Approval based on compelling safety and efficacy from the Phase 3 MARIPOSA-2 study, marking the third new indication for RYBREVANT® this year, with four indications overall

RARITAN, NJ, USA I September 19, 2024 I Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved RYBREVANT® (amivantamab-vmjw) in combination with standard of care chemotherapy (carboplatin and pemetrexed) for the treatment of adult patients with locally advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) exon 19 deletions (ex19del) or L858R substitution mutations, whose disease has progressed on or after treatment with an EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI).1

“RYBREVANT plus chemotherapy may address the most common mechanisms of treatment resistance to third generation EGFR TKIs, such as osimertinib, in the first line,” said Martin Dietrich*, M.D., Ph.D., Oncologist, Cancer Care Centers of Brevard. “This multitargeted combination extended progression-free survival and improved overall response compared to chemotherapy alone, offering an important and effective new second-line option for patients.”

The five-year survival rate is less than 20 percent for all people with advanced EGFR-mutated NSCLC.2,3 Acquired resistance mechanisms after TKI monotherapy are diverse and polyclonal, making targeted therapy at progression more difficult, thus limiting the efficacy of targeted therapies at progression.4,5 Adding immunotherapy to chemotherapy has also failed to demonstrate clinically meaningful improvements.6,7

“The progression-free survival benefits seen in the MARIPOSA-2 study are exciting,” said Andrea Ferris**, President and CEO, LUNGevity Foundation. “It is good to see new therapeutic options like the combination of RYBREVANT and chemotherapy helping to address unmet needs impacting individuals with EGFR-mutated lung cancer, with the potential for positive change, which gives hope to more patients and their families.”

The FDA approval is based on results from the Phase 3 MARIPOSA-2 (NCT04988295) study evaluating the efficacy and safety of RYBREVANT® in combination with chemotherapy for the treatment of adult patients with locally advanced or metastatic NSCLC with EGFR ex19del or L858R substitution mutations after disease progression on or after osimertinib.1 Results showed RYBREVANT® plus chemotherapy reduced the risk of disease progression or death (progression-free survival [PFS]) by 52 percent vs. chemotherapy alone, the study’s primary endpoint.1 The median PFS for patients receiving RYBREVANT® plus chemotherapy was 6.3 months, compared to 4.2 months for chemotherapy alone.1 Additionally, RYBREVANT® plus chemotherapy showed a confirmed overall response rate (ORR) of 53 percent compared to 29 percent with chemotherapy alone.1

Amivantamab-vmjw (RYBREVANT®) in combination with chemotherapy is the only National Comprehensive Cancer Network® (NCCN®) Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology (NCCN Guidelines®) Category 1 treatment option for patients with EGFR-mutated NSCLC progressing on osimertinib who are symptomatic with multiple lesions.8 †‡

“This milestone reinforces RYBREVANT as an important treatment option for patients with EGFR-mutated NSCLC who continue to face high unmet needs after disease progression on or after TKI therapy,” said Kiran Patel, M.D., Vice President, Clinical Development, Solid Tumors, Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine. “Patients need and deserve effective, targeted approaches across all lines of therapy. With RYBREVANT-based regimens, we are bringing potential new standards of care to the nearly 30,000 patients diagnosed with EGFR-mutated NSCLC in the United States each year.”

The safety profile of RYBREVANT® in combination with chemotherapy was consistent with the established profiles of the individual treatments. Permanent discontinuation of RYBREVANT® due to adverse reactions occurred in 11 percent of patients.1

MARIPOSA-2 Publications & Presentations
Results from MARIPOSA-2 were first presented in a Presidential Symposium at the European Society of Medical Oncology (ESMO) 2023 Congress (Abstract #LBA15) and simultaneously published in the Annals of Oncology.9

Regulatory Milestones
This approval marks the third new indication for RYBREVANT® this year, following the August 20, 2024, U.S. FDA approval announcement of RYBREVANT® in combination with LAZCLUZE™ (lazertinib) for the first-line treatment of adult patients with locally advanced or metastatic NSCLC with EGFR exon 19 deletions or L858R substitution mutations, based on the Phase 3 MARIPOSA study, and the March 1, 2024, U.S. FDA approval announcement of RYBREVANT® in combination with chemotherapy (carboplatin-pemetrexed) for the first-line treatment of patients with locally advanced or metastatic NSCLC with EGFR exon 20 insertion mutations, based on the Phase 3 PAPILLON study.1

On June 17, 2024, Johnson & Johnson also announced the submission of a Biologics License Application to the U.S. FDA for a fixed combination of amivantamab and recombinant human hyaluronidase for subcutaneous administration (SC amivantamab) for all currently approved or submitted indications of intravenous (IV) RYBREVANT®. This application is based on the Phase 3 PALOMA-3 study, with preliminary results which showed a five-fold reduction in infusion-related reactions (IRR) with a five-minute administration of SC amivantamab.10 Longer overall survival (OS), PFS and duration of response (DOR) were also observed with SC amivantamab.10 On August 14, 2024, the U.S. FDA designated this application for Priority Review.

