Bladder CancerPhase 1NCT06963346
Study Investigating Intravesical HDAC Inhibition to Improve Response to Immuno-Oncology Agents
A Phase 1 study testing Romidepsin and Durvalumab in people with Bladder Cancer, run by H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
In this study, we aim to evaluate the safety and efficacy of neoadjuvant combination using intravesical romidepsin and durvalumab in cisplatin-ineligible patients with muscle invasive bladder cancer (MIBC). Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and older
- Conditions the study is for
- Bladder Cancer
- What is being tested?
- Romidepsin and Durvalumab
- Type of treatment
- Injection or infusion
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 12 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 24 Jun 2025to Apr 2028
- Phase
- Phase 1
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 years and older
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Patients must have histologically confirmed MIBC (T2-T4a, N0, M0 per American Joint Commission on Cancer [AJCC]) pure or mixed histology urothelial carcinoma.
- Patients must be ineligible for cisplatin-based chemotherapy due to any of the following: Creatinine clearance (CrCl) < 60 mL/min by the Cockcroft-Gault formula; Hearing impaired ≥ Grade 2 by CTCAE criteria; Neuropathy ≥ Grade 2 by CTCAE criteria; Heart failure NYHA ≥ III
- Patients must be medically fit for TURBT and radical cystectomy (RC
- Age ≥ 18 years
- Body weight >30 kg
- Ability to understand and willingness to sign IRB-approved informed consent.
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- Willing to provide tumor tissue, blood, and urine samples for research.
- ECOG performance status 0 or 1 (Karnofsky ≥80%) for patients planning consolidative radical cystectomy. For patients planning consolidative chemoradiation, ECOG performance status 0, 1, or 2 (Karnofsky ≥60%) is permitted.
- Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients on effective anti-retroviral therapy with undetectable viral load within 6 months are eligible for this trial.
- For patients with evidence of chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, the HBV viral load must be undetectable on suppressive therapy, if indicated.
- Patients with a history of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection must have been treated and cured. For patients with HCV infection who are currently on treatment, they are eligible if they have an undetectable HCV viral load.
- Participants must have adequate organ and marrow function as defined below: Hemoglobin ≥ 9.0 g/dL; Absolute neutrophil count (ANC) ≥ 1500/mcL; Platelet count ≥100,000/mcL; Serum bilirubin ≤1.5 x institutional upper limit of normal (ULN); total bilirubin must be < 3 x ULN for patients with Gilberts syndrome; AST (SGOT)/ALT (SGPT) ≤2.5 x institutional upper limit of normal; Measured creatinine CL >40 mL/min or Calculated creatinine CL>40 mL/min by the Cockcroft-Gault formula or by 24-hour urine collection for determination of creatinine clearance.
- Evidence of post-menopausal status or negative urinary or serum pregnancy test for female pre-menopausal patients.
- Non-sterile males must be willing to use a highly effective method of birth control for the duration of the study and for ≥120 days after the last dose of durvalumab.
- Patient is willing and able to comply with the protocol for the duration of the study including undergoing treatment and scheduled visits and examinations including follow up.
- Patient must have a life expectancy of at least 12 weeks
Who cannot join
- Patients with active or prior documented autoimmune disease within the past 2 years prior to Screening or other immunosuppressive agent within 14 days of study treatment. NOTE: Patients with well controlled type 1 diabetes mellitus, vitiligo, Graves' disease, Hashimoto's disease, eczema, lichen simplex chronicus, or psoriasis not requiring systemic treatment (within the past 2 years prior to Screening) are not excluded.
- Patients who have concurrent upper urinary tract (i.e. ureter, renal pelvis) invasive urothelial carcinoma. Patients with history of non-invasive (Ta, T1, Tis) upper tract urothelial carcinoma that has been definitively treated with at least one post-treatment disease assessment (i.e. cytology, biopsy, imaging) that demonstrates no evidence of residual disease are eligible.
