Pfizer (NYSE:PFE) has announced positive results from a late-stage study of its experimental treatment, sasanlimab, for a specific type of bladder cancer.
The study showed a significant improvement in the time patients remained free of complications, including cancer recurrence.
The treatment, an antibody therapy, was tested in combination with the Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine in patients with high-risk non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) who had not previously received the vaccine.
NMIBC represents approximately half of all new bladder cancer diagnoses, according to the American Cancer Society.
The trial successfully met its primary endpoint, demonstrating the effectiveness of the sasanlimab and BCG combination.
This is a significant development, as current treatment options for this type of bladder cancer are limited, with high recurrence rates.
“We view this as a noteworthy development in a treatment space historically dominated by BCG monotherapy, where recurrence rates remain high and therapeutic innovation has been scarce,” commented Guggenheim analyst Vamil Divan.
Sasanlimab is an anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibody, placing it in the same class of drugs as Merck’s Keytruda, which works by boosting the body’s immune system to recognize and fight cancer cells.
Meanwhile, Pfizer reported that the safety profile of sasanlimab was consistent with other PD-1 inhibitors.