BOTHELL, WA, USA I February 18, 2015 I Seattle Genetics, Inc. (Nasdaq: SGEN) announced today that it has submitted a supplemental Biologics License Application (BLA) to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) based on data from the phase 3 AETHERA trial of ADCETRIS (brentuximab vedotin) as consolidation therapy immediately following an autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT) in Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) patients at high risk of relapse. ADCETRIS is an antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) directed to CD30, which is expressed in classical HL and systemic anaplastic large cell lymphoma (sALCL). ADCETRIS is approved in relapsed HL and sALCL but is currently not approved for consolidation therapy in HL patients immediately after ASCT.
“With approximately half of all Hodgkin lymphoma patients who undergo an autologous stem cell transplant experiencing disease relapse, there is a significant need to identify regimens that extend progression-free survival,” said Clay B. Siegall, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of Seattle Genetics. “Results from the AETHERA trial demonstrated that treating high risk Hodgkin lymphoma patients with ADCETRIS in following autologous stem cell transplant resulted in a statistically significant improvement in progression-free survival with a manageable safety profile. We believe that this is clinically meaningful and supports a label expansion for ADCETRIS in this setting.”
The supplemental BLA is based on positive results from a phase 3 clinical trial called AETHERA that were presented at the 56th American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting in December 2014. Results from the AETHERA trial in 329 HL patients at high risk of relapse included:
- The trial achieved its primary endpoint and demonstrated a significant increase in progression-free survival (PFS) per independent review facility, with a hazard ratio of 0.57 and a p-value of 0.001. Median PFS was 43 months for patients who received ADCETRIS versus 24 months for patients who received placebo. The two-year PFS rate was 63 percent in the ADCETRIS arm compared to 51 percent in the placebo arm.
- The PFS benefit was consistent across all pre-specified subgroups, including primary refractory patients, patients who relapsed within twelve months of frontline therapy and patients who relapsed after twelve months with extranodal disease.
- The most common adverse events in the ADCETRIS arm were peripheral sensory neuropathy (56 percent), neutropenia (35 percent), upper respiratory tract infection (26 percent), fatigue (24 percent) and peripheral motor neuropathy (23 percent). The most common adverse events in the placebo arm were upper respiratory tract infection (23 percent), fatigue (18 percent), peripheral sensory neuropathy (16 percent), cough (16 percent) and neutropenia (12 percent). Eighty-five percent of patients with peripheral neuropathy on the ADCETRIS arm had resolution or improvement in symptoms with a median time to improvement of 23.4 weeks.
Submission of safety data from the AETHERA trial to the FDA is a post-marketing requirement that Seattle Genetics will fulfill with this submission of the supplemental BLA.
About ADCETRIS
ADCETRIS (brentuximab vedotin) is an ADC comprising an anti-CD30 monoclonal antibody attached by a protease-cleavable linker to a microtubule disrupting agent, monomethyl auristatin E (MMAE), utilizing Seattle Genetics’ proprietary technology. The ADC employs a linker system that is designed to be stable in the bloodstream but to release MMAE upon internalization into CD30-expressing tumor cells.
ADCETRIS for intravenous injection received accelerated approval from the FDA and approval with conditions from Health Canada for two indications: (1) the treatment of patients with HL after failure of ASCT or after failure of at least two prior multi-agent chemotherapy regimens in patients who are not ASCT candidates, and (2) the treatment of patients with sALCL after failure of at least one prior multi-agent chemotherapy regimen. The indications for ADCETRIS are approved under accelerated approval based on overall response rate. An improvement in patient-reported outcomes or survival has not been established. Continued approval for these indications may be contingent upon verification and description of clinical benefit in confirmatory trials.
ADCETRIS was granted conditional marketing authorization by the European Commission in October 2012 for two indications: (1) for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed or refractory CD30-positive HL following ASCT, or following at least two prior therapies when ASCT or multi-agent chemotherapy is not a treatment option, and (2) the treatment of adult patients with relapsed or refractory sALCL. ADCETRIS has received marketing authorization by regulatory authorities in 50 countries. See important safety information below.
