Macquarie Park's Innovation District contributes to innovative cancer treatment

The health sciences cluster in IASP member Macquarie Park has significantly contributed to the advancement of an innovative immunotherapy treatment designed for urothelial cancer patients, as an integral component of an international clinical trial.

Urothelial carcinoma, a group of aggressive cancers affecting the bladder and urothelial tract, including the most common form, bladder cancer, has seen a new therapy that nearly doubles the life expectancy of patients.

The treatment combines two drugs, Emfortumab Veotin (VC) and Pembrolizumab. The international clinical trial involved 886 patients globally, with Macquarie University Hospital serving as the sole test site in New South Wales and one of only six in Australia. Nine patients at Macquarie University Hospital participated in the study.

Developed by cancer biotech specialists Seagen Inc., in collaboration with Astellas Pharma Global Development Inc. and Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC, both located in the Macquarie Park innovation district, the EV-pembrolizumab drug combination demonstrated vital advancements over traditional chemotherapy.

Compared to chemotherapy, the combination nearly doubled the progression-free time from 6.3 months to 12.5 months, and the average overall survival time increased from 16.1 months to 31.5 months. The dual treatment also resulted in 68% of patients experiencing cancer shrinkage, compared to 44% with chemotherapy, and 29.1% of new therapy patients achieving a complete response, compared to 12.5% with chemotherapy. The new therapy offers hope for long-term remission and represents a breakthrough in urothelial and bladder cancer treatment.

For more information about Macquarie Park Innovation District, visit the IASP members directory.