Israeli-Led Study Reveals Promising New Treatment for Bladder Cancer

An international study led by Professor Boris Chertin, Head of the Department of Urology at Jerusalem's Shaare Zedek Medical Center, has unveiled a promising new technological approach to treating bladder cancer. The findings were reported on by Israel's Channel 14 News.

According to the report, the study produced highly encouraging results. Approximately 95% of patients achieved a complete response, with their tumors disappearing within just three months of treatment. After one year, 76% of patients remained free of disease. Among patients with the most difficult-to-treat cases — those whose cancer had become resistant to standard therapy — the treatment achieved an 80% complete response rate, with the disease disappearing entirely after one year.

The study evaluated the safety and effectiveness of NDV-01, a patented technology based on a biodegradable polymer gel. The gel is administered directly into the bladder, where it gradually releases a combination of two chemotherapy drugs over a period of 14 days. This controlled delivery system maximizes the tumor's exposure to the medications while offering a simpler alternative to more complex treatment methods.

Researchers reported that the treatment demonstrated an excellent safety profile and was exceptionally well tolerated. No serious side effects were observed, and any localized side effects were mild and temporary. All participants completed the full course of treatment, with no patients withdrawing from the study, highlighting both the treatment's safety and ease of use.

Professor Chertin described the findings as a major breakthrough.

"This is truly significant news and represents a fundamental shift in the way bladder cancer can be treated worldwide," he said. "The new technology enables us to deliver chemotherapy directly to the tumor in a sustained, safe, and remarkably effective manner while preserving the patient's quality of life. The fact that 100% of the patients in the study avoided bladder removal surgery and experienced no disease progression is an extraordinary achievement."