Ferring Pharmaceuticals and Theralase® Technologies Announce Clinical Development Agreement to Investigate Combination Therapy in Bladder Cancer
- The collaborative clinical study will evaluate ADSTILADRIN® (nadofaragene firadenovec-vncg) in combination with the investigational drug Ruvidar® (TLD-1433) in patients with Bacillus Calmette-Guérin-unresponsive non-muscle invasive bladder cancer carcinoma in situ with or without papillary tumors (±Ta/T1)
- Combination therapy aims to offer a complementary approach that may provide additional treatment options for patients with NMIBC
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Collaboration reflects the shared commitment of Ferring and
Theralase ® to advance additional treatment options for NMIBC patients
Under the terms of the Agreement,
"The introduction of ADSTILADRIN, as the first intravesical gene therapy, has filled a critical unmet need for patients with BCG-unresponsive NMIBC who faced limited treatment options and needed an alternative to invasive bladder removal surgery,” said
The collaboration between Ferring and
“Underscoring our ambition to establish ADSTILADRIN as the backbone therapy in NMIBC, this collaborative clinical study with
Study Details
In Study II NCT03945162,
In the Collaborative Clinical Study,
About NMIBC
NMIBC is a form of bladder cancer that is found in the inner layer cells of the bladder and does not invade into or beyond the muscle wall.1 In
About Ruvidar®
Ruvidar® (TLD-1433) is a small molecule, able to be activated by light, radiation, sound and/or other drugs, intended for the safe and effective destruction of various cancers, bacteria and viruses.
About ADSTILADRIN
ADSTILADRIN® (nadofaragene firadenovec-vncg) is the first and only FDA-approved intravesical non-replicating gene-therapy for the treatment of adult patients with high-risk BCG-unresponsive NMIBC CIS with or without papillary tumors (±Ta/T1). It is a non-replicating adenovirus vector-based therapy containing the gene interferon alfa-2b, administered locally as a monotherapy by catheter directly into the bladder once every three months. The vector enters the cells of the bladder wall, releasing the active gene and causing the bladder’s cell walls to secrete high and transient local expression of interferon alfa-2b protein, a naturally occurring protein the body uses to fight cancer. This approach essentially turns the bladder wall cells into interferon microfactories, enhancing the body’s own natural defenses against the cancer.
ADSTILADRIN has been studied in a clinical trial program that includes 157 patients with high-risk, BCG-unresponsive NMIBC, who had been treated with adequate BCG previously and did not see benefit from additional BCG treatment (full inclusion criteria published on clinicaltrials.gov: NCT02773849 and final five-year follow-up analysis published in
INDICATION
ADSTILADRIN is a non-replicating adenoviral vector-based gene therapy indicated for the treatment of adult patients with high-risk Bacillus Calmette-Guérin(BCG)-unresponsive non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) carcinoma in situ (CIS) with or without papillary tumors (±Ta/T1).
IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION
CONTRAINDICATIONS: ADSTILADRIN is contraindicated in patients with prior hypersensitivity reactions to interferon alfa or to any component of the product.
WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS:
- Risk with delayed cystectomy: Delaying cystectomy in patients with BCG-unresponsive CIS could lead to development of muscle invasive or metastatic bladder cancer, which can be lethal. If patients with CIS do not have a complete response to treatment after 3 months or if CIS recurs, consider cystectomy.
- Risk of disseminated adenovirus infection: Persons who are immunocompromised or immunodeficient may be at risk for disseminated infection from ADSTILADRIN due to low levels of replication-competent adenovirus. Avoid ADSTILADRIN exposure to immunocompromised or immunodeficient individuals.
DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION: Administer ADSTILADRIN by intravesical instillation only. ADSTILADRIN is not for intravenous use, topical use or oral administration.
USE IN SPECIFIC POPULATIONS: Advise females of reproductive potential to use effective contraception during ADSTILADRIN treatment and for 6 months after the last dose. Advise male patients with female partners of reproductive potential to use effective contraception during ADSTILADRIN treatment and for 3 months after the last dose.
ADVERSE REACTIONS: The most common (>10%) adverse reactions; including, laboratory abnormalities (>15%), were increased glucose, instillation site discharge, increased triglycerides, fatigue, bladder spasm, micturition (urination urgency), increased creatinine, hematuria (blood in urine), decreased phosphate, chills, pyrexia (fever) and dysuria (painful urination).
You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to FDA. Visit
http://www.fda.gov/medwatch
or call 1-800-332-1088. You may also contact
Please click to see the full Prescribing Information.
About
Additional information is available at www.theralase.com and www.sedarplus.ca.
About
For more information, please visit www.ferringusa.com, call 1-888-FERRING (1-888-337-7464), or connect with us on LinkedIn, and X.
References:
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Urology
Care Foundation . Non-muscle Invasive Bladder Cancer. https://www.urologyhealth.org/urology-a-z/n/non-muscle-invasive-bladder-cancer. AccessedNovember 2025 . -
National Cancer Institute . Cancer Statistics. https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/understanding/statistics. AccessedNovember 2025 . -
American Cancer Society . Cancer Facts & Figures 2025. https://www.cancer.org/content/dam/cancer-org/research/cancer-facts-and-statistics/annual-cancer-facts-and-figures/2025/2025-cancer-facts-and-figures-acs.pdf. AccessedNovember 2025 . -
Babjuk M, Burger M, Capoun O, et al.
European Association of Urology Guidelines on Non-muscle-invasive Bladder Cancer . Eur Urol. 2022 Jan;81(1):75-94. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34511303/. AccessedNovember 2025 . -
Lidagoster S, et al. BCG and Alternative Therapies to BCG Therapy for Non-Muscle-Invasive Bladder Cancer. Curr Oncol. 2024 Feb 16;31(2):1063-1078. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38392073/. Accessed
November 2025 . -
National Comprehensive Cancer Network. Bladder Cancer (Version 2.2025). https://www.nccn.org/professionals/physician_gls/pdf/bladder.pdf. Accessed
November 2025 . -
ADSTILADRIN in Patients With High-Grade, Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) Unresponsive Non-Muscle Invasive Bladder Cancer (NMIBC). Gov Identifier: NCT02773849. https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02773849. Accessed
November 2025 . -
Narayan VM,
Boorjian SA , Alemozaffar M, et al. Efficacy of intravesical nadofaragene firadenovec for patients with Bacillus Calmette-Guérin-unresponsive nonmuscle-invasive bladder cancer: 5-year follow-up from a phase 3 trial. J Urol.2024;212(1):1-12. https://www.auajournals.org/doi/full/10.1097/JU.0000000000004020. AccessedNovember 2025 .
Additional information:
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Healthcare Providers : If you are interested in ordering ADSTILADRIN, please sign up for information and updates at www.ADSTILADRINHCP.com. - Patients and Consumers: For more information about ADSTILADRIN, please visit www.ADSTILADRIN.com, or call 1-888-FERRING (888-337-7464), and select option number one.
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