– FDA approval based on CheckMate -9ER trial, in which the combination of CABOMETYX and OPDIVO significantly improved overall survival while doubling progression-free survival and objective response rate versus sunitinib as a first-line treatment for patients with advanced RCC –
– Exelixis prepared to fully support expanded indication immediately –
– Application approved prior to Prescription Drug User Fee Act action date of February 20, 2021 and reviewed under the Real-Time Oncology Review pilot program –
ALAMEDA, CA, USA I January 22, 2021 I Exelixis, Inc. (NASDAQ: EXEL) today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved CABOMETYX® (cabozantinib) for patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC) as a first-line treatment in combination with OPDIVO® (nivolumab). RCC is the most common form of kidney cancer, which is among the 10 most frequently diagnosed cancers in the U.S. annually.1
“This combination of cabozantinib and nivolumab significantly improved key efficacy measures compared to sunitinib – progression-free survival, overall survival and objective response rate – while showing a low rate of treatment discontinuations due to side effects. The therapeutic benefit demonstrated in CheckMate -9ER and quality of life measures explored emphasize the role of this combination for patients with advanced kidney cancer,” said Dr. Toni Choueiri, Director of the Lank Center for Genitourinary Oncology at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Jerome and Nancy Kohlberg Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. “With this important FDA approval, the combination is poised to become a standard in newly diagnosed metastatic kidney cancer.”
The approval is based on results from CheckMate -9ER, a phase 3 pivotal trial evaluating the combination of CABOMETYX and OPDIVO compared with sunitinib in previously untreated advanced or metastatic RCC. These results were presented during the European Society of Medical Oncology Virtual Congress 2020 in September. The FDA reviewed the application for CABOMETYX and OPDIVO under the Real-Time Oncology Review (RTOR) pilot program and Fast Track designation. The RTOR pilot program, which allows an applicant to pre-submit components of the application to allow the FDA to review clinical trial data before the complete filing is submitted, aims to explore a more efficient review process to ensure safe and effective treatments are available to patients sooner.
“As the only combination treatment regimen to double median progression-free survival and objective response rate compared with sunitinib while also significantly improving overall survival, we are excited that CABOMETYX in combination with OPDIVO is now available for the first-line treatment of patients with advanced kidney cancer,” said Michael M. Morrissey, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of Exelixis. “This approval is a meaningful milestone for this patient community and speaks to the broad potential of CABOMETYX as we continue to generate important clinical trial results supporting its use in combination with immune checkpoint inhibitors to benefit patients with other difficult-to-treat cancers. We would like to thank the clinical trial participants, the physicians and their staff who participated in the CheckMate -9ER trial and to acknowledge the team at the FDA for their collaboration during the review of our application.”
In CheckMate -9ER, the combination regimen significantly improved overall survival (OS) compared with sunitinib (HR= 0.60, 98.89% CI 0.40-0.89; p=0.001). Median OS has not yet been reached in either treatment arm. Median progression-free survival (PFS) was doubled at 16.6 months for CABOMETYX in combination with OPDIVO compared with 8.3 months for sunitinib (HR 0.51, 95% CI 0.41-0.64; p<0.0001). Objective response rate (ORR) was also doubled: 56% with CABOMETYX in combination with OPDIVO and 27% with sunitinib (p<0.0001). Consistent results for PFS were observed across subgroups of International Metastatic RCC Database Consortium risk status and PD-L1 tumor expression with CABOMETYX in combination with OPDIVO.
CABOMETYX in combination with OPDIVO was generally well tolerated and reflected the known safety profiles of the tyrosine kinase inhibitor and immunotherapy components in previously untreated advanced RCC. The most common adverse reactions reported in at least 20% of patients treated with CABOMETYX in combination with OPDIVO were diarrhea, fatigue, hepatotoxicity, palmar-plantar erythrodysesthesia, stomatitis, rash, hypertension, hypothyroidism, musculoskeletal pain, decreased appetite, nausea, dysgeusia, abdominal pain, cough and upper respiratory tract infection. The discontinuation rate due to all causality adverse events in the CABOMETYX in combination with OPDIVO arm was 20% for either CABOMETYX or OPDIVO (8% for CABOMETYX only, 7% for OPDIVO only and 6% for both CABOMETYX and OPDIVO due to the same adverse event at the same time).
