FDA Advisory Committee Votes in Favor of Lilly’s CYRAMZA® (ramucirumab) as First-Line Treatment for Metastatic EGFR-Mutated Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

On February 27, 2020 Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE: LLY) reported that a U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Oncologic Drugs Advisory Committee (ODAC) voted 6-5 that CYRAMZA (ramucirumab) plus erlotinib demonstrated a favorable benefit/risk profile for patients with untreated metastatic EGFR-positive non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), based on the results of the positive Phase 3 RELAY study (Press release, Eli Lilly, FEB 27, 2020, View Source [SID1234554809]).

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"Given the unmet need that remains in treating metastatic EGFR-mutated non-small cell lung cancer, we are encouraged that the majority of these experts agree CYRAMZA plus erlotinib has a favorable benefit/risk profile for the first-line treatment of these patients," said Maura Dickler, M.D., vice president of late phase development, Lilly Oncology. "We believe in the clinical meaningfulness of the data from the RELAY trial, which targeted the VEGFR and EGFR pathways together. We look forward to continuing to work with the FDA on this application to offer a new front-line treatment option for people with metastatic EGFR-mutated non-small cell lung cancer."

The ODAC considered the safety and efficacy data from the Phase 3 RELAY trial, which is the basis for the CYRAMZA supplemental Biologics License Application (sBLA) currently under review by the FDA. In the RELAY study, CYRAMZA, a VEGF receptor 2 antagonist, in combination with erlotinib, a globally approved EGFR-targeting tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI), demonstrated a statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvement in progression-free survival – the time patients live without their disease getting worse – compared to erlotinib alone. Median PFS on the CYRAMZA-plus-erlotinib arm was 19.4 months compared to 12.4 months on the placebo-plus-erlotinib arm, an improvement of seven months (HR 0.59; 95% CI, 0.46-0.79; P<0.0001). The safety profile observed in the RELAY study was consistent with what has been previously observed for CYRAMZA in Phase 3 clinical trials and the established safety profile of erlotinib. The most common (>5% incidence) Grade ≥3 adverse events occurring at a higher rate (≥5% difference) on the CYRAMZA-plus-erlotinib arm compared to the placebo-plus-erlotinib arm were hypertension, dermatitis acneiform (an acne-like rash), and diarrhea.

There is no cure for people with metastatic EGFR-mutated lung cancer and disease progression following acquired resistance remains a challenge. Most patients receive several lines of treatment and the therapeutic regimen prescribed for first-line treatment can impact a person’s options for later lines of therapy. Globally, tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) – including erlotinib, which was used in the trial – are the current standard treatment option for EGFR-mutated NSCLC. There remains an ongoing need for additional first-line therapeutic options that provide clinically meaningful benefits – including delaying disease progression and use of chemotherapy as long as possible. Moreover, new treatment options could allow oncologists greater choice on how to use the available agents, in shared decision-making with their patients.

Advisory committees provide the FDA with independent opinions and recommendations from outside medical experts during the drug review process. The FDA is not obligated to follow their recommendation, but it often does.

Lilly has also made regulatory submissions outside the U.S. based on the RELAY data. In January 2020, the European Commission granted European Union approval for CYRAMZA in combination with erlotinib for the first-line treatment of adult patients with metastatic NSCLC with activating EGFR mutations. Lilly has submitted in Japan and expects regulatory action in the second half of 2020.

About the RELAY Trial
RELAY is a global randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase 3 study of CYRAMZA in combination with erlotinib, compared to placebo in combination with erlotinib, as a first-line treatment in previously untreated patients with metastatic NSCLC whose tumors have EGFR (epidermal growth factor receptor) exon 19 deletions or exon 21 (L858R) substitution mutations. EGFR-targeting tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) are the current standard treatment options for EGFR-mutated NSCLC. Erlotinib, the TKI included in the RELAY trial regimen, is a globally approved treatment option for this type of lung cancer.

