NCT03664869

Electromotive Mitomycin-C (EMDA-MMC) in Preventing Recurrences in High-risk Non-muscle-invasive Bladder Cancer

Intravesical Instillation Therapy With Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) and Sequential BCG and Electromotive Mitomycin-C (EMDA-MCC) in Patients With High-risk Non-muscle-invasive Bladder Carcinoma

• Status: Unknown
• Phase: Phase 3
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 300 (estimated)
• Sponsor: Turku University Hospital · Other Government
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

Disease recurrence and progression is a major issue in high risk non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC). The current study compares two adjuvant instillation therapies in the treatment of high risk NMIBC. After resection of the tumour(s), patients will receive either traditional regimen of Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) instillations or combination treatment consisting of sequential BCG-instillations and mitomycin C instillations administered with electromotive drug administration (EMDA) device.

Detailed description

Non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) is a heterogeneous disease. The patients with NMIBC may be categorized in three risk groups according to the risk of recurrence and progression characterized by the disease. The treatment of high risk NMIBC includes a transurethral resection of the tumour(s), which is followed by an adjuvant instillation therapy, aiming to reduce the risk of recurrence and progression. Intravesical bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) treatment is been the most effective single agent against NMIBC, and it is referred to as the gold standard in the treatment of high risk disease. BCG is a solution of live, attenuated mycobacterium bovis bacteria, which is administered intravesically in an outpatient clinic. BCG activates an immunological reaction in the bladder wall, which leads to antitumour effect by activation of macrophages, T-cells, and natural killer (NK) cells. BCG treatment comprises an induction period, which includes six weekly instillations. This is followed by maintenance period including monthly or repeated series of three weekly instillations up to 1-3 years. Other instillation therapies include intravesically administered chemotherapy. Mitomycin C (MMC) is the most used chemotherapeutic agent. MMC provides a better tolerated side effect profile, but is less effective against high risk NMIBC than BCG, when MMC is used as a single agent. Combinations of BCG- and MMC treatment has also been described with various results. The rationale for combining BCG and MMC is to enhance the absorption of BCG as MMC might cause disruption of bladder mucosa, which makes the mucosa more permeable thus enhancing the absorption of BCG. However, it is also hypothesized, that BCG may also work synergistic in favor of MMC. The absorption and effect of MMC may be enhanced with electromotive drug administration (EMDA) device. After instillation of MMC, an electric field is conducted in the bladder with EMDA device via catheter and electrodes, which are placed in the bladder and lower abdomen skin. Electric field creates movement of sodium ions and water into the bladder wall, which creates electro-osmotic drag of MMC molecules. In a laboratory setting, EMDA-MMC instillation results in 4-7 times greater concentration of MMC in the deeper layers of the bladder wall than passively administered MMC instillation. EMDA-MMC treatment may also be combined with BCG treatment administering BCG and EMDA-MMC instillations sequentially. Results from a prospective randomized trial suggested, that sequential EMDA-MMC and BCG treatment might be even more effective against NMIBC than BCG therapy alone in terms of recurrence, progression and overall survival. The current study is a prospective, open label, phase III randomized study allocating patients with high risk NMIBC to receive adjuvant instillation therapy either as traditional BCG treatment, or sequential BCG- and EMDA-MMC treatment. The aim of the study is to compare effectiveness and tolerability of the two treatment regimens in preventing recurrence and progression of high risk NMIBC.

Conditions

• Bladder Cancer

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
DRUG	BCG instillation therapy	Induction period of six weekly instillations of BCG followed by maintenance period of ten monthly instillations of BCG
DRUG	Sequential BCG and EMDA mitomycin C	Induction period includes nine weekly instillations of sequential BCG and EMDA-MMC instillations applied as three cycles of BCG, BCG and EMDA-MMC. Induction period is followed by maintenance period of nine monthly instillations of sequential EMDA-MMC and BCG applied with three cycles of EMDA-MMC, EMDA-MMC and BCG. BCG instillation is performed as a standard instillation. Mitomycin C is administered with electromotive drug administration (EMDA) device (Instillation: 40 mg mitomycin C with 960 mg of excipient sodium chloride dissolved in 100 ml sterile water, EMDA settings: current rise rate 30-50 microamperes per second, max 25 milliamperes, treatment duration 30 min)

Timeline

• Start date: 2018-10-26
• Primary completion: 2025-11-01
• Completion: 2025-11-01
• First posted: 2018-09-11
• Last updated: 2021-04-01

Locations

7 sites across 1 country: Finland