“While significant progress has been made in the treatment landscape for advanced kidney cancer over the last several years, patients still need more therapeutic options to treat this disease as we search for a possible cure,” said Bryan Lewis, President and Co-founder of KidneyCAN. “As patients are living longer with advanced kidney cancer, focusing on the safety and effectiveness of new treatments has become even more important. The findings for the combination of CABOMETYX and OPDIVO in the CheckMate -9ER trial make the FDA approval of this combination a notable development for the patient community.”
Exelixis’ partner Ipsen Pharma SAS (Ipsen), which has exclusive rights to commercialize and develop CABOMETYX outside of the U.S. and Japan, and Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (BMS) each submitted type II variation applications for CABOMETYX in combination with OPDIVO to the European Medicines Agency (EMA). On September 12, 2020, the EMA validated the type II variations, confirming the submissions are complete and beginning the EMA’s centralized review process. On October 27, 2020 Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited (Takeda), Exelixis’ partner responsible for the clinical development and commercialization of CABOMETYX in Japan, and Ono Pharmaceuticals Co., Ltd., BMS’ development and commercialization partner in Japan, submitted a supplemental application to the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare for manufacturing and marketing approval of CABOMETYX in combination with OPDIVO for the treatment of patients with unresectable, advanced or metastatic RCC.
About CheckMate -9ER
CheckMate -9ER is an open-label, randomized (1:1), multi-national phase 3 trial evaluating patients with previously untreated advanced or metastatic renal cell carcinoma with a clear cell component. A total of 651 patients (22% favorable risk, 58% intermediate risk, 20% poor risk; 25% PD-L1 ≥1%) were randomized to CABOMETYX at a dose of 40 mg QD and OPDIVO (n = 323) versus sunitinib (n = 328). The primary endpoint is PFS. Secondary endpoints include OS and ORR. The primary efficacy analysis compares the doublet combination regimen of CABOMETYX and OPDIVO versus sunitinib in all randomized patients. The trial is sponsored by BMS and Ono Pharmaceutical Co. and co-funded by Exelixis, Ipsen and Takeda.
About RCC
The American Cancer Society’s 2021 statistics cite kidney cancer as among the top ten most commonly diagnosed forms of cancer among both men and women in the U.S.1 Clear cell RCC is the most common type of kidney cancer in adults.2 If detected in its early stages, the five-year survival rate for RCC is high; for patients with advanced or late-stage metastatic RCC, however, the five-year survival rate is only 13%.1 Approximately 32,000 patients in the U.S. and 71,000 worldwide will require systemic treatment for advanced kidney cancer in 2021.3
About 70% of RCC cases are known as “clear cell” carcinomas, based on histology.4 The majority of clear cell RCC tumors have below-normal levels of a protein called von Hippel-Lindau, which leads to higher levels of MET, AXL and VEGF.5,6 These proteins promote tumor angiogenesis (blood vessel growth), growth, invasiveness and metastasis.7,8,9,10 MET and AXL may provide escape pathways that drive resistance to VEGF receptor inhibitors.6,7
About CABOMETYX® (cabozantinib)
In the U.S., CABOMETYX tablets are approved for the treatment of patients with advanced RCC; for the treatment of patients with HCC who have been previously treated with sorafenib; and for patients with advanced RCC as a first-line treatment in combination with OPDIVO (nivolumab). CABOMETYX tablets have also received regulatory approvals in the European Union and additional countries and regions worldwide. In 2016, Exelixis granted Ipsen exclusive rights for the commercialization and further clinical development of cabozantinib outside of the United States and Japan. In 2017, Exelixis granted exclusive rights to Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited for the commercialization and further clinical development of cabozantinib for all future indications in Japan. Exelixis holds the exclusive rights to develop and commercialize cabozantinib in the United States.
Please see accompanying full Prescribing Information https://cabometyx.com/downloads/CABOMETYXUSPI.pdf.
You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.FDA.gov/medwatch or call 1-800-FDA-1088.
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 system genetics, 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. Our discovery efforts have resulted in four commercially available products, CABOMETYX® (cabozantinib), COMETRIQ® (cabozantinib), COTELLIC® (cobimetinib) and MINNEBRO® (esaxerenone), and we 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 the Standard & Poor’s (S&P) MidCap 400 index, which measures the performance of profitable mid-sized companies. In November 2020, the company was named to Fortune’s 100 Fastest-Growing Companies list for the first time, ranking 17th overall and the third-highest biopharmaceutical company. For more information about Exelixis, please visit www.exelixis.com, follow @ExelixisInc on Twitter or like Exelixis, Inc. on Facebook.
