BCG RIVM

BCG RIVM is a live attenuated strain of *Mycobacterium bovis* used as an intravesical immunotherapy for high-risk non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC). The RIVM strain refers to the substrain developed and produced by the Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (Rijksinstituut voor Volksgezondheid en Milieuhygiene, RIVM). BCG immunotherapy acts primarily by inducing both innate and adaptive immune responses in the bladder; its most important effect is the induction of trained immunity, which is a functional and epigenetic reprogramming of innate immune cells leading to enhanced cytokine responses (notably IL-1β, IL-6, TNFα) upon secondary challenge. While BCG is most established for NMIBC, it is also a World Health Organization-recommended vaccine for tuberculosis, though BCG RIVM's primary approved medical use is for bladder cancer and not systemic vaccination. RIVM is one of several clinically used BCG substrains, and differences among BCG strains may lead to variability in immunogenicity and clinical effectiveness[1][4].

Brand names

BCG RIVM

Other names

Bacillus Calmette-Guérin RIVMBCG-RIVMRIVM BCGRijksinstituut voor Volksgezondheid en Milieuhygiene BCG