Initiated in 2015, the study randomized 449 patients across North America, Europe and Asia. The primary endpoint of the RELAY trial is progression-free survival (PFS); key secondary endpoints include safety, response rate, overall survival (OS), and patient-reported outcomes. On the primary endpoint of investigator-assessed PFS, CYRAMZA plus erlotinib (N=224) demonstrated statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvement in median PFS – the time patients live without their cancer growing or spreading after starting treatment – by seven months compared to placebo plus erlotinib (N=225) [19.4 months with the CYRAMZA-containing arm compared to 12.4 months with the placebo-containing arm (HR 0.59; 95% CI, 0.46-0.79; P<0.0001)]. Improvements with CYRAMZA plus erlotinib were also consistently observed across secondary and exploratory endpoints including duration of response, PFS2 and time on targeted therapy. Improvements were also consistently seen across all specified subgroups, including patients with tumors that had exon 19 and 21 mutations. OS was immature at the time of analysis. The trial will continue until it reaches its final number of OS events.

The most common mechanism of acquired resistance to first-line treatment with first-and second-generation EGFR-TKI is the T790M mutation, with approximately 30 to 60 percent of patients whose disease progresses acquiring the mutation. In RELAY, the rate of T790M mutations following disease progression was similar between treatment groups.

The most common Grade ≥3 adverse events occurring at a rate of five percent or greater in the CYRAMZA-containing arm were hypertension (N=52 [24%, Grade 3 only]), dermatitis acneiform (an acne-like rash) (N=33 [15%, Grade 3 only)], and diarrhea (N=16 [7%, Grade 3 only]).

Detailed RELAY efficacy and safety results were published in The Lancet Oncology.

About Lung Cancer and EGFR Mutations
Globally, lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death, killing nearly 1.8 million people worldwide each year.1 In the U.S., lung cancer is the second most common cancer and the leading cause of cancer death, responsible for approximately 22 percent of all cancer deaths – more than those from colorectal, breast and prostate cancers combined.2 It is estimated that there will be 228,820 new cases of lung cancer and 135,720 deaths from lung cancer in the U.S. in 2020.3 Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is much more common than other types of lung cancer and accounts for about 80 to 85 percent of all lung cancer cases.4 Stage IV NSCLC is a very difficult-to-treat cancer and the prognosis is poor for metastatic NSCLC.5 Fifty percent of NSCLC patients present with advanced or metastatic disease at diagnosis.6 The five-year survival rate for metastatic NSCLC is six percent.7

EGFR is a protein that helps cells grow and divide. When the EGFR gene is mutated it can cause the protein to be overactive, resulting in the formation of cancer cells. EGFR mutations may occur in 10 to 35 percent of NSCLC tumors globally.8 In the U.S., it is estimated that approximately 15 percent of people diagnosed with NSCLC have an EGFR mutation.9 Activating EGFR mutations are found in about 10 to 20 percent of Caucasian patients with lung adenocarcinomas and in up to 40 to 60 percent of Asian patients.10,11,12 Regardless of ethnicity, these mutations are commonly found in females, non-smokers and those with adenocarcinoma histology.13,14 The most common activating mutations in EGFR are deletions within exon 19 and a substitution in exon 21 (L858R), which are present in over 90 percent of EGFR-mutated tumors. The presence of these activating EGFR mutations in advanced NSCLC is associated with sensitivity to small-molecule EGFR TKIs. 11,12

About CYRAMZA (ramucirumab)
In the U.S., CYRAMZA (ramucirumab) has five FDA approvals to treat four different types of cancers. CYRAMZA is being investigated in a broad global development program that has enrolled more than 15,000 patients across more than 100 trials worldwide. These include several studies investigating CYRAMZA in combination with other anti-cancer therapies for the treatment of multiple tumor types.

CYRAMZA is an antiangiogenic therapy. It is a vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) Receptor 2 antagonist that binds specifically to VEGFR-2, thereby blocking the binding of the receptor ligands (VEGF-A, VEGF-C, and VEGF-D) – which may slow tumor growth. CYRAMZA inhibited angiogenesis in an in vivo animal model.

About Angiogenesis and VEGF Protein
Angiogenesis is the process of making new blood vessels. In a person with cancer, angiogenesis creates new blood vessels that give a tumor its own blood supply, allowing it to grow and spread.

