– Clinical trial will also explore single-agent activity of cabozantinib in the first-line setting –

ALAMEDA, CA, USA & PARIS, France I December 05, 2018 I Exelixis, Inc. (Nasdaq: EXEL) and Ipsen (Euronext:IPN; ADR:IPSEY) today announced the initiation of COSMIC-312, a phase 3 pivotal trial of cabozantinib (CABOMETYX®) in combination with atezolizumab (TECENTRIQ®) versus sorafenib in previously untreated advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The co-primary endpoints of the trial are progression-free survival and overall survival. An exploratory arm will also evaluate cabozantinib monotherapy in this first-line setting.

“Liver cancer is the fastest-rising cause of cancer-related death in the U.S., underscoring the need for new treatment options for this patient community,” said Gisela Schwab, M.D., President, Product Development and Medical Affairs and Chief Medical Officer, Exelixis. “Based on past evidence of potential synergistic effects with cabozantinib and immune checkpoint inhibitors, the combination offers promise for patients with advanced liver cancer who have not received prior treatment.”

COSMIC-312 is a multicenter, randomized, controlled phase 3 pivotal trial that aims to enroll approximately 640 patients at up to 200 sites globally. Patients will be randomized 6:3:1 to one of three arms: cabozantinib (40 mg) and atezolizumab, sorafenib, or cabozantinib (60 mg).

Exelixis is sponsoring COSMIC-312, and Ipsen will co-fund the trial. Ipsen will have access to the results to support potential future regulatory submissions outside of the U.S. and Japan. Genentech, a member of the Roche Group, is providing atezolizumab for use in this trial.

“With more than 800,000 new diagnoses of liver cancer worldwide each year and a poor prognosis for patients with advanced disease, there is an urgent need to identify new treatment options,” said R. Kate Kelley, M.D., Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine, Division of Hematology/Oncology, University of California, San Francisco, and lead investigator on COSMIC-312. “We look forward to learning whether the combination of cabozantinib and atezolizumab may improve outcomes for previously untreated patients.”

More information about this trial is available at ClinicalTrials.gov.

About HCC

Liver cancer is the second-leading cause of cancer death worldwide, accounting for more than 700,000 deaths and 800,000 new cases each year.1 In the U.S., the incidence of liver cancer has more than tripled since 1980.2 HCC is the most common form of liver cancer, making up about three-fourths of the estimated nearly 42,000 new cases in the U.S. in 2018.2 HCC is the fastest-rising cause of cancer-related death in U.S.3 According to the GLOBOCAN data, it is estimated that across the European Union (EU-28) nearly 60,000 new patients will be diagnosed with liver cancer in 2020.4 Without treatment, patients with advanced HCC usually survive less than 6 months.5

About CABOMETYX® (cabozantinib)

CABOMETYX tablets are approved in the United States for the treatment of patients with advanced RCC. On May 29, 2018, Exelixis announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration accepted for filing the supplemental New Drug Application for CABOMETYX for previously treated advanced HCC and assigned a Prescription Drug User Fee Act action date of January 14, 2019. In March 2017, the FDA granted orphan drug designation to cabozantinib for the treatment of advanced HCC.

CABOMETYX tablets are also approved in: the European Union, Norway, Iceland, Australia, Switzerland, South Korea, Canada, Brazil and Taiwan for the treatment of advanced RCC in adults who have received prior VEGF-targeted therapy; in the European Union for previously untreated intermediate- or poor-risk advanced RCC; in Canada for adult patients with advanced RCC who have received prior VEGF targeted therapy; and in the European Union, Norway and Iceland for HCC in adults who have previously been treated with sorafenib.

CABOMETYX is not indicated for previously untreated advanced HCC.

