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‹ Thu · 18 Jun 2026
Novel or significantly improved treatment

Tremelimumab with or without durvalumab in combination with paclitaxel in metastatic urothelial cancer: phase I/II ICRA trial.

A new immunotherapy combination restored responses in advanced bladder cancer patients who had failed previous treatments.

The Phase I-II ICRA trial demonstrated 26% objective response with paclitaxel plus high-dose anti-CTLA-4 (tremelimumab) in therapy-refractory metastatic urothelial carcinoma after platinum and ICI failure (n=44, Netherlands Cancer Institute). Transcriptomic data suggest chemotherapy-induced immune induction that may restore checkpoint sensitivity in this difficult-to-treat population.

What the study was

Study design
Phase I/II randomized clinical trial (multicenter, open-label)
Population
Metastatic urothelial carcinoma patients post-platinum chemotherapy and ICI, n=44
Sample size
44
Category
Treatment Innovation
Maturity
Exploratory
Journal
Nat Commun

Why it surfaced

Phase I-II trial showing 26% ORR in a difficult-to-treat population (ICI-refractory mUC) with paclitaxel + anti-CTLA-4. Supports concept of immune re-sensitization after ICI failure. Small n limits interpretation.

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