Seattle Genetics and Takeda are jointly developing ADCETRIS. Under the terms of the collaboration agreement, Seattle Genetics has U.S. and Canadian commercialization rights and Takeda has rights to commercialize ADCETRIS in the rest of the world. Seattle Genetics and Takeda are funding joint development costs for ADCETRIS on a 50:50 basis, except in Japan where Takeda will be solely responsible for development costs.
About Hodgkin Lymphoma
Lymphoma is a general term for a group of cancers that originate in the lymphatic system. There are two major categories of lymphoma: HL and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. HL is distinguished from other types of lymphoma by the presence of one characteristic type of cell, known as the Reed-Sternberg cell. The Reed-Sternberg cell generally expresses CD30.
According to the American Cancer Society, approximately 9,050 cases of HL will be diagnosed in the United States during 2015 and more than 1,150 will die from the disease. Globally, there are more than 62,000 cases of HL diagnosed each year. Although frontline combination chemotherapy can result in durable response rates, up to 30 percent of these patients relapse or are refractory to frontline treatment and have few therapeutic options beyond ASCT.
About Seattle Genetics
Seattle Genetics is a biotechnology company focused on the development and commercialization of innovative antibody-based therapies for the treatment of cancer. Seattle Genetics is leading the field in developing antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), a technology designed to harness the targeting ability of antibodies to deliver cell-killing agents directly to cancer cells. The company’s lead product, ADCETRIS® (brentuximab vedotin) is an ADC that, in collaboration with Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited, has been approved for two indications in 50 countries, including the U.S., Canada, Japan and members of the European Union. Additionally, ADCETRIS is being evaluated broadly in more than 30 ongoing clinical trials. Seattle Genetics is also advancing a robust pipeline of clinical-stage programs, including SGN-CD19A, SGN-CD33A, SGN-LIV1A, ASG-22ME, ASG-15ME and SEA-CD40. Seattle Genetics has collaborations for its ADC technology with a number of leading biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies, including AbbVie, Agensys (an affiliate of Astellas), Bayer, Genentech, GlaxoSmithKline and Pfizer. More information can be found at www.seattlegenetics.com.
SOURCE: Seattle Genetics
Post Views: 271
BOTHELL, WA, USA I February 18, 2015 I Seattle Genetics, Inc. (Nasdaq: SGEN) announced today that it has submitted a supplemental Biologics License Application (BLA) to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) based on data from the phase 3 AETHERA trial of ADCETRIS (brentuximab vedotin) as consolidation therapy immediately following an autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT) in Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) patients at high risk of relapse. ADCETRIS is an antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) directed to CD30, which is expressed in classical HL and systemic anaplastic large cell lymphoma (sALCL). ADCETRIS is approved in relapsed HL and sALCL but is currently not approved for consolidation therapy in HL patients immediately after ASCT.
“With approximately half of all Hodgkin lymphoma patients who undergo an autologous stem cell transplant experiencing disease relapse, there is a significant need to identify regimens that extend progression-free survival,” said Clay B. Siegall, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of Seattle Genetics. “Results from the AETHERA trial demonstrated that treating high risk Hodgkin lymphoma patients with ADCETRIS in following autologous stem cell transplant resulted in a statistically significant improvement in progression-free survival with a manageable safety profile. We believe that this is clinically meaningful and supports a label expansion for ADCETRIS in this setting.”
The supplemental BLA is based on positive results from a phase 3 clinical trial called AETHERA that were presented at the 56th American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting in December 2014. Results from the AETHERA trial in 329 HL patients at high risk of relapse included:
- The trial achieved its primary endpoint and demonstrated a significant increase in progression-free survival (PFS) per independent review facility, with a hazard ratio of 0.57 and a p-value of 0.001. Median PFS was 43 months for patients who received ADCETRIS versus 24 months for patients who received placebo. The two-year PFS rate was 63 percent in the ADCETRIS arm compared to 51 percent in the placebo arm.
- The PFS benefit was consistent across all pre-specified subgroups, including primary refractory patients, patients who relapsed within twelve months of frontline therapy and patients who relapsed after twelve months with extranodal disease.