About Exelixis’ Collaboration with Ipsen

On February 29, 2016, Exelixis and Ipsen jointly announced an exclusive licensing agreement for the commercialization and further development of cabozantinib indications outside of the United States, Canada and Japan. On December 21, 2016, this agreement was amended to include commercialization rights for Ipsen in Canada. Ipsen has opted to participate in this phase 3 trial in first-line advanced HCC and will have access to the results to support potential future regulatory submissions. They may also participate in future studies at their choosing.

About Exelixis’ Collaboration with Takeda

On January 30, 2017, Exelixis and Takeda jointly announced an exclusive licensing agreement for the commercialization and further development of cabozantinib indications in Japan. Under the parties’ collaboration agreement, if Takeda opts to participate in funding this phase 3 trial, or future studies, Takeda will have access to the respective study results to support potential future regulatory submissions in their territory.

Exelixis holds the exclusive rights to develop and commercialize cabozantinib in the United States.

About Exelixis

Founded in 1994, Exelixis, Inc. (Nasdaq: EXEL) is a commercially successful, oncology-focused biotechnology company that strives to accelerate the discovery, development and commercialization of new medicines for difficult-to-treat cancers. Following early work in model genetic systems, we established a broad drug discovery and development platform that has served as the foundation for our continued efforts to bring new cancer therapies to patients in need. We discovered our three commercially available products, CABOMETYX® (cabozantinib), COMETRIQ® (cabozantinib) and COTELLIC® (cobimetinib), and have entered into partnerships with leading pharmaceutical companies to bring these important medicines to patients worldwide. Supported by revenues from our marketed products and collaborations, we are committed to prudently reinvesting in our business to maximize the potential of our pipeline. We are supplementing our existing therapeutic assets with targeted business development activities and internal drug discovery – all to deliver the next generation of Exelixis medicines and help patients recover stronger and live longer. Exelixis is a member of Standard & Poor’s (S&P) MidCap 400 index, which measures the performance of profitable mid-sized companies. For more information about Exelixis, please visit www.exelixis.com, follow @ExelixisInc on Twitter or like Exelixis, Inc. on Facebook.

About Ipsen

Ipsen is a global biopharmaceutical group focused on innovation and specialty care. The group develops and commercializes innovative medicines in three key therapeutic areas – Oncology, Neuroscience and Rare Diseases. Its commitment to Oncology is exemplified through its growing portfolio of key therapies for prostate cancer, neuroendocrine tumors, renal cell carcinoma and pancreatic cancer. Ipsen also has a well-established Consumer Healthcare business. With total sales over €1.9 billion in 2017, Ipsen sells more than 20 drugs in over 115 countries, with a direct commercial presence in more than 30 countries. Ipsen’s R&D is focused on its innovative and differentiated technological platforms located in the heart of the leading biotechnological and life sciences hubs (Paris-Saclay, France; Oxford, UK; Cambridge, US). The Group has about 5,400 employees worldwide. Ipsen is listed in Paris (Euronext: IPN) and in the United States through a Sponsored Level I American Depositary Receipt program (ADR: IPSEY). For more information on Ipsen, visit www.ipsen.com.

1 International Agency for Research on Cancer. GLOBOCAN 2018. Liver Fact Sheet. Available at: http://gco.iarc.fr/today/data/factsheets/cancers/11-Liver-fact-sheet.pdf. Accessed November 2018.
2 American Cancer Society: Cancer Facts and Figures 2018. Available at: https://www.cancer.org/content/dam/cancer-org/research/cancer-facts-and-statistics/annual-cancer-facts-and-figures/2018/cancer-facts-and-figures-2018.pdf. Accessed November 2018.
3 Mittal S, El-Serag HB. Epidemiology of HCC: Consider the Population. Journal of Clinical Gastroenterology. 2013. 47:S2-S6.
4 GLOBOCAN International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). Cancer Tomorrow. Accessed November 2018: http://globocan.iarc.fr/Pages/burden_sel.aspx
5 Weledji E, Orock G, Ngowe M, NsaghaD. How grim is hepatocellular carcinoma? Annals of Medicine and Surgery. 2014. 3:71-76.

SOURCE: Exelixis