CCTG BLC5, a bladder cancer clinical trial is now open in Canada

The CCTG BLC5 MAIN-CAV international trial is now open in Canada testing the addition of a targeted anti-cancer drug to the usual immunotherapy treatment, in patients with metastatic urothelial cancer (mUC).This trial will test whether the addition of the anti-cancer drug, to the maintenance immunotherapy will or will not improve the patient’s overall survival.

"This is a pivotal study will look at the new treatment strategy to improve outcomes for urothelial cancer patients and has the potential to define a new treatment option," says CCTG Senior Investigator, Dr Wendy Parulekar.

Metastatic urothelial cancer is an incurable disease with a limited life expectancy. This study builds on the Javelin Bladder 100 trial which established the current standard of care that consists of platinum-based chemotherapy followed by maintenance immunotherapy in combination with an immunotherapy drug.

“I am very honored to be leading this important trial in Canada. It builds on the previous success of the Javelin Bladder 100 trial in the 1L maintenance setting in mUC. If the BLC5 trial is positive, this would be practice changing and most importantly would help our patients to live better and live longer,” says Dr. Srikala Sridhar, Canadian Study Chair BLC5 and Clinician Investigator at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre.

MAIN-CAV is a National Cancer Institute (NCI) and Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology study led in the US by Dr Shilpa Gupta at the Cleveland Clinic. This international study is currently enrolling patients at cancer centres across Canada. For more information about the trial and a full list of participating centres please visit www.clinicaltrials.gov (NCT05092958) or visit the CCTG BLC5 members trial page.