Adstiladrin is a prescription gene therapy used for the treatment of a certain type of bladder cancer.

Adstiladrin contains nadofaragene firadenovec-vncg, a non-replicating adenovirus vector-based gene therapy containing the gene interferon alfa-2b. 

Adstiladrin is administered directly into the bladder every three months. The treatment delivers the interferon alfa-2b gene into the cells of the bladder wall, which results in the cells secreting high quantities of interferon alfa-2b protein, a naturally occurring protein the body uses to fight cancer.

What is Adstiladrin used to treat?

Adstiladrin is used to treat adult patients with high-risk, non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) that hasn't responded to the standard treatment, Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG).

NMIBC is a type of bladder cancer which is present in the superficial layer of the bladder and has not invaded deeper into the bladder or spread to other parts of the body.

People who are immunosuppressed or immune-deficient should not prepare, administer, receive or come into contact with Adstiladrin.

Once every 3 months your healthcare provider will administer 75 mL (about 2 and a half ounces) of Adstiladrin into your bladder through a urinary catheter and leave it there for 1 hour.  During this time your healthcare provider may move you about every 15 minutes.

After each treatment, you will need to take these steps to prepare your toilet bowl:

• Add about half a cup of bleach to the toilet bowl before you urinate.
• After urinating, wait 15 minutes before flushing the toilet.
• Repeat these steps every time you urinate for the first 2 days after treatment.

Usual Adult Dose of Adstiladrin for Bladder Cancer

75 mL at a concentration of 3 x 10¹¹ viral particles (vp)/mL, instilled once every three (3) months.

Comments:
- Premedication with an anticholinergic is recommended before each instillation.
- Administer by intravesical instillation only.
- Allow the Adstiladrin to be left in the bladder for 1 hour following instillation.

Use: for the treatment of adult patients with high-risk Bacillus CalmetteGuérin (BCG)-unresponsive non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) with carcinoma in situ (CIS) with or without papillary tumors. 

You should not receive this treatment if you have a sensitivity to interferon alfa or any of its components.

The most common side effects include:

• Urinary discharge
• Fatigue
• Bladder spasm
• Urgency to urinate
• Blood in your urine

These are not all the possible side effects. For more information, ask your healthcare provider. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088. You may also report side effects to Ferring Pharmaceuticals at 1 888 337-7464.

Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.

Adstiladrin is administered into the bladder directly, so is it is unlikely to interact with other medicines.