1 American Cancer Society: Cancer Facts & Figures 2021. Available at: https://www.cancer.org/content/dam/cancer-org/research/cancer-facts-and-statistics/annual-cancer-facts-and-figures/2021/cancer-facts-and-figures-2021.pdf. Accessed January 2021.
2Jonasch, E., Gao, J., Rathmell, W., Renal cell carcinoma. BMJ. 2014; 349:g4797.
3Decision Resources Report: Renal Cell Carcinoma. October 2014 (internal data on file).
4American Cancer Society: What is Kidney Cancer? Available at: https://www.cancer.org/cancer/kidney-cancer/about/what-is-kidney-cancer.html. Accessed January 2021.
5Harshman, L., and Choueiri, T. Targeting the hepatocyte growth factor/c-Met signaling pathway in renal cell carcinoma. Cancer J. 2013; 19:316-323.
6Rankin, et al. Direct regulation of GAS6/AXL signaling by HIF promotes renal metastasis through SRC and MET. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 2014; 111:13373-13378.
7Zhou, L., Liu, X-D., Sun, M., et al. Targeting MET and AXL overcomes resistance to sunitinib therapy in renal cell carcinoma. Oncogene. 2016; 35:2687-2697.
8Koochekpour, et al. The von Hippel-Lindau tumor suppressor gene inhibits hepatocyte growth factor/scatter factor-induced invasion and branching morphogenesis in renal carcinoma cells. Mol Cell Biol. 1999; 19:5902–5912.
9Takahashi, A., Sasaki, H., Kim, S., et al. Markedly increased amounts of messenger RNAs for vascular endothelial growth factor and placenta growth factor in renal cell carcinoma associated with angiogenesis. Cancer Res. 1994; 54:4233-4237.
10Nakagawa, M., Emoto, A., Hanada, T., Nasu, N., Nomura, Y. Tubulogenesis by microvascular endothelial cells is mediated by vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in renal cell carcinoma. Br J Urol. 1997; 79:681-687.
SOURCE: Exelixis
Post Views: 26
– FDA approval based on CheckMate -9ER trial, in which the combination of CABOMETYX and OPDIVO significantly improved overall survival while doubling progression-free survival and objective response rate versus sunitinib as a first-line treatment for patients with advanced RCC –
– Exelixis prepared to fully support expanded indication immediately –
– Application approved prior to Prescription Drug User Fee Act action date of February 20, 2021 and reviewed under the Real-Time Oncology Review pilot program –
ALAMEDA, CA, USA I January 22, 2021 I Exelixis, Inc. (NASDAQ: EXEL) today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved CABOMETYX® (cabozantinib) for patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC) as a first-line treatment in combination with OPDIVO® (nivolumab). RCC is the most common form of kidney cancer, which is among the 10 most frequently diagnosed cancers in the U.S. annually.1
“This combination of cabozantinib and nivolumab significantly improved key efficacy measures compared to sunitinib – progression-free survival, overall survival and objective response rate – while showing a low rate of treatment discontinuations due to side effects. The therapeutic benefit demonstrated in CheckMate -9ER and quality of life measures explored emphasize the role of this combination for patients with advanced kidney cancer,” said Dr. Toni Choueiri, Director of the Lank Center for Genitourinary Oncology at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Jerome and Nancy Kohlberg Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. “With this important FDA approval, the combination is poised to become a standard in newly diagnosed metastatic kidney cancer.”
The approval is based on results from CheckMate -9ER, a phase 3 pivotal trial evaluating the combination of CABOMETYX and OPDIVO compared with sunitinib in previously untreated advanced or metastatic RCC. These results were presented during the European Society of Medical Oncology Virtual Congress 2020 in September. The FDA reviewed the application for CABOMETYX and OPDIVO under the Real-Time Oncology Review (RTOR) pilot program and Fast Track designation. The RTOR pilot program, which allows an applicant to pre-submit components of the application to allow the FDA to review clinical trial data before the complete filing is submitted, aims to explore a more efficient review process to ensure safe and effective treatments are available to patients sooner.