Some tumors create proteins called VEGF. These proteins attach to the VEGF receptors of blood vessel cells causing new blood vessels to form around the tumors, enabling growth. Blocking the VEGF protein from binding to the receptors located on the surface of blood vessels helps to inhibit tumor growth by slowing angiogenesis and the blood supply that feeds tumors. Of the three known VEGF receptors, VEGF Receptor 2 is linked most closely to VEGF-induced tumor angiogenesis.

U.S. INDICATIONS FOR CYRAMZA

Gastric Cancer
CYRAMZA, as a single agent, or in combination with paclitaxel, is indicated for the treatment of patients with advanced or metastatic gastric or gastroesophageal junction (GEJ) adenocarcinoma with disease progression on or after prior fluoropyrimidine- or platinum-containing chemotherapy.

Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
CYRAMZA, in combination with docetaxel, is indicated for the treatment of patients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with disease progression on or after platinum-based chemotherapy. Patients with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) or anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) genomic tumor aberrations should have disease progression on FDA-approved therapy for these aberrations prior to receiving CYRAMZA.

Colorectal Cancer
CYRAMZA, in combination with FOLFIRI (irinotecan, folinic acid, and 5-fluorouracil), is indicated for the treatment of patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) with disease progression on or after prior therapy with bevacizumab, oxaliplatin, and a fluoropyrimidine.

Hepatocellular Carcinoma
CYRAMZA, as a single agent, is indicated for the treatment of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) who have an alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) of ≥400 ng/mL and have been treated with sorafenib.

U.S. IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION FOR CYRAMZA (ramucirumab)
Warnings and Precautions
Hemorrhage

CYRAMZA increased the risk of hemorrhage and gastrointestinal hemorrhage, including Grade ≥3 hemorrhagic events. Across five clinical studies in 1916 patients with various cancers treated with CYRAMZA, the incidence of all Grade hemorrhage occurred between 13-44%. Grade 3-5 hemorrhage incidence ranged from 2-5%.
Patients with gastric cancer receiving nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) were excluded from enrollment in REGARD and RAINBOW; therefore, the risk of gastric hemorrhage in CYRAMZA‑treated patients with gastric tumors receiving NSAIDs is unknown.
Patients with NSCLC receiving therapeutic anticoagulation or chronic therapy with NSAIDs or other anti‑platelet therapy other than once daily aspirin or with radiographic evidence of major airway or blood vessel invasion or intratumor cavitation were excluded from REVEL; therefore the risk of pulmonary hemorrhage in these groups of patients is unknown.
Permanently discontinue CYRAMZA in patients who experience severe (Grade 3 or 4) bleeding.
Gastrointestinal Perforations

CYRAMZA can increase the risk of gastrointestinal perforation, a potentially fatal event. Across five clinical studies in 1916 patients with various cancers treated with CYRAMZA, the incidence of all Grade and Grade 3-5 gastrointestinal perforations ranged from <1-2%.
Permanently discontinue CYRAMZA in patients who experience a gastrointestinal perforation.
Impaired Wound Healing

Impaired wound healing can occur in patients who receive drugs that inhibit the VEGF or VEGFR pathway. CYRAMZA, a VEGFR2 antagonist, has the potential to adversely affect wound healing. CYRAMZA has not been studied in patients with serious or non-healing wounds.
Withhold CYRAMZA for 28 days prior to elective surgery. Do not administer CYRAMZA for at least 28 days following a major surgical procedure and until the wound is fully healed. Discontinue CYRAMZA in patients who develop wound healing complications that require medical intervention.
Arterial Thromboembolic Events

Serious, sometimes fatal, arterial thromboembolic events (ATEs), including myocardial infarction, cardiac arrest, cerebrovascular accident, and cerebral ischemia, occurred across clinical trials. Across five clinical studies in 1916 patients with various cancers treated with CYRAMZA, the incidence of all Grade ATE was 2-3%. Grade 3-5 ATE incidence was 1-2%.
Permanently discontinue CYRAMZA in patients who experience an ATE.
Hypertension

An increased incidence of severe hypertension occurred in patients receiving CYRAMZA. Across five clinical studies in 1916 patients with various cancers treated with CYRAMZA, the incidence of all Grade hypertension occurred between 11‑26%. Grade 3-5 hypertension incidence ranged from 6‑15%.
Control hypertension prior to initiating treatment with CYRAMZA. Monitor blood pressure every two weeks or more frequently as indicated during treatment. Withhold CYRAMZA for severe hypertension until medically controlled. Permanently discontinue CYRAMZA for medically significant hypertension that cannot be controlled with antihypertensive therapy or in patients with hypertensive crisis or hypertensive encephalopathy.
Infusion-Related Reactions

