DARZALEX FASPRO® is now the first and only subcutaneous anti-CD38 monoclonal antibody approved in combination with pomalidomide and dexamethasone
HORSHAM, PA, USA I July 12, 2021 I The Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson announced today the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of DARZALEX FASPRO® (daratumumab and hyaluronidase-fihj) in combination with pomalidomide and dexamethasone (Pd) for the treatment of adult patients with multiple myeloma who have received at least one prior line of therapy, including lenalidomide and a proteasome inhibitor. The approval follows the regulatory submission to the FDA in November 2020 and marks the sixth indication for DARZALEX FASPRO® in the treatment of multiple myeloma. Findings from the Phase 3 APOLLO study were presented at the 2020 American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting and were recently published in The Lancet Oncology.
“Clinical studies including APOLLO have continued to show the ability of daratumumab-based combination treatment regimens to significantly reduce the risk of progression in patients with multiple myeloma,” said Meletios A. Dimopoulos, M.D.*, Professor and Chairman of the Department of Clinical Therapeutics at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens School of Medicine, Athens, Greece, and principal investigator. “With this approval, we are now able to combine pomalidomide and dexamethasone with a daratumumab subcutaneous option that can be administered in minutes rather than the hours needed for intravenous administration.”
The APOLLO study met its primary endpoint of improved progression-free survival (PFS), demonstrating that DARZALEX FASPRO®-Pd significantly reduced the risk of progression or death by 37 percent, compared to Pd alone (hazard ratio, 0.63; 95 percent confidence interval [CI], 0.47-0.85; P=0.0018).1 The median PFS for the DARZALEX FASPRO®-Pd arm vs. Pd arm was 12.4 vs. 6.9 months, respectively.1 Study findings additionally showed the rate of overall response to be significantly higher in DARZALEX FASPRO®-Pd compared to Pd alone (69 percent vs. 46 percent), as well as rates of complete response or better (25 percent vs. 4 percent) and very good partial response or better (51 percent vs. 20 percent).1 Additionally, more patients treated with DARZALEX FASPRO®-Pd showed a negative status for minimal residual disease than patients receiving Pd alone (9 percent vs. 2 percent).1
Permanent treatment discontinuation due to an adverse reaction occurred in 2 percent of patients who received DARZALEX FASPRO®-Pd. No adverse reactions resulting in permanent discontinuation occurred in more than 1 patient. The most common adverse reactions (≥20 percent) were fatigue, pneumonia, upper respiratory tract infection, and diarrhea. Serious adverse reactions occurred in 50 percent of patients who received DARZALEX FASPRO®-Pd. The most frequent serious adverse reactions in >5 percent of patients who received DARZALEX FASPRO®-Pd were pneumonia (15 percent) and lower respiratory tract infection (12 percent). Fatal adverse reactions occurred in 7 percent of patients who received DARZALEX FASPRO®-Pd.
“We are focused on the continued development of DARZALEX FASPRO and advancing this innovative therapy for patients who are in need of additional treatment options,” said Craig Tendler, M.D., Vice President, Late Development and Global Medical Affairs, Janssen Research & Development, LLC. “Today’s approval further distinguishes DARZALEX FASPRO in the treatment of multiple myeloma as the first and only subcutaneously administered anti-CD38 monoclonal antibody approved in combination with the widely used pomalidomide and dexamethasone regimen.”
About the APOLLO Study1
APOLLO (NCT01960348) is an ongoing multicenter, Phase 3, randomized, open-label study comparing DARZALEX FASPRO®/ daratumumab SC in combination with pomalidomide and low-dose dexamethasone with pomalidomide and low-dose dexamethasone alone in patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma who have received at least one prior treatment regimen, have received both lenalidomide and a proteasome inhibitor, and have demonstrated disease progression. The study enrolled 304 participants. The primary endpoint is PFS. Secondary endpoints include rates of overall response (ORR), very good partial response (VGPR) or better, complete response (CR) or better, and duration of response.