“As the only combination treatment regimen to double median progression-free survival and objective response rate compared with sunitinib while also significantly improving overall survival, we are excited that CABOMETYX in combination with OPDIVO is now available for the first-line treatment of patients with advanced kidney cancer,” said Michael M. Morrissey, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of Exelixis. “This approval is a meaningful milestone for this patient community and speaks to the broad potential of CABOMETYX as we continue to generate important clinical trial results supporting its use in combination with immune checkpoint inhibitors to benefit patients with other difficult-to-treat cancers. We would like to thank the clinical trial participants, the physicians and their staff who participated in the CheckMate -9ER trial and to acknowledge the team at the FDA for their collaboration during the review of our application.”
In CheckMate -9ER, the combination regimen significantly improved overall survival (OS) compared with sunitinib (HR= 0.60, 98.89% CI 0.40-0.89; p=0.001). Median OS has not yet been reached in either treatment arm. Median progression-free survival (PFS) was doubled at 16.6 months for CABOMETYX in combination with OPDIVO compared with 8.3 months for sunitinib (HR 0.51, 95% CI 0.41-0.64; p<0.0001). Objective response rate (ORR) was also doubled: 56% with CABOMETYX in combination with OPDIVO and 27% with sunitinib (p<0.0001). Consistent results for PFS were observed across subgroups of International Metastatic RCC Database Consortium risk status and PD-L1 tumor expression with CABOMETYX in combination with OPDIVO.
CABOMETYX in combination with OPDIVO was generally well tolerated and reflected the known safety profiles of the tyrosine kinase inhibitor and immunotherapy components in previously untreated advanced RCC. The most common adverse reactions reported in at least 20% of patients treated with CABOMETYX in combination with OPDIVO were diarrhea, fatigue, hepatotoxicity, palmar-plantar erythrodysesthesia, stomatitis, rash, hypertension, hypothyroidism, musculoskeletal pain, decreased appetite, nausea, dysgeusia, abdominal pain, cough and upper respiratory tract infection. The discontinuation rate due to all causality adverse events in the CABOMETYX in combination with OPDIVO arm was 20% for either CABOMETYX or OPDIVO (8% for CABOMETYX only, 7% for OPDIVO only and 6% for both CABOMETYX and OPDIVO due to the same adverse event at the same time).
“While significant progress has been made in the treatment landscape for advanced kidney cancer over the last several years, patients still need more therapeutic options to treat this disease as we search for a possible cure,” said Bryan Lewis, President and Co-founder of KidneyCAN. “As patients are living longer with advanced kidney cancer, focusing on the safety and effectiveness of new treatments has become even more important. The findings for the combination of CABOMETYX and OPDIVO in the CheckMate -9ER trial make the FDA approval of this combination a notable development for the patient community.”
Exelixis’ partner Ipsen Pharma SAS (Ipsen), which has exclusive rights to commercialize and develop CABOMETYX outside of the U.S. and Japan, and Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (BMS) each submitted type II variation applications for CABOMETYX in combination with OPDIVO to the European Medicines Agency (EMA). On September 12, 2020, the EMA validated the type II variations, confirming the submissions are complete and beginning the EMA’s centralized review process. On October 27, 2020 Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited (Takeda), Exelixis’ partner responsible for the clinical development and commercialization of CABOMETYX in Japan, and Ono Pharmaceuticals Co., Ltd., BMS’ development and commercialization partner in Japan, submitted a supplemental application to the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare for manufacturing and marketing approval of CABOMETYX in combination with OPDIVO for the treatment of patients with unresectable, advanced or metastatic RCC.
About CheckMate -9ER
CheckMate -9ER is an open-label, randomized (1:1), multi-national phase 3 trial evaluating patients with previously untreated advanced or metastatic renal cell carcinoma with a clear cell component. A total of 651 patients (22% favorable risk, 58% intermediate risk, 20% poor risk; 25% PD-L1 ≥1%) were randomized to CABOMETYX at a dose of 40 mg QD and OPDIVO (n = 323) versus sunitinib (n = 328). The primary endpoint is PFS. Secondary endpoints include OS and ORR. The primary efficacy analysis compares the doublet combination regimen of CABOMETYX and OPDIVO versus sunitinib in all randomized patients. The trial is sponsored by BMS and Ono Pharmaceutical Co. and co-funded by Exelixis, Ipsen and Takeda.