About the MARIPOSA-2 Study

MARIPOSA-2 (NCT04988295), which enrolled 657 patients, is a randomized, open-label Phase 3 study evaluating the efficacy and safety of two combination regimens of RYBREVANT® (with and without LAZCLUZE™) and chemotherapy.11 Patients with locally advanced or metastatic EGFR ex19del or L858R substitution NSCLC who had disease progression on or after treatment with osimertinib were randomized to treatment with RYBREVANT® plus chemotherapy, RYBREVANT® plus chemotherapy with LAZCLUZE™ or chemotherapy alone.11 The dual primary endpoint was used to compare the PFS (using RECIST v1.1 guidelines§) as assessed by blinded independent central review (BICR) for each experimental arm to chemotherapy alone.11 Secondary endpoints included objective response as assessed by BICR, OS, DOR, time to subsequent therapy, PFS2 and intracranial PFS.11

About RYBREVANT®

RYBREVANT® (amivantamab-vmjw), a fully-human bispecific antibody targeting EGFR and MET with immune cell-directing activity, is approved in the U.S.Europe, and in other markets around the world as monotherapy for the treatment of adult patients with locally advanced or metastatic NSCLC with EGFR exon 20 insertion mutations, as detected by an FDA-approved test, whose disease has progressed on or after platinum-based chemotherapy.1 In the subcutaneous formulation, amivantamab is co-formulated with recombinant human hyaluronidase PH20 (rHuPH20), Halozyme’s ENHANZE® drug delivery technology.

RYBREVANT® is approved in the U.S.,Europe, and in other markets around the world in combination with chemotherapy (carboplatin and pemetrexed) for the first-line treatment of adult patients with locally advanced or metastatic NSCLC with EGFR exon 20 insertion mutations, as detected by an FDA-approved test.

RYBREVANT® is approved in the U.S. in combination with LAZCLUZE™ (lazertinib) for the first-line treatment of adult patients with locally advanced or metastatic NSCLC with EGFR exon 19 deletions or L858R substitution mutations, as detected by an FDA-approved test. A marketing authorization application (MAA) and type II extension of indication application were submitted to the EMA seeking approval of LAZCLUZE™ in combination with RYBREVANT® based on the MARIPOSA study.

In November 2023, Johnson & Johnson submitted a supplemental Biologics License Application (sBLA) to the U.S. FDA for RYBREVANT® in combination with chemotherapy for the treatment of patients with EGFR-mutated NSCLC who progressed on or after osimertinib based on the MARIPOSA-2 study. This indication was approved in Europe in August 2024.

In June 2024, Johnson & Johnson submitted a BLA to the U.S. FDA for the subcutaneous formulation of RYBREVANT® in combination with LAZCLUZE™ for all currently approved or submitted indications of IV RYBREVANT® in certain patients with NSCLC. In August 2024, the U.S. FDA designated this application for Priority Review. 

The NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology (NCCN Guidelines®) for NSCLC prefer next-generation sequencing–based strategies over polymerase chain reaction–based approaches for the detection of EGFR exon 20 insertion variants. The NCCN Guidelines include:

  • Amivantamab-vmjw (RYBREVANT®) plus lazertinib (LAZCLUZE™) as a Category 1 recommendation for first-line therapy in patients with locally advanced or metastatic NSCLC with EGFR exon 19 deletions or exon 21 L858R mutations.8 †‡ 
  • Amivantamab-vmjw (RYBREVANT®) plus chemotherapy as a Category 1 recommendation for patients with locally advanced or metastatic NSCLC with EGFR exon 19 deletions or exon 21 L858R mutations who experienced disease progression after treatment with osimertinib.8 †‡
  • Amivantamab-vmjw (RYBREVANT®) plus carboplatin and pemetrexed as a Category 1 recommendation for first-line therapy in treatment-naive patients with newly diagnosed advanced or metastatic EGFR exon 20 insertion mutation-positive advanced NSCLC, or as a Category 2A recommendation for patients that have progressed on or after platinum-based chemotherapy with or without immunotherapy and have EGFR exon 20 insertion mutation-positive advanced NSCLC.8 †‡
  • Amivantamab-vmjw (RYBREVANT®) as a Category 2A recommendation for patients that have progressed on or after platinum-based chemotherapy with or without an immunotherapy and have EGFR exon 20 insertion mutation-positive NSCLC.8 †‡