About DARZALEX FASPRO®
In August 2012, Janssen Biotech, Inc. and Genmab A/S entered into a worldwide agreement, which granted Janssen an exclusive license to develop, manufacture and commercialize daratumumab. DARZALEX FASPRO® is the only CD38-directed antibody approved to be given subcutaneously to treat patients with multiple myeloma and now AL amyloidosis. DARZALEX FASPRO® is co-formulated with recombinant human hyaluronidase PH20 (rHuPH20), Halozyme’s ENHANZE® drug delivery technology.
DARZALEX FASPRO® is indicated for the treatment of adult patients with multiple myeloma:
- in combination with bortezomib, melphalan and prednisone in newly diagnosed patients who are ineligible for autologous stem cell transplant
- in combination with lenalidomide and dexamethasone in newly diagnosed patients who are ineligible for autologous stem cell transplant and in patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma who have received at least one prior therapy
- in combination with bortezomib, thalidomide, and dexamethasone in newly diagnosed patients who are eligible for autologous stem cell transplant
- in combination with bortezomib and dexamethasone in patients who have received at least one prior therapy
- in combination with pomalidomide and dexamethasone in patients who have received at least one prior line of therapy including lenalidomide and a proteosome inhibitor
- as monotherapy, in patients who have received at least three prior lines of therapy including a proteasome inhibitor (PI) and an immunomodulatory agent or who are double-refractory to a PI and an immunomodulatory agent
DARZALEX FASPRO® in combination with bortezomib, cyclophosphamide, and dexamethasone is indicated for the treatment of adult patients with newly diagnosed light chain (AL) amyloidosis. This indication is approved under accelerated approval based on response rate. Continued approval for this indication may be contingent upon verification and description of clinical benefit in a confirmatory trial(s).
Limitations of Use
DARZALEX FASPRO® is not indicated and is not recommended for the treatment of patients with light chain (AL) amyloidosis who have NYHA Class IIIB or Class IV cardiac disease or Mayo Stage IIIB outside of controlled clinical trials.
Full prescribing information for DARZALEX FASPRO® is available here.
About Multiple Myeloma
Multiple myeloma is an incurable blood cancer that affects a type of white blood cell called plasma cells, which are found in the bone marrow.2,3 When damaged, these plasma cells rapidly spread and replace normal cells with tumors in the bone marrow. In 2021, it is estimated that more than 34,000 people will be diagnosed and close to 12,500 will die from the disease in the U.S.2,4 While some patients with multiple myeloma have no symptoms, most patients are diagnosed due to symptoms, which can include bone fracture or pain, low red blood cell counts, tiredness, high calcium levels, kidney problems or infections.4
Please see full Prescribing Information for DARZALEX FASPRO®.
About the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson
At Janssen, we’re creating a future where disease is a thing of the past. We’re the Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson, working tirelessly to make that future a reality for patients everywhere by fighting sickness with science, improving access with ingenuity, and healing hopelessness with heart. We focus on areas of medicine where we can make the biggest difference: Cardiovascular & Metabolism, Immunology, Infectious Diseases & Vaccines, Neuroscience, Oncology, and Pulmonary Hypertension.
Learn more at www.janssen.com. Follow us at @JanssenUS and @JanssenGlobal. Janssen Research & Development, LLC and Janssen Biotech, Inc. are part of the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson.
*Dr. Dimopoulos has served as a consultant to Janssen; he has not been paid for any media work.
1 Dimopoulos, MA et al. APOLLO: Phase 3 Randomized Study of Subcutaneous Daratumumab Plus Pomalidomide and Dexamethasone (D-Pd) Versus Pomalidomide and Dexamethasone (Pd) Alone in Patients (Pts) with Relapsed/Refractory Multiple Myeloma (RRMM).
2 Kumar, SK et al. Risk of progression and survival in multiple myeloma relapsing after therapy with IMiDs and bortezomib: a multicenter international myeloma working group study. Leukemia. 2012 Jan; 26(1):149-57.
3 American Cancer Society. “What Is Multiple Myeloma?” Available at: http://www.cancer.org/cancer/multiplemyeloma/detailedguide/multiple-myeloma-what-is-multiple-myeloma. Accessed May 2021.
4American Cancer Society. “Key Statistics About Multiple Myeloma.” Available at: https://www.cancer.org/cancer/multiple-myeloma/about/key-statistics.html. Accessed May 2021.