About RCC
The American Cancer Society’s 2021 statistics cite kidney cancer as among the top ten most commonly diagnosed forms of cancer among both men and women in the U.S.1 Clear cell RCC is the most common type of kidney cancer in adults.2 If detected in its early stages, the five-year survival rate for RCC is high; for patients with advanced or late-stage metastatic RCC, however, the five-year survival rate is only 13%.1 Approximately 32,000 patients in the U.S. and 71,000 worldwide will require systemic treatment for advanced kidney cancer in 2021.3
About 70% of RCC cases are known as “clear cell” carcinomas, based on histology.4 The majority of clear cell RCC tumors have below-normal levels of a protein called von Hippel-Lindau, which leads to higher levels of MET, AXL and VEGF.5,6 These proteins promote tumor angiogenesis (blood vessel growth), growth, invasiveness and metastasis.7,8,9,10 MET and AXL may provide escape pathways that drive resistance to VEGF receptor inhibitors.6,7
About CABOMETYX® (cabozantinib)
In the U.S., CABOMETYX tablets are approved for the treatment of patients with advanced RCC; for the treatment of patients with HCC who have been previously treated with sorafenib; and for patients with advanced RCC as a first-line treatment in combination with OPDIVO (nivolumab). CABOMETYX tablets have also received regulatory approvals in the European Union and additional countries and regions worldwide. In 2016, Exelixis granted Ipsen exclusive rights for the commercialization and further clinical development of cabozantinib outside of the United States and Japan. In 2017, Exelixis granted exclusive rights to Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited for the commercialization and further clinical development of cabozantinib for all future indications in Japan. Exelixis holds the exclusive rights to develop and commercialize cabozantinib in the United States.
Please see accompanying full Prescribing Information https://cabometyx.com/downloads/CABOMETYXUSPI.pdf.
You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.FDA.gov/medwatch or call 1-800-FDA-1088.
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 system genetics, 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. Our discovery efforts have resulted in four commercially available products, CABOMETYX® (cabozantinib), COMETRIQ® (cabozantinib), COTELLIC® (cobimetinib) and MINNEBRO® (esaxerenone), and we 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 the Standard & Poor’s (S&P) MidCap 400 index, which measures the performance of profitable mid-sized companies. In November 2020, the company was named to Fortune’s 100 Fastest-Growing Companies list for the first time, ranking 17th overall and the third-highest biopharmaceutical company. For more information about Exelixis, please visit www.exelixis.com, follow @ExelixisInc on Twitter or like Exelixis, Inc. on Facebook.
1 American Cancer Society: Cancer Facts & Figures 2021. Available at: https://www.cancer.org/content/dam/cancer-org/research/cancer-facts-and-statistics/annual-cancer-facts-and-figures/2021/cancer-facts-and-figures-2021.pdf. Accessed January 2021.
2Jonasch, E., Gao, J., Rathmell, W., Renal cell carcinoma. BMJ. 2014; 349:g4797.
3Decision Resources Report: Renal Cell Carcinoma. October 2014 (internal data on file).
4American Cancer Society: What is Kidney Cancer? Available at: https://www.cancer.org/cancer/kidney-cancer/about/what-is-kidney-cancer.html. Accessed January 2021.
5Harshman, L., and Choueiri, T. Targeting the hepatocyte growth factor/c-Met signaling pathway in renal cell carcinoma. Cancer J. 2013; 19:316-323.
6Rankin, et al. Direct regulation of GAS6/AXL signaling by HIF promotes renal metastasis through SRC and MET. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 2014; 111:13373-13378.
7Zhou, L., Liu, X-D., Sun, M., et al. Targeting MET and AXL overcomes resistance to sunitinib therapy in renal cell carcinoma. Oncogene. 2016; 35:2687-2697.
8Koochekpour, et al. The von Hippel-Lindau tumor suppressor gene inhibits hepatocyte growth factor/scatter factor-induced invasion and branching morphogenesis in renal carcinoma cells. Mol Cell Biol. 1999; 19:5902–5912.
9Takahashi, A., Sasaki, H., Kim, S., et al. Markedly increased amounts of messenger RNAs for vascular endothelial growth factor and placenta growth factor in renal cell carcinoma associated with angiogenesis. Cancer Res. 1994; 54:4233-4237.
10Nakagawa, M., Emoto, A., Hanada, T., Nasu, N., Nomura, Y. Tubulogenesis by microvascular endothelial cells is mediated by vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in renal cell carcinoma. Br J Urol. 1997; 79:681-687.
SOURCE: Exelixis
Post Views: 26
