Pfizer and Astellas' Padcev plus Keytruda Shows Promise in Bladder Cancer

Pfizer and Astellas announced encouraging interim results from a late stage trial combining its antibody drug conjugate Padcev with Merck’s immunotherapy Keytruda in patients with muscle invasive bladder cancer. The combination, administered before and after surgery, delivered significant improvements in both event‑free survival (how long patients remained recurrence‑free) and overall survival compared to surgery alone. Johanna Bendell, Pfizer’s oncology chief development officer, emphasised the potential for this treatment to reshape standard care for this aggressive cancer, which accounts for around 25 percent of new bladder cancer cases. Padcev, approved in 2019 for metastatic urothelial cancer, generated $1.59 billion in sales last year. Pfizer and Astellas now plans to engage with global health authorities to support regulatory filings for the new treatment approach.