In addition to MARIPOSA-2, RYBREVANT® is being studied in multiple clinical trials in NSCLC, including:

  • The Phase 3 MARIPOSA (NCT04487080) study assessing RYBREVANT® in combination with LAZCLUZE™ versus osimertinib and versus LAZCLUZE™ alone in the first-line treatment of patients with locally advanced or metastatic NSCLC with EGFR ex19del or substitution mutations.12
  • The Phase 3 PAPILLON (NCT04538664) study assessing RYBREVANT® in combination with carboplatin-pemetrexed versus chemotherapy alone in the first-line treatment of patients with advanced or metastatic NSCLC with EGFR exon 20 insertion mutations.13
  • The Phase 3 PALOMA-3 (NCT05388669) study assessing LAZCLUZE™ with subcutaneous amivantamab compared to intravenous amivantamab in patients with EGFR-mutated advanced or metastatic NSCLC.10
  • The Phase 1 CHRYSALIS (NCT02609776) study evaluating RYBREVANT® in patients with advanced NSCLC.14
  • The Phase 1/1b CHRYSALIS-2 (NCT04077463) study evaluating RYBREVANT® in combination with LAZCLUZE™ and LAZCLUZE™ as a monotherapy in patients with advanced NSCLC with EGFR mutations.15
  • The Phase 1 PALOMA (NCT04606381) study assessing the feasibility of subcutaneous administration of amivantamab based on safety and pharmacokinetics and to determine a dose, dose regimen and formulation for amivantamab subcutaneous delivery.16
  • The Phase 2 PALOMA-2 (NCT05498428) study assessing subcutaneous amivantamab in patients with advanced or metastatic solid tumors including EGFR-mutated NSCLC.17
  • The Phase 1/2 METalmark (NCT05488314) study assessing RYBREVANT® and capmatinib combination therapy in locally advanced or metastatic NSCLC.18
  • The Phase 1/2 PolyDamas (NCT05908734) study assessing RYBREVANT® and cetrelimab combination therapy in locally advanced or metastatic NSCLC.19
  • The Phase 2 SKIPPirr study (NCT05663866) exploring how to decrease the incidence and/or severity of first-dose infusion-related reactions with RYBREVANT® in combination with LAZCLUZE™ in relapsed or refractory EGFR-mutated advanced or metastatic NSCLC.20

For more information, visit: https://www.RYBREVANT.com.

Access to RYBREVANT®

J&J offers comprehensive access and support information and resources to assist patients in gaining access to RYBREVANT®. Our patient support program, J&J withMe, is available to provide personalized support to help patients start and stay on their J&J medicines. J&J withMe offers providers help supporting their patients by verifying patients’ insurance coverage, providing information on Prior Authorization and Appeals processes and educating on reimbursement processes. Patients can connect to RYBREVANT withMe to receive cost support, regardless of insurance type, free, personalized one-on-one support from a Care Navigator, and resources and community connections. Learn more at RYBREVANTwithMe.com or by calling 833-JNJ-wMe1 (833-565-9631).

About Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC)

Worldwide, lung cancer is one of the most common cancers, with NSCLC making up 80 to 85 percent of all lung cancer cases.21,22 The main subtypes of NSCLC are adenocarcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma and large cell carcinoma.23 Among the most common driver mutations in NSCLC are alterations in EGFR, which is a receptor tyrosine kinase controlling cell growth and division.24 EGFR mutations are present in 10 to 15 percent of Western patients with NSCLC with adenocarcinoma histology and occur in 40 to 50 percent of Asian patients.23,24,25,26,27,28 EGFR ex19del or EGFR L858R mutations are the most common EGFR mutations.29 The five-year survival rate for all people with advanced NSCLC and EGFR mutations treated with EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) is less than 20 percent.2,3 EGFR exon 20 insertion mutations are the third most prevalent activating EGFR mutation.30 Patients with EGFR exon 20 insertion mutations have a real-world five-year OS of eight percent in the frontline setting, which is worse than patients with EGFR ex19del or L858R mutations, who have a real-world five-year OS of 19 percent.31

Please read full Prescribing Information for RYBREVANT®.

Please read full Prescribing Information for LAZCLUZE™.

