rubratin

Rubratin is a biological response modifier consisting of the cell wall skeleton (CWS) of the bacterium *Nocardia rubra*. It was developed as an intravesical immunotherapy for the treatment of superficial papillary transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder. The drug functions by inducing a local immune response within the bladder wall, characterized by the recruitment of leukocytes and the induction of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β), IL-2, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α). Although it demonstrates the ability to stimulate T-cell activation, clinical studies have indicated that its efficacy in preventing tumor recurrence is inferior to that of bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG), leading to its limited clinical use.

Brand names

Rubratin

Other names

Nocardia rubra cell wall skeletonNocardia rubra-CWS