Neoadjuvant and adjuvant enfortumab vedotin plus pembrolizumab for participants with muscle-invasive bladder cancer who are eligible for cisplatin: Randomized, open-label, phase 3 KEYNOTE-B15 study.
4614 Background: Enfortumab vedotin (EV) + pembrolizumab (pembro) is the established first-line standard of care for locally advanced/metastatic urothelial carcinoma and represents a novel neoadjuvant and adjuvant treatment strategy for patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) who are ineligible for cisplatin-based chemotherapy. The randomized phase 3 KEYNOTE-B15/EV-304 study (NCT04700124) evaluates neoadjuvant EV + pembro followed by radical cystectomy plus pelvic lymph node dissection (RC + PLND) and adjuvant EV + pembro vs neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by RC + PLND in participants (pts) with MIBC who are eligible for cisplatin-based therapy. Methods: Pts with clinical stage T2-T4aN0M0 or T1-T4aN1M0 MIBC (confirmed by central pathology and central imaging assessment) who were eligible for cisplatin-based chemotherapy and RC + PLND were randomized 1:1 to receive either 4 cycles neoadjuvant EV 1.25 mg/kg IV on days 1 and 8 + pembro 200 mg IV on day 1 Q3W, followed by RC + PLND, and adjuvant 5 cycles EV + 13 cycles pembro (EV + pembro arm) vs 4 cycles neoadjuvant gemcitabine 1000 mg/m 2 on days 1 and 8 + cisplatin 70 mg/m 2 on day 1 Q3W, followed by RC + PLND (cis + gem arm). The primary endpoint was event-free survival (EFS) by blinded independent central review. Key secondary endpoints were pathological complete response (pCR) rate by blinded central pathological review and overall survival (OS). Safety was a secondary endpoint; AEs of special interest were based on distinct prespecified lists for each drug. Results: A total of 405 and 403 pts were randomized to EV + pembro and cis + gem, respectively. Median time from randomization to the data cutoff date of October 27, 2025 was 33.6 months (range, 22.5–53.6). Baseline characteristics were generally balanced between groups. EV + pembro significantly improved EFS (median NR vs 48.5 mo; 24-mo estimated EFS rate 79.4% vs 66.2%; HR 0.53, 95% CI 0.41–0.70; 1-sided P <.0001), OS (median NR vs NR; 24-mo estimated OS rate 86.9% vs 81.3%; HR 0.65, 95% CI 0.48–0.89; 1-sided P =.0029), and pCR rate (55.8% vs 32.5%; estimated difference 23.4%, 95% CI 16.7–29.8; 1-sided P <.0001) vs cis + gem. Grade ≥3 treatment-emergent AEs occurred in 75.7% of pts with EV + pembro and 67.2% with cis + gem. Most common grade ≥3 drug-related AE of special interest for EV was skin reactions (14.1%); most common grade ≥3 AE of special interest for pembro was severe skin reactions (13.9%). Conclusions: Neoadjuvant and adjuvant EV + pembro significantly improved EFS, OS, and pCR rate compared with neoadjuvant gem + cis in pts with MIBC who were eligible for cisplatin-based chemotherapy. The safety profile of EV + pembro was consistent with prior experience with the combination. These results support EV + pembro as an effective perioperative treatment option in this setting. Clinical trial information: NCT04700124 .
Authors
- Aljosja Rogiers (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3807-9696)
- Y Loriot
- Eli Rosenbaum
- Jonathan Alexander Chatzkel
- Blanca Homet Moreno (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6712-8330)
- Heidi Wirtz
- Mike Mihm
- Begoña P. Valderrama
- Yousef Zakharia (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9480-2626)
- Tudor-Eliade Ciuleanu
- Albert Font
- Katharina Boehm
- Christopher J. Hoimes
- Qinlei Huang
- Matthew D. Galsky
- Alfonso Gomez De Liaño Lista
- Jens Bedke
- Marco Maruzzo
- Takuya Koie
- Javier Puente
Institutions
- Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA (United States) (US)
- Institut Català d'Ornitologia (ES)
- Pfizer (United States) (US)
- Université Paris-Saclay (FR)
- Hospital Universitario Insular de Gran Canaria (ES)
- Rabin Medical Center (IL)
- Institut Gustave Roussy (FR)
- Hospital Clínico San Carlos (ES)
- Moffitt Cancer Center (US)
- Institute of Oncology Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuta (RO)
- Gifu University Hospital (JP)
- Institut Català d'Oncologia (ES)
- Istituto Oncologico Veneto (IT)
- Duke Medical Center (US)
- Mayo Clinic Hospital (US)
- Istituti di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IT)
- Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío (ES)
- Klinikum Stuttgart (DE)
- University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus (DE)
- Astellas Pharma (United States) (US)
- Tisch Cancer Institute
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (US)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Journal of Clinical Oncology
- Published
- 2026-05-27
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1200/jco.2026.44.16_suppl.4614
- Primary Topic
- Bladder and Urothelial Cancer Treatments
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00