- Patients who have another malignancy that could interfere with the evaluation of safety or efficacy of the study drugs. Patients with a prior malignancy will be allowed without Principal Investigator approval in the following circumstances: Not currently active and diagnosed at least 5 years prior to the date of registration; Non-invasive diseases such as low risk cervical cancer or any cancer in situ; Localized (early stage) cancer treated with curative intent (without evidence of recurrence and intent for further therapy), and in which no chemotherapy was indicated (e.g. low/intermediate risk prostate cancer, etc.). Patients with other malignancies not meeting these criteria must be discussed prior to registration.
- Patients who have received any prior immune checkpoint inhibitor (i.e. anti-KIR, anti-PD-1, anti- PD-L1, (including durvalumab) anti-CTLA4 or other).
- Patients who have undergone major surgery (e.g. intra-thoracic, intra-abdominal or intra-pelvic), open biopsy or significant traumatic injury or specific anti-cancer treatment ≤ 4 weeks prior to starting study drug, or patients who have had placement of vascular access device ≤ 1 week prior to starting study drug, or who have not recovered from side effects of such procedure or injury.
- Patients planning consolidative radical cystectomy who have clinically significant cardiac disease deemed not fit for radical cystectomy, including any of the following: History or presence of serious uncontrolled ventricular arrhythmias; Clinically significant resting bradycardia; Any of the following within 3 months prior to starting study drug: severe/unstable angina, Congestive Heart Failure (CHF), Cerebrovascular Accident (CVA), Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA); Uncontrolled hypertension defined by a SBP ≥ 180 mm Hg and/or DBP ≥ 100 mm Hg, with or without anti-hypertensive medication(s).
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- Patients who have history of chronic active liver disease or evidence of acute or chronic Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) or Hepatitis C (HCV).
- Patients who have known diagnosis of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. Testing is not required in absence of clinical suspicion.
- Patients who have known diagnosis of any condition (e.g. post-hematopoietic or solid organ transplant, pneumonitis, inflammatory bowel disease, etc.) that requires chronic immunosuppressive therapy which cannot be stopped for the duration of the clinical trial. Usage of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDS) for the treatment of osteoarthritis and uric acid synthesis inhibitors for the treatment of gout are permitted.
- Patients with any serious and/or uncontrolled concurrent medical conditions.
- Patients who have used any live viral vaccine for prevention of infectious diseases within 4 weeks prior to study drug(s). Examples of live vaccines include, but are not limited to, the following: measles, mumps, rubella, varicella/zoster (chicken pox), yellow fever, rabies, BCG, and typhoid vaccine. Seasonal influenza vaccines for injection are generally killed virus vaccines and are allowed; however, intranasal influenza vaccines (e.g., FluMist®) are live attenuated vaccines and are not allowed. COVID vaccination is allowed.
- Patients unwilling or unable to comply with the protocol.
- Patients with a known allergy to any of the study medications, their analogues, or excipients in the various formulations of any agent.
- Patients who participate in any other therapeutic clinical trials, including those with other investigational agents not included in this trial throughout the duration of this study.
- Patients receiving any medications or substances that are strong inhibitors or inducers of CYP3A are ineligible. Because the lists of these agents are constantly changing, it is important to regularly consult a frequently-updated medical reference.
- Patients with local symptoms from bladder cancer, (e.g. gross hematuria, dysuria, etc.) who are deemed to be unable to complete the treatment protocol per PI.
- Any concurrent chemotherapy, IP, biologic, or hormonal therapy for cancer treatment. Concurrent use of hormonal therapy for non-cancer-related conditions (e.g., hormone replacement therapy) is acceptable.
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
United States1 site, 1 recruiting
- Recruiting
Moffitt Cancer Center
Tampa, Florida, 33612
Joshua A Linscott, MD, PhD
Juskaran Chadha, DO
About this study
Official title: HERO Trial: Phase I Study Investigating Intravesical HDAC Inhibition to Improve Response to Immuno-Oncology Agents in Localized Bladder Cancer
In this study, we aim to evaluate the safety and efficacy of neoadjuvant combination using intravesical romidepsin and durvalumab in cisplatin-ineligible patients with muscle invasive bladder cancer (MIBC).
- Conditions
- Bladder Cancer
- Being tested
- Romidepsin, Durvalumab
- Medical subject headings
- Urinary Bladder Neoplasms
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
RomidepsinDrug
Administered as intravesical treatment.
