in combination with the novel agent B-701 appeared safe and effective in patients with locally advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma, according to results of a phase 1b study presented at ASCO Annual Meeting.

Joaquim Bellmunt, MD, PhD, director of the Bladder Cancer Center at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and colleagues assessed 19 patients (median age, 66 years) with urothelial cell carcinoma to evaluate the safety and efficacy of B-701 (BioClin Therapeutics), a fully human monoclonal antibody, alone or in combination with docetaxel.

“This [has been a] very challenging group of patients for many years, [because] there were not great therapies that helped these patients to overcome this deadly disease,” Bradley C. Carthon, MD, PhD, an assistant professor in the department of hematology and medical oncology at Emory University School of Medicine, told HemOnc Today.

Carthon said that the study is important because it highlights the use of the target molecule along with a proven cytotoxic chemotherapy.

“The combination seemed very promising, of the 19 patients utilized, they were checked for the mutation and six of the patients [had it],” Carthon said.

The study, as Carthon pointed out, was a lead-in to a phase 2 trial which has already been set up and patients will receive either B-701 alone or B-701 with docetaxel only if they that mutation.

“That will help us to decide the next steps for these patients,” he said.

Reference:

Bellmunt J, et al. Abstract 4534. Presented at: ASCO Annual Meeting; June 1-5, 2018; Chicago.