About Johnson & Johnson

At Johnson & Johnson, we believe health is everything. Our strength in healthcare innovation empowers us to build a world where complex diseases are prevented, treated, and cured, where treatments are smarter and less invasive, and solutions are personal. Through our expertise in Innovative Medicine and MedTech, we are uniquely positioned to innovate across the full spectrum of healthcare solutions today to deliver the breakthroughs of tomorrow, and profoundly impact health for humanity. Learn more at https://www.jnj.com/ or at www.janssen.com/johnson-johnson-innovative-medicine. Follow us at @JanssenUS and @JNJInnovMed. Janssen Research & Development, LLC, and Janssen Biotech, Inc., are Johnson & Johnson companies. 

* Dr. Martin Dietrich has provided consulting, advisory, and speaking services to Johnson & Johnson; he has not been paid for any media work. 

** Andrea Ferris has not been paid for any media work.

See the NCCN Guidelines for detailed recommendations, including other treatment options.

The NCCN Guidelines for NSCLC provide recommendations for certain individual biomarkers that should be tested and recommend testing techniques but do not endorse any specific commercially available biomarker assays or commercial laboratories.

§ RECIST (v1.1) refers to Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors, which is a standard way to measure how well solid tumors respond to treatment and is based on whether tumors shrink, stay the same or get bigger.

The NCCN content does not constitute medical advice and should not be used in place of seeking professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment by licensed practitioners. NCCN makes no warranties of any kind whatsoever regarding their content, use or application and disclaims any responsibility for their application or use in any way.

The patient support and resources provided by J&J withMe are not intended to provide medical advice, replace a treatment plan from the patient’s doctor or nurse, provide case management services, or serve as a reason to prescribe a J&J medicine.