DurvalumabDrug
Administered as intravenous treatment.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Dose Level 1 | Experimental | Romidepsin Level 1: 0.2 ng/ml on C1D1.
Durvalumab: The recommended fixed dose of durvalumab is 1500 mg every 4 weeks and will be given on C1D1 and C2D1. Receives: Drug: Romidepsin; Drug: Durvalumab |
| Dose Level 2 | Experimental | Romidepsin Level 2: 0.4 ng/ml on C1D1.
Durvalumab: The recommended fixed dose of durvalumab is 1500 mg every 4 weeks and will be given on C1D1 and C2D1. Receives: Drug: Romidepsin; Drug: Durvalumab |
| Dose Level 3 | Experimental | Romidepsin Level 3: 2.0 ng/m on C1D1.
Durvalumab: The recommended fixed dose of durvalumab is 1500 mg every 4 weeks and will be given on C1D1 and C2D1. Receives: Drug: Romidepsin; Drug: Durvalumab |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Romidepsin Maximum Tolerated Dose (MTD)
The MTD will be estimated using isotonic regression based on observed DLT from all DLT-evaluable patients.
Measured: Up to 28 days
Secondary outcomes (3)
Pathological Response
Pathologic response is defined as <pT2N0 disease at the time of RC (e.g. pT0N0, pT1N0, pTaN0, or pTisN0).
Measured: Up to 1 year
Pathologic complete response (pCR)
Pathologic complete response (pCR) is defined as achievement of pT0N0 disease at RC.
Measured: Up to 1 year
Relapse-free survival (RFS)
Relapse-free survival (RFS) is defined as the duration of time from time of RC to time of documented disease relapse or recurrence after RC, or death from any cause.
Measured: Up to 1 year
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted9 May 2025
- Study start24 Jun 2025
- Primary completionApr 2028 (estimated)
- Study completionApr 2028 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Bladder CancerStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research InstituteThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase 1
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Non-randomised
- Intervention model
- Sequential
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 12 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- AstraZeneca
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
- Investigators
- Joshua A Linscott, MD, PhD, Principal investigator, Moffitt Cancer Center
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06963346
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- MCC-22623
- Other IDs
- ESR 23-22189
- Status last verified
- Jul 2026
- First submitted
- 29 Apr 2025
- Last updated
- 30 Oct 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- Yes
- FDA-regulated drug
- Yes
- FDA-regulated device
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 30 Oct 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- HERO Trial: Phase I Study Investigating Intravesical HDAC Inhibition to Improve Response to Immuno-Oncology Agents in Localized Bladder Cancer
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06963346
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- MCC-22623
- Conditions
- Bladder Cancer
- Phase
- Phase 1
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Recruiting
- Enrolment
- 12 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research InstituteUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- AstraZeneca
- Study start
- 24 Jun 2025 (actual)
- Primary completion
- Apr 2028 (estimated)
- Study completion
- Apr 2028 (estimated)
- First posted
- 9 May 2025 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
In this study, we aim to evaluate the safety and efficacy of neoadjuvant combination using intravesical romidepsin and durvalumab in cisplatin-ineligible patients with muscle invasive bladder cancer (MIBC).
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Non-randomised
- Intervention model
- Sequential
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 3
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Dose Level 1 | Experimental | Drug: Romidepsin, Drug: DurvalumabRomidepsin Level 1: 0.2 ng/ml on C1D1. Durvalumab: The recommended fixed dose of durvalumab is 1500 mg every 4 weeks and will be given on C1D1 and C2D1. |
| Dose Level 2 | Experimental | Drug: Romidepsin, Drug: DurvalumabRomidepsin Level 2: 0.4 ng/ml on C1D1. Durvalumab: The recommended fixed dose of durvalumab is 1500 mg every 4 weeks and will be given on C1D1 and C2D1. |
| Dose Level 3 | Experimental | Drug: Romidepsin, Drug: DurvalumabRomidepsin Level 3: 2.0 ng/m on C1D1. Durvalumab: The recommended fixed dose of durvalumab is 1500 mg every 4 weeks and will be given on C1D1 and C2D1. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (16 listed)
- Patients must have histologically confirmed MIBC (T2-T4a, N0, M0 per American Joint Commission on Cancer [AJCC]) pure or mixed histology urothelial carcinoma.
