gemcitabine + bacillus calmette-guerin

Gemcitabine + bacillus calmette-guerin (BCG) is a combination intravesical therapy being evaluated for the treatment of high-risk non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC). Gemcitabine is a pyrimidine nucleoside analog that functions as an antimetabolite, inhibiting DNA synthesis by replacing cytidine during DNA replication and inhibiting ribonucleotide reductase. BCG is a live-attenuated strain of *Mycobacterium bovis* that acts as a local immunotherapy; when instilled into the bladder, it triggers a robust immune response involving the recruitment of T cells and the release of cytokines (such as IFN-gamma and IL-12) to eliminate malignant cells. This specific regimen, studied by Queen's University in the BCG-TIME trial, involves a single initial dose of gemcitabine followed by a standard induction course of BCG to potentially prime the tumor immune microenvironment and improve therapeutic efficacy in elderly or high-risk populations.

Other names

Gemcitabine + BCGIntravesical gemcitabine and BCG