Pembrolizumab (MK-3475) and Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) as First-Line Treatment for High-Risk T1 Non-Muscle-Invasive Bladder Cancer (NMIBC) and High-Grade Non-Muscle-Invasive Upper Tract Urothelial Carcinoma (NMI-UTUC)]

November 5, 2025 updated by: Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

Phase II Study of Pembrolizumab (MK-3475) and Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) as First-Line Treatment for High-Risk T1 Non-Muscle- Invasive Bladder Cancer (NMIBC) and High- Grade Non-Muscle- Invasive Upper Tract Urothelial Cell Carcinoma (NMI-UTUCC)

The purpose of this study is to find out the effectiveness of pembrolizumab in combination with BCG as a first line therapy for participants with high grade T1 bladder cancer who are at "high risk" for BCG alone to be ineffective and are seeking an alternative treatment option to radical cystectomy. There is biologic rationale for combining pembrolizumab and BCG as two distinct immunotherapies with possible additive or synergistic activity in urothelial cancer. The combination of pembrolizumab with BCG will also be evaluated in an exploratory cohort of patients with upper tract urothelial cancer.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Active, not recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

Patients will receive pembrolizumab (MK-3475) administered after TUR in combination with BCG as initial therapy. Pembrolizumab (MK-3475) will be administered as a 400 mg IV infusion at 6-week intervals (Q6W) for 9 doses over a 48 week period, unless there is unacceptable toxicity or other reasons that would warrant the discontinuation of treatment. Patients will receive once-weekly BCG therapy (TICE strain, 50 mg) for 6 consecutive weeks as a standard induction course, given as intravesical BCG for patients with T1 bladder cancer, and administered through a percutaneous nephrostomy tube in antegrade fashion for patients with high-grade NMI-UTUC, consistent with standard clinical practice. BCG will start on week 3 after the first infusion of pembrolizumab (400 mg) to allow for initial priming of T cells to further enhance the effects of BCG treatment. Initiation of induction BCG may be delayed (up to 14 days) if deemed clinically indicated by the treating physician due to side effects from TURBT or ureteroscopy and with permission from the Principal Investigator (PI).

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
45

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Phase 2

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.
  • Name: Gopakumar Iyer, MD
  • Phone Number: 646-888-4737
  • Email: iyerg@mskcc.org

Study Contact Backup

Study Locations

  • United States
    • New Jersey
      • Basking Ridge, New Jersey, United States, 10065
        • Memorial Sloan Kettering Basking Ridge (All Protocol Activities)
      • Middletown, New Jersey, United States, 07748
        • Memorial Sloan Kettering Monmouth (All Protocol Activities)
      • Montvale, New Jersey, United States, 07645
        • Memorial Sloan Kettering Bergen (All Protocol Activities)
    • New York
      • Commack, New York, United States, 11725
        • Memorial Sloan Kettering Commack (All Protocol Activities)
      • Harrison, New York, United States, 10604
        • Memorial Sloan Kettering West Harrison (All Protocol Activities)
      • New York, New York, United States, 10065
        • Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (All protocol activities)
      • Uniondale, New York, United States, 11553
        • Memorial Sloan Kettering Nassau (All protocol activities)

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Be willing and able to provide written informed consent/assent for the trial.
  • Histologically confirmed urothelial cancer by TURBT performed at MSK for patients in the T1 bladder cancer cohort or by high-grade cytology/biopsy by ureteroscopy performed at MSK for patients in the NMI-UTUC cohort.
  • TURBT within 8 weeks of protocol entry with complete resection of all papillary lesions for patients in the T1 bladder cancer cohort and ureteroscopy within 8 weeks of protocol entry with complete ablation of all papillary lesions with ureteroscopy or through antegrade percutaneous access for patients in the NMI-UTUC cohort..

