Light-Activated Photodynamic Compounds May Eradicate Bladder Cancer

A new clinical drug delivered through light-activated photodynamic compounds is showing promise in eradicating bladder cancer after just one treatment with a complete response to the drug recorded at 360 days.

Theralase Technologies Inc., a clinical stage pharmaceutical company, is reporting that a patient treated in a recently completed Phase Ib non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer clinical study has demonstrated a complete response with no tumor recurrence, progression, or presence of the disease at the 360-day clinical assessment.

Theralase’s anticancer treatment involved the intravesical instillation of a water-based solution via a catheter inserted through the urethra into the bladder, allowing the photodynamic compounds to be preferentially absorbed by tumors.

A fiber optic assembly, comprising a laser emitter used to emit light and a proprietary detector, activated photodynamic compounds in the tumors.

The study was successfully completed with two patients, demonstrating achievement of the primary, secondary, and exploratory endpoints at 90 and 180 days, when treated with the therapeutic dose.