- The most common adverse events in the ADCETRIS arm were peripheral sensory neuropathy (56 percent), neutropenia (35 percent), upper respiratory tract infection (26 percent), fatigue (24 percent) and peripheral motor neuropathy (23 percent). The most common adverse events in the placebo arm were upper respiratory tract infection (23 percent), fatigue (18 percent), peripheral sensory neuropathy (16 percent), cough (16 percent) and neutropenia (12 percent). Eighty-five percent of patients with peripheral neuropathy on the ADCETRIS arm had resolution or improvement in symptoms with a median time to improvement of 23.4 weeks.
Submission of safety data from the AETHERA trial to the FDA is a post-marketing requirement that Seattle Genetics will fulfill with this submission of the supplemental BLA.
About ADCETRIS
ADCETRIS (brentuximab vedotin) is an ADC comprising an anti-CD30 monoclonal antibody attached by a protease-cleavable linker to a microtubule disrupting agent, monomethyl auristatin E (MMAE), utilizing Seattle Genetics’ proprietary technology. The ADC employs a linker system that is designed to be stable in the bloodstream but to release MMAE upon internalization into CD30-expressing tumor cells.
ADCETRIS for intravenous injection received accelerated approval from the FDA and approval with conditions from Health Canada for two indications: (1) the treatment of patients with HL after failure of ASCT or after failure of at least two prior multi-agent chemotherapy regimens in patients who are not ASCT candidates, and (2) the treatment of patients with sALCL after failure of at least one prior multi-agent chemotherapy regimen. The indications for ADCETRIS are approved under accelerated approval based on overall response rate. An improvement in patient-reported outcomes or survival has not been established. Continued approval for these indications may be contingent upon verification and description of clinical benefit in confirmatory trials.
ADCETRIS was granted conditional marketing authorization by the European Commission in October 2012 for two indications: (1) for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed or refractory CD30-positive HL following ASCT, or following at least two prior therapies when ASCT or multi-agent chemotherapy is not a treatment option, and (2) the treatment of adult patients with relapsed or refractory sALCL. ADCETRIS has received marketing authorization by regulatory authorities in 50 countries. See important safety information below.
Seattle Genetics and Takeda are jointly developing ADCETRIS. Under the terms of the collaboration agreement, Seattle Genetics has U.S. and Canadian commercialization rights and Takeda has rights to commercialize ADCETRIS in the rest of the world. Seattle Genetics and Takeda are funding joint development costs for ADCETRIS on a 50:50 basis, except in Japan where Takeda will be solely responsible for development costs.
About Hodgkin Lymphoma
Lymphoma is a general term for a group of cancers that originate in the lymphatic system. There are two major categories of lymphoma: HL and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. HL is distinguished from other types of lymphoma by the presence of one characteristic type of cell, known as the Reed-Sternberg cell. The Reed-Sternberg cell generally expresses CD30.
According to the American Cancer Society, approximately 9,050 cases of HL will be diagnosed in the United States during 2015 and more than 1,150 will die from the disease. Globally, there are more than 62,000 cases of HL diagnosed each year. Although frontline combination chemotherapy can result in durable response rates, up to 30 percent of these patients relapse or are refractory to frontline treatment and have few therapeutic options beyond ASCT.
About Seattle Genetics
Seattle Genetics is a biotechnology company focused on the development and commercialization of innovative antibody-based therapies for the treatment of cancer. Seattle Genetics is leading the field in developing antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), a technology designed to harness the targeting ability of antibodies to deliver cell-killing agents directly to cancer cells. The company’s lead product, ADCETRIS® (brentuximab vedotin) is an ADC that, in collaboration with Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited, has been approved for two indications in 50 countries, including the U.S., Canada, Japan and members of the European Union. Additionally, ADCETRIS is being evaluated broadly in more than 30 ongoing clinical trials. Seattle Genetics is also advancing a robust pipeline of clinical-stage programs, including SGN-CD19A, SGN-CD33A, SGN-LIV1A, ASG-22ME, ASG-15ME and SEA-CD40. Seattle Genetics has collaborations for its ADC technology with a number of leading biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies, including AbbVie, Agensys (an affiliate of Astellas), Bayer, Genentech, GlaxoSmithKline and Pfizer. More information can be found at www.seattlegenetics.com.
SOURCE: Seattle Genetics
Post Views: 271
