Preoperative ipilimumab plus nivolumab in locoregionally advanced urothelial cancer: the NABUCCO trial

Nick van Dijk, Alberto Gil-Jimenez, Karina Silina, Kees Hendricksen, Laura A. Smit, Jeantine M. de Feijter, Maurits L. van Montfoort, Charlotte van Rooijen, Dennis Peters, Annegien Broeks, Henk G. van der Poel, Annemarie Bruining, Yoni Lubeck, Karolina Sikorska, Thierry N. Boellaard, Pia Kvistborg, Daniel J. Vis, Erik Hooijberg, Ton N. Schumacher, Maries van den BroekLodewyk F. A. Wessels, Christian U. Blank, Bas W. van Rhijn, Michiel S. van der Heijden

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

232 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Preoperative immunotherapy with anti-PD1 plus anti-CTLA4 antibodies has shown remarkable pathological responses in melanoma1 and colorectal cancer2. In NABUCCO (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT03387761), a single-arm feasibility trial, 24 patients with stage III urothelial cancer (UC) received two doses of ipilimumab and two doses of nivolumab, followed by resection. The primary endpoint was feasibility to resect within 12 weeks from treatment start. All patients were evaluable for the study endpoints and underwent resection, 23 (96%) within 12 weeks. Grade 3–4 immune-related adverse events occurred in 55% of patients and in 41% of patients when excluding clinically insignificant laboratory abnormalities. Eleven patients (46%) had a pathological complete response (pCR), meeting the secondary efficacy endpoint. Fourteen patients (58%) had no remaining invasive disease (pCR or pTisN0/pTaN0). In contrast to studies with anti-PD1/PD-L1 monotherapy, complete response to ipilimumab plus nivolumab was independent of baseline CD8+ presence or T-effector signatures. Induction of tertiary lymphoid structures upon treatment was observed in responding patients. Our data indicate that combined CTLA-4 plus PD-1 blockade might provide an effective preoperative treatment strategy in locoregionally advanced UC, irrespective of pre-existing CD8+ T cell activity.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1839-1844
Number of pages6
JournalNature medicine
Volume26
Issue number12
Early online date2020
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Dec 2020

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