  • Patients in the T1 bladder cancer cohort must have high risk, BCG-naïve non-muscle-invasive urothelial cancer defined as having one of the following disease states:

    • T1 on restaging biopsy, plus CIS
    • Multiple (≥ 1) T1 recurrences, plus CIS
    • Multifocal T1 plus CIS
    • T1b (extensive/deep invasion into lamina propria) plus CIS
    • Lymphovascular invasion plus CIS
    • T1 with variant histology: including micropapillary, nested variant, poorly differentiated, squamous, and glandular differentiation (the presence of variant histology will be based on MSKCC review), plus CIS.
    • T1 with urothelial carcinoma of prostatic urethra (Ta, Tis, or T1 within prostatic urethra), plus CIS
    • Large (≥3 cm) T1 tumor, plus CIS

  • Patients in the NMI-UTUC cohort must have high risk, BCG naïve NMI-UTUC, defined by having one of the following disease states:

    • Histologic confirmed ureteroscopic biopsy with clinical stage Tis (also known as CIS), Ta, or T1 disease in the renal pelvis. Concomitant ureteral disease will be allowed if completely treated endoscopically.
    • Clinical stage Tis confirmed by a positive high-grade selective cytology, coupled with ureteroscopic evaluation, confirming only flat eryethematous lesions and the absence of papillary tumors.
    • Must not have received prior treatment with percutaneous BCG to the involved renal unit, but prior intravesical BCG for bladder cancer is acceptable.
  • Patients must have cross sectional imaging (CT or MRI urogram) within 3 months of protocol entry demonstrating no evidence of metastasis or radiographic evidence of muscle invasive disease.
  • Patient refusal of cystectomy and bilateral pelvic lymphadenectomy for the T1 bladder cancer cohort, or refusal of radical nephroureterectomy for NMI-UTUC cohort.
  • No prior intravesical BCG therapy for patients in the T1 bladder cancer cohort.
  • No prior radiation therapy for bladder cancer for patients in the T1 bladder cancer cohort. Prior radiation therapy for prostate cancer is allowed.
  • ECOG performance status of 0 or 1.
  • Age ≥ 18 years.
  • Female subjects of childbearing potential must be willing to use 2 methods of birth control, be surgically sterile, or abstain from heterosexual activity for the course of the study through 120 days after the last dose of the study medication (reference section 9.5.2). Subjects of childbearing potential are those who have not been surgically sterilized or have not been free from menses for >1 year.
  • Male subjects should agree to use an adequate method of contraception starting with the first dose of study therapy through 120 days after the last dose of study therapy.
  • Patients must not have other invasive malignancies within the past 5 years (with the exception of non-melanoma skin cancers, localized prostate cancer, and CIS of the cervix).

  • Required initial laboratory values:

    • Absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1.5 x 10^9/L
    • Platelets ≥ 100 x 10^9/L
    • Hemoglobin ≥ 9 g/dL
    • Bilirubin ≤ 1.5 times the upper limit of normal (x ULN)
    • Aspartate transaminase (AST) and alanine transaminase (ALT) ≤ 3.0 x ULN
    • Calculated creatinine clearance ≥ 30 using the CKD-Epi formula

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Current or History of muscle invasive bladder cancer or prostatic stromal invasion.
  • Unstable angina
  • New York Heart Association (NYHA) Grade II or greater congestive heart failure
  • History of myocardial infarction within 6 months
  • History of stroke within 6 months
  • Evidence of bleeding diathesis or coagulopathy
  • Presence of any systemic metastases (i.e, nodal, visceral, or central nervous system)
  • Major surgical procedure (other than TURBT or ureteroscopy) within 28 days prior to the study
  • Pregnant (positive pregnancy test) or lactating
  • Serious, non-healing wound, ulcer, or bone fracture
  • Inability to comply with study and/or follow-up procedures
  • Prior therapy with an anti-PD-1 agent, anti-PD-L1 agent, or other inhibitory or stimulatory agent oriented towards a T-cell receptor
  • Active infection requiring systemic therapy
  • Known history of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)
  • Known active Hepatitis B or Hepatitis C
  • Received live attenuated vaccines within 30 days prior to start of study treatment. Patients must also agree to avoid live attenuated vaccines during study treatment.
  • Has an active autoimmune disease requiring systemic treatment within the past 3 months or a documented history of clinically severe autoimmune disease, or a syndrome that requires systemic or immunosuppressive agents. Subjects with vitiligo, diabetes Type I, or resolved childhood asthma/atopy would be an exception to this rule. Subjects that require intermittent use of bronchodilators, inhaled steroids, or local steroid injections would not be excluded from the study. Subjects with hypothyroidism stable on hormone replacement or Sjøgren's syndrome will not be excluded from the study.