1 RYBREVANT® Prescribing Information. Horsham, PA: Janssen Biotech, Inc.
2 Howlader N, et al. SEER Cancer Statistics Review, 1975-2016, National Cancer Institute. Bethesda, MD. https://seer.cancer.gov/csr/1975_2016/, based on November 2018 SEER data submission, posted to the SEER web site.
3 Lin JJ, et al. Five-Year Survival in EGFR-Mutant Metastatic Lung Adenocarcinoma Treated with EGFR-TKIs. J Thorac Oncol. 2016 Apr;11(4):556-65.
4 Koulouris A, et al. Resistance to TKIs in EGFR-mutated non-small cell lung cancer: from mechanisms to new therapeutic strategies. Cancers (Basel). 2022 Jul 8;14(14):3337. doi: 10.3390/cancers14143337. PMID: 35884398; PMCID: PMC9320011.
5 Aredo JV, et al. Afatinib after progression on osimertinib in EGFR-mutated non-small cell lung cancer. Cancer Treat Res Commun. 2022;30:100497. doi: 10.1016/j.ctarc.2021.100497.
6 Mok TSK, et al. Nivolumab (NIVO) + chemotherapy (chemo) vs chemo in patients (pts) with EGFR-mutated metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (mNSCLC) with disease progression after EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) in CheckMate 722. Abstract. Ann Oncol. 2022;33(9):S1561-S1562.
7 Yang JCH, et al. Pemetrexed and platinum with or without pembrolizumab for tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI)-resistant, EGFR-mutant, metastatic nonsquamous NSCLC: Phase 3 KEYNOTE-789 study. Abstract. J Clin Oncol. 2023.41(17): doi:10.1200/JCO.2023.41.17_suppl.LBA9000.
8 Referenced with permission from the NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology (NCCN Guidelines®) for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer V.9.2024. © National Comprehensive Cancer Network, Inc. All rights reserved. To view the most recent and complete version of the guideline, go online to NCCN.org. Accessed September 2024.
9 Passaro P, et al. Amivantamab Plus Chemotherapy (With or Without Lazertinib) vs Chemotherapy Alone in EGFR-mutated, Advanced Non-small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) After Progression on Osimertinib: MARIPOSA-2, a Phase 3, Global, Randomized, Controlled Trial. 2023 European Society for Medical Oncology. October 23, 2023.
10 ClinicalTrials.gov. A Study of Lazertinib With Subcutaneous Amivantamab Compared With Intravenous Amivantamab in Participants With Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR)-Mutated Advanced or Metastatic Non-small Cell Lung Cancer (PALOMA-3). https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05388669. Accessed June 2024.
11 ClinicalTrials.gov. A Study of Amivantamab and Lazertinib in Combination With Platinum-Based Chemotherapy Compared With Platinum-Based Chemotherapy in Patients With Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR)-Mutated Locally Advanced or Metastatic Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer After Osimertinib Failure (MARIPOSA-2). https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04988295. Accessed June 2024.
12 ClinicalTrials.gov. A Study of Amivantamab and Lazertinib Combination Therapy Versus Osimertinib in Locally Advanced or Metastatic Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (MARIPOSA). https://classic.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04487080. Accessed June 2024.
13 ClinicalTrials.gov. A Study of Combination Amivantamab and Carboplatin-Pemetrexed Therapy, Compared With Carboplatin-Pemetrexed, in Participants With Advanced or Metastatic Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Characterized by Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) Exon 20 Insertions (PAPILLON). https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04538664. Accessed June 2024.
14 ClinicalTrials.gov. A Study of Amivantamab, a Human Bispecific EGFR and cMet Antibody, in Participants With Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (CHRYSALIS). https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02609776. Accessed June 2024.
15 ClinicalTrials.gov. A Study of Lazertinib as Monotherapy or in Combination With Amivantamab in Participants With Advanced Non-small Cell Lung Cancer (CHRYSALIS-2). https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04077463. Accessed June 2024.
16 ClinicalTrials.gov. A Study of Amivantamab Subcutaneous (SC) Administration for the Treatment of Advanced Solid Malignancies (PALOMA). https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT04606381. Accessed June 2024.
17 ClinicalTrials.gov. A Study of Amivantamab in Participants With Advanced or Metastatic Solid Tumors Including Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR)-Mutated Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (PALOMA-2). https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05498428. Accessed June 2024.
18 ClinicalTrials.gov. A Study of Amivantamab and Capmatinib Combination Therapy in Unresectable Metastatic Non-small Cell Lung Cancer (METalmark). https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05488314. Accessed June 2024.
19 ClinicalTrials.gov. A Study of Combination Therapy With Amivantamab and Cetrelimab in Participants With Metastatic Non-small Cell Lung Cancer (PolyDamas). https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05908734?term=polydamas&rank=1. Accessed June 2024.
20 ClinicalTrials.gov. Premedication to Reduce Amivantamab-Associated Infusion-Related Reactions (SKIPPirr). https://classic.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05663866. Accessed June 2024.
21 The World Health Organization. Cancer. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/cancer. Accessed June 2024.
22 American Cancer Society. What is Lung Cancer? https://www.cancer.org/content/cancer/en/cancer/lung-cancer/about/what-is.html. Accessed June 2024.
23 Oxnard JR, et al. Natural history and molecular characteristics of lung cancers harboring EGFR exon 20 insertions. J Thorac Oncol. 2013 Feb;8(2):179-84. doi: 10.1097/JTO.0b013e3182779d18.
24 Bauml JM, et al. Underdiagnosis of EGFR Exon 20 Insertion Mutation Variants: Estimates from NGS-based Real World Datasets. Abstract presented at: World Conference on Lung Cancer Annual Meeting. January 29, 2021; Singapore.
25 Pennell NA, et al. A phase II trial of adjuvant erlotinib in patients with resected epidermal growth factor receptor-mutant non-small cell lung cancer. J Clin Oncol. 37:97-104.
26 Burnett H, et al. Epidemiological and clinical burden of EGFR exon 20 insertion in advanced non-small cell lung cancer: a systematic literature review. Abstract presented at: World Conference on Lung Cancer Annual Meeting. January 29, 2021; Singapore.
27 Zhang YL, et al. The prevalence of EGFR mutation in patients with non-small cell lung cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Oncotarget. 2016;7(48):78985-78993.
28 Midha A, et al. EGFR mutation incidence in non-small-cell lung cancer of adenocarcinoma histology: a systematic review and global map by ethnicity. Am J Cancer Res. 2015;5(9):2892-2911.
29 American Lung Association. EGFR and Lung Cancer. https://www.lung.org/lung-health-diseases/lung-disease-lookup/lung-cancer/symptoms-diagnosis/biomarker-testing/egfr. Accessed June 2024.
30 Arcila M, et al. EGFR exon 20 insertion mutations in lung adenocarcinomas: prevalence, molecular heterogeneity, and clinicopathologic characteristics. Mol Cancer Ther. 2013 Feb; 12(2):220-9.
31 Girard N, et al. Comparative clinical outcomes for patients with NSCLC harboring EGFR exon 20 insertion mutations and common EGFR mutations. Abstract presented at: World Conference on Lung Cancer Annual Meeting. January 29, 2021; Singapore.
32 LAZCLUZE™ Prescribing Information. Horsham, PA: Janssen Biotech, Inc.

SOURCE: Johnson & Johnson