SOURCE: Janssen
Post Views: 183
DARZALEX FASPRO® is now the first and only subcutaneous anti-CD38 monoclonal antibody approved in combination with pomalidomide and dexamethasone
HORSHAM, PA, USA I July 12, 2021 I The Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson announced today the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of DARZALEX FASPRO® (daratumumab and hyaluronidase-fihj) in combination with pomalidomide and dexamethasone (Pd) for the treatment of adult patients with multiple myeloma who have received at least one prior line of therapy, including lenalidomide and a proteasome inhibitor. The approval follows the regulatory submission to the FDA in November 2020 and marks the sixth indication for DARZALEX FASPRO® in the treatment of multiple myeloma. Findings from the Phase 3 APOLLO study were presented at the 2020 American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting and were recently published in The Lancet Oncology.
“Clinical studies including APOLLO have continued to show the ability of daratumumab-based combination treatment regimens to significantly reduce the risk of progression in patients with multiple myeloma,” said Meletios A. Dimopoulos, M.D.*, Professor and Chairman of the Department of Clinical Therapeutics at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens School of Medicine, Athens, Greece, and principal investigator. “With this approval, we are now able to combine pomalidomide and dexamethasone with a daratumumab subcutaneous option that can be administered in minutes rather than the hours needed for intravenous administration.”
The APOLLO study met its primary endpoint of improved progression-free survival (PFS), demonstrating that DARZALEX FASPRO®-Pd significantly reduced the risk of progression or death by 37 percent, compared to Pd alone (hazard ratio, 0.63; 95 percent confidence interval [CI], 0.47-0.85; P=0.0018).1 The median PFS for the DARZALEX FASPRO®-Pd arm vs. Pd arm was 12.4 vs. 6.9 months, respectively.1 Study findings additionally showed the rate of overall response to be significantly higher in DARZALEX FASPRO®-Pd compared to Pd alone (69 percent vs. 46 percent), as well as rates of complete response or better (25 percent vs. 4 percent) and very good partial response or better (51 percent vs. 20 percent).1 Additionally, more patients treated with DARZALEX FASPRO®-Pd showed a negative status for minimal residual disease than patients receiving Pd alone (9 percent vs. 2 percent).1
Permanent treatment discontinuation due to an adverse reaction occurred in 2 percent of patients who received DARZALEX FASPRO®-Pd. No adverse reactions resulting in permanent discontinuation occurred in more than 1 patient. The most common adverse reactions (≥20 percent) were fatigue, pneumonia, upper respiratory tract infection, and diarrhea. Serious adverse reactions occurred in 50 percent of patients who received DARZALEX FASPRO®-Pd. The most frequent serious adverse reactions in >5 percent of patients who received DARZALEX FASPRO®-Pd were pneumonia (15 percent) and lower respiratory tract infection (12 percent). Fatal adverse reactions occurred in 7 percent of patients who received DARZALEX FASPRO®-Pd.
“We are focused on the continued development of DARZALEX FASPRO and advancing this innovative therapy for patients who are in need of additional treatment options,” said Craig Tendler, M.D., Vice President, Late Development and Global Medical Affairs, Janssen Research & Development, LLC. “Today’s approval further distinguishes DARZALEX FASPRO in the treatment of multiple myeloma as the first and only subcutaneously administered anti-CD38 monoclonal antibody approved in combination with the widely used pomalidomide and dexamethasone regimen.”
About the APOLLO Study1
APOLLO (NCT01960348) is an ongoing multicenter, Phase 3, randomized, open-label study comparing DARZALEX FASPRO®/ daratumumab SC in combination with pomalidomide and low-dose dexamethasone with pomalidomide and low-dose dexamethasone alone in patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma who have received at least one prior treatment regimen, have received both lenalidomide and a proteasome inhibitor, and have demonstrated disease progression. The study enrolled 304 participants. The primary endpoint is PFS. Secondary endpoints include rates of overall response (ORR), very good partial response (VGPR) or better, complete response (CR) or better, and duration of response.