- Patients must be ineligible for cisplatin-based chemotherapy due to any of the following: Creatinine clearance (CrCl) < 60 mL/min by the Cockcroft-Gault formula; Hearing impaired ≥ Grade 2 by CTCAE criteria; Neuropathy ≥ Grade 2 by CTCAE criteria; Heart failure NYHA ≥ III
- Patients must be medically fit for TURBT and radical cystectomy (RC
- Age ≥ 18 years
- Body weight >30 kg
Key exclusion criteria (17 listed)
- Patients with active or prior documented autoimmune disease within the past 2 years prior to Screening or other immunosuppressive agent within 14 days of study treatment. NOTE: Patients with well controlled type 1 diabetes mellitus, vitiligo, Graves' disease, Hashimoto's disease, eczema, lichen simplex chronicus, or psoriasis not requiring systemic treatment (within the past 2 years prior to Screening) are not excluded.
- Patients who have concurrent upper urinary tract (i.e. ureter, renal pelvis) invasive urothelial carcinoma. Patients with history of non-invasive (Ta, T1, Tis) upper tract urothelial carcinoma that has been definitively treated with at least one post-treatment disease assessment (i.e. cytology, biopsy, imaging) that demonstrates no evidence of residual disease are eligible.
- Patients who have another malignancy that could interfere with the evaluation of safety or efficacy of the study drugs. Patients with a prior malignancy will be allowed without Principal Investigator approval in the following circumstances: Not currently active and diagnosed at least 5 years prior to the date of registration; Non-invasive diseases such as low risk cervical cancer or any cancer in situ; Localized (early stage) cancer treated with curative intent (without evidence of recurrence and intent for further therapy), and in which no chemotherapy was indicated (e.g. low/intermediate risk prostate cancer, etc.). Patients with other malignancies not meeting these criteria must be discussed prior to registration.
- Patients who have received any prior immune checkpoint inhibitor (i.e. anti-KIR, anti-PD-1, anti- PD-L1, (including durvalumab) anti-CTLA4 or other).
- Patients who have undergone major surgery (e.g. intra-thoracic, intra-abdominal or intra-pelvic), open biopsy or significant traumatic injury or specific anti-cancer treatment ≤ 4 weeks prior to starting study drug, or patients who have had placement of vascular access device ≤ 1 week prior to starting study drug, or who have not recovered from side effects of such procedure or injury.
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| RomidepsinAdministered as intravesical treatment. | Drug | Dose Level 1, Dose Level 2, Dose Level 3 |
| DurvalumabAdministered as intravenous treatment. | Drug | Dose Level 1, Dose Level 2, Dose Level 3 |
Primary outcome
Romidepsin Maximum Tolerated Dose (MTD)
Time frame: Up to 28 days
The MTD will be estimated using isotonic regression based on observed DLT from all DLT-evaluable patients.
3 secondary outcomes
Pathological Response
Time frame: Up to 1 year
Pathologic complete response (pCR)
Time frame: Up to 1 year
Relapse-free survival (RFS)
Time frame: Up to 1 year
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 30 Oct 2026.
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part.
Joshua A Linscott, MD, PhD principal investigator
Moffitt Cancer Center
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A Phase 1 study testing Romidepsin and Durvalumab in people with Bladder Cancer, run by H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute at 1 site in United States.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 16 inclusion and 17 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: looking for participants now, as of the sponsor's last update on 30 Oct 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
What does this phase mean?
Phase 1 studies test a treatment in a small group of people for the first time or in a new way, mainly to check safety and find the right dose.
Not every study follows the same path, and some studies (observational studies, device studies) have no phase.
Are results available for this study?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
Contact Robin Neubauer (813-745-1771, Robin.Neubauer@moffitt.org), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Romidepsin Maximum Tolerated Dose (MTD) (time frame: Up to 28 days). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 30 Oct 2026; AzTrials last refreshed its copy on 7 Nov 2026.