The standing ovation for Keytruda and Padcev in metastatic bladder cancer at the 2023 European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress still echoes, and, now, the pair from Merck & Co., Pfizer and Astellas has pulled off similarly showstopping results in certain patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC).
The combination of Merck’s Keytruda and Pfizer and Astellas’ Padcev reduced patients’ risk of death by a whopping 50% when used before and after bladder removal surgery in those with MIBC who are not eligible for or declined cisplatin-based chemotherapy compared with surgery alone, according to results to be presented at the 2025 ESMO Congress.
The PD-1/antibody-drug conjugate combo also significantly improved event-free survival (EFS) by 60% versus surgery alone. A negative event includes progression of disease that precludes surgery or failure to undergo surgery, gross residual disease left behind during surgery, cancer recurrence or death.