About DARZALEX FASPRO®
In August 2012, Janssen Biotech, Inc. and Genmab A/S entered into a worldwide agreement, which granted Janssen an exclusive license to develop, manufacture and commercialize daratumumab. DARZALEX FASPRO® is the only CD38-directed antibody approved to be given subcutaneously to treat patients with multiple myeloma and now AL amyloidosis. DARZALEX FASPRO® is co-formulated with recombinant human hyaluronidase PH20 (rHuPH20), Halozyme’s ENHANZE® drug delivery technology.
DARZALEX FASPRO® is indicated for the treatment of adult patients with multiple myeloma:
- in combination with bortezomib, melphalan and prednisone in newly diagnosed patients who are ineligible for autologous stem cell transplant
- in combination with lenalidomide and dexamethasone in newly diagnosed patients who are ineligible for autologous stem cell transplant and in patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma who have received at least one prior therapy
- in combination with bortezomib, thalidomide, and dexamethasone in newly diagnosed patients who are eligible for autologous stem cell transplant
- in combination with bortezomib and dexamethasone in patients who have received at least one prior therapy
- in combination with pomalidomide and dexamethasone in patients who have received at least one prior line of therapy including lenalidomide and a proteosome inhibitor
- as monotherapy, in patients who have received at least three prior lines of therapy including a proteasome inhibitor (PI) and an immunomodulatory agent or who are double-refractory to a PI and an immunomodulatory agent
DARZALEX FASPRO® in combination with bortezomib, cyclophosphamide, and dexamethasone is indicated for the treatment of adult patients with newly diagnosed light chain (AL) amyloidosis. This indication is approved under accelerated approval based on response rate. Continued approval for this indication may be contingent upon verification and description of clinical benefit in a confirmatory trial(s).
Limitations of Use
DARZALEX FASPRO® is not indicated and is not recommended for the treatment of patients with light chain (AL) amyloidosis who have NYHA Class IIIB or Class IV cardiac disease or Mayo Stage IIIB outside of controlled clinical trials.
Full prescribing information for DARZALEX FASPRO® is available here.
About Multiple Myeloma
Multiple myeloma is an incurable blood cancer that affects a type of white blood cell called plasma cells, which are found in the bone marrow.2,3 When damaged, these plasma cells rapidly spread and replace normal cells with tumors in the bone marrow. In 2021, it is estimated that more than 34,000 people will be diagnosed and close to 12,500 will die from the disease in the U.S.2,4 While some patients with multiple myeloma have no symptoms, most patients are diagnosed due to symptoms, which can include bone fracture or pain, low red blood cell counts, tiredness, high calcium levels, kidney problems or infections.4
Please see full Prescribing Information for DARZALEX FASPRO®.
About the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson
At Janssen, we’re creating a future where disease is a thing of the past. We’re the Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson, working tirelessly to make that future a reality for patients everywhere by fighting sickness with science, improving access with ingenuity, and healing hopelessness with heart. We focus on areas of medicine where we can make the biggest difference: Cardiovascular & Metabolism, Immunology, Infectious Diseases & Vaccines, Neuroscience, Oncology, and Pulmonary Hypertension.
Learn more at www.janssen.com. Follow us at @JanssenUS and @JanssenGlobal. Janssen Research & Development, LLC and Janssen Biotech, Inc. are part of the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson.
*Dr. Dimopoulos has served as a consultant to Janssen; he has not been paid for any media work.
1 Dimopoulos, MA et al. APOLLO: Phase 3 Randomized Study of Subcutaneous Daratumumab Plus Pomalidomide and Dexamethasone (D-Pd) Versus Pomalidomide and Dexamethasone (Pd) Alone in Patients (Pts) with Relapsed/Refractory Multiple Myeloma (RRMM).
2 Kumar, SK et al. Risk of progression and survival in multiple myeloma relapsing after therapy with IMiDs and bortezomib: a multicenter international myeloma working group study. Leukemia. 2012 Jan; 26(1):149-57.
3 American Cancer Society. “What Is Multiple Myeloma?” Available at: http://www.cancer.org/cancer/multiplemyeloma/detailedguide/multiple-myeloma-what-is-multiple-myeloma. Accessed May 2021.
4American Cancer Society. “Key Statistics About Multiple Myeloma.” Available at: https://www.cancer.org/cancer/multiple-myeloma/about/key-statistics.html. Accessed May 2021.
SOURCE: Janssen
Post Views: 183