  • Known contraindications to BCG, defined as one of the following:

    • History of systemic hypersensitivity reaction or history of febrile systemic BCG reaction
    • Febrile illness or persistent gross hematuria
    • Active tuberculosis
    • Immunosuppression due to congenital or acquired immune deficiency, concurrent immune suppressive disease, systemic cancer therapy, or chronic immunosuppressive therapy other than topical or inhaled corticosteroids

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Non-Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: High Risk T1 Bladder Cancer Cohort
Pts will receive pembrolizumab/MK-3475 after transurethral resection of bladder tumor/TURBT in comb w/BCG as initial therapy. Pembrolizumab (MK-3475) will be administered as a 400 mg IV infusion at 6-wk intervals for 9 doses over a 48-wk period, unless there is unacceptable toxicity or other reasons to discontinue treatment occur. Intravesical BCG therapy (TICE strain, 50 mg) will be given 1x-weekly for 6 consecutive wks as a standard induction course, followed by maintenance BCG consistent w/standard clinical practice. BCG will start on wk 3 after the first infusion of pembrolizumab (400 mg) to allow for initial priming of T cells to further enhance the effects of BCG treatment.
Drug: Pembrolizumab (MK-3475)
Pembrolizumab (MK-3475) will be administered as a 400 mg intravenous (IV) infusion at 6- week intervals for 9 doses over a 48-week.
Drug: Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG)
Intravesical BCG will be administrated once per week over a 6-week period as induction therapy, followed by maintenance BCG consistent with standard clinical practice
Experimental: Exploratory cohort for high-grade non-muscle-invasive upper tract urothelial carcinoma
Pts will receive pembrolizumab (MK-3475) administered after ureteroscopy/laser ablation in comb w/BCG as initial therapy. Pembrolizumab (MK-3475) will be administered as 400 mg IV infusion at 6-week intervals for 9 doses over a 48-week period, unless there is unacceptable toxicity or other reasons that would warrant the discontinuation of treatment. Pts will receive once-weekly BCG therapy (TICE strain, 50 mg) for 6 consecutive wks as a standard induction course administered through a percutaneous nephrostomy tube in antegrade fashion for patients with high-grade NMI-UTUC, consistent with standard clinical practice. BCG will start on wk 3 after the first infusion of pembrolizumab (400 mg) to allow for initial priming of T cells to further enhance the effects of BCG treatment.
Drug: Pembrolizumab (MK-3475)
Pembrolizumab (MK-3475) will be administered as a 400 mg intravenous (IV) infusion at 6- week intervals for 9 doses over a 48-week.
Drug: Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG)
Intravesical BCG will be administrated once per week over a 6-week period as induction therapy, followed by maintenance BCG consistent with standard clinical practice

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
The proportion of patients who are disease-free
Time Frame: 6 months
The primary objective for the high-risk T1 bladder cohort is to estimate the proportion of patients who remain free from high-grade recurrence (by urine cytology, cystoscopy ± biopsy) at 6 months from the start of treatment with pembrolizumab (MK-3475) and BCG
6 months

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
The proportion of patients who remain free from high-grade recurrence
Time Frame: 6 months
Determine the proportion of patients who remain free from high-grade recurrence (by urine cytology, cystoscopy ± biopsy) at 12 months from the start of treatment with pembrolizumab (MK-3475) and BCG
6 months

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

Collaborators

Collaborators

An organization other than the sponsor that provides support for a clinical study. This support may include activities related to funding, design, implementation, data analysis, or reporting.
Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Gopakumar Iyer, MD, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

Helpful Links

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
June 27, 2018

Primary Completion (Estimated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
April 1, 2026

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
April 1, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
April 11, 2018

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
April 12, 2018

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
April 20, 2018

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Estimated)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
November 6, 2025

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
November 5, 2025

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
November 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • 17-602

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

Yes

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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