Side effects led 11% of the patients in the avelumab group to stop the therapy, according to the study published Sept. 18 in the New England Journal of Medicine.
In the United States, avelumab is currently approved for the “maintenance” treatment of patients with locally advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma that has not progressed after the use of first-line platinum-containing chemotherapies.
One physician who treats patients with metastatic bladder cancer called the new study “a significant step forward.”
“While current chemotherapy is effective initially, the vast majority of patients will experience progression and ultimately die of their disease,” explained Dr. Manish Vira, who wasn’t involved in the new study.
“With this new study, avelumab offers patients an additional treatment which could slow down the progression and increase their survival time with this disease,” said Vira, who is system chief of urology at Northwell Cancer Institute in Lake Success, N.Y.
The study was funded by drug companies Pfizer, and Merck KGaA in Darmstadt, Germany.
More information
The American Cancer Society has more on bladder cancer.