High- or low-dose preoperative ipilimumab plus nivolumab in stage III urothelial cancer: the phase 1B NABUCCO trial

Cohort 1 of the phase 1B NABUCCO trial showed high pathological complete response (pCR) rates with preoperative ipilimumab plus nivolumab in stage III urothelial cancer (UC). In cohort 2, the aim was dose adjustment to optimize responses. Additionally, we report secondary endpoints, including efficacy and tolerability, in cohort 2 and the association of presurgical absence of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) in urine and plasma with clinical outcome in both cohorts. Thirty patients received two cycles of either ipilimumab 3 mg kg−1 plus nivolumab 1 mg kg−1 (cohort 2A) or ipilimumab 1 mg kg−1 plus nivolumab 3 mg kg−1 (cohort 2B), both followed by nivolumab 3 mg kg−1. We observed a pCR in six (43%) patients in cohort 2A and a pCR in one (7%) patient in cohort 2B. Absence of urinary ctDNA correlated with pCR in the bladder (ypT0Nx) but not with progression-free survival (PFS). Absence of plasma ctDNA correlated with pCR (odds ratio: 45.0; 95% confidence interval (CI): 4.9–416.5) and PFS (hazard ratio: 10.4; 95% CI: 2.9–37.5). Our data suggest that high-dose ipilimumab plus nivolumab is required in stage III UC and that absence of ctDNA in plasma can predict PFS. ClinicalTrials.gov registration: NCT03387761 . High-dose ipilimumab plus nivolumab in locoregionally advanced urothelial cancer led to a higher pathological complete response rate than low-dose ipilimumab in cohort 2. Presurgical absence of plasma (but not urinary) circulating tumor DNA correlated with clinical outcome.