Infusion-related reactions (IRR), including severe and life threatening IRR, occurred in CYRAMZA clinical trials. The majority of IRR across trials occurred during or following a first or second CYRAMZA infusion. Symptoms of IRR included rigors/tremors, back pain/spasms, chest pain and/or tightness, chills, flushing, dyspnea, wheezing, hypoxia, and paresthesia. In severe cases, symptoms included bronchospasm, supraventricular tachycardia, and hypotension. Across five clinical studies in 1916 patients with various cancers treated with CYRAMZA in which premedication was recommended or required, the incidence of all Grade IRR occurred between <1-9%. Grade 3-5 IRR incidence was <1%.
Premedicate prior to each CYRAMZA infusion. Monitor patients during the infusion for signs and symptoms of IRR in a setting with available resuscitation equipment. Reduce the infusion rate by 50% for Grade 1-2 IRR. Permanently discontinue CYRAMZA for Grade 3-4 IRR.
Worsening of Pre-existing Hepatic Impairment

Clinical deterioration, manifested by new onset or worsening encephalopathy, ascites, or hepatorenal syndrome, was reported in patients with Child-Pugh B or C cirrhosis who received single agent CYRAMZA. Use CYRAMZA in patients with Child-Pugh B or C cirrhosis only if the potential benefits of treatment are judged to outweigh the risks of clinical deterioration.
Based on safety data from REACH‑2, in patients with Child-Pugh A liver cirrhosis, the pooled incidence of hepatic encephalopathy and hepatorenal syndrome was higher for patients who received CYRAMZA (6%) compared to patients who received placebo (0%).
Posterior Reversible Encephalopathy Syndrome

Posterior Reversible Encephalopathy Syndrome (PRES) (also known as Reversible Posterior Leukoencephalopathy Syndrome [RPLS]) has been reported in <0.1% of 1916 patients enrolled in five clinical studies with CYRAMZA. Symptoms of PRES include seizure, headache, nausea/vomiting, blindness, or altered consciousness, with or without associated hypertension.
Confirm the diagnosis of PRES with magnetic resonance imaging and permanently discontinue CYRAMZA in patients who develop PRES. Symptoms may resolve or improve within days, although some patients with PRES can experience ongoing neurologic sequelae or death.
Proteinuria Including Nephrotic Syndrome

Across five clinical studies in 1916 patients with various cancers treated with CYRAMZA, the incidence of all Grade proteinuria ranged from 3-20%. Grade ≥3 proteinuria (including 4 patients with nephrotic syndrome) incidence ranged from <1-3%.
Monitor proteinuria by urine dipstick and/or urinary protein creatinine ratio. If the result of the urine dipstick is 2+ or greater, perform a 24-hour urine collection for protein measurement. Withhold CYRAMZA for urine protein levels that are 2 or more grams over 24 hours. Reinitiate CYRAMZA at a reduced dose once the urine protein level returns to less than 2 grams over 24 hours. Permanently discontinue CYRAMZA for urine protein levels greater than 3 grams over 24 hours or in the setting of nephrotic syndrome.
Thyroid Dysfunction

Across five clinical studies in 1916 patients with various cancers treated with CYRAMZA, the incidence of Grade 1-2 hypothyroidism ranged from <1-3%; there were no reports of Grade 3-5 hypothyroidism. Monitor thyroid function during treatment with CYRAMZA.
Embryo-Fetal Toxicity

Based on its mechanism of action, CYRAMZA can cause fetal harm when administered to pregnant women. Animal models link angiogenesis, VEGF and VEGFR2 to critical aspects of female reproduction, embryo-fetal development, and postnatal development. Advise pregnant women of the potential risk to a fetus. Advise females of reproductive potential to use effective contraception during treatment with CYRAMZA and for 3 months after the last dose.
Lactation

Because of the potential risk for serious adverse reactions in breastfed children from ramucirumab, advise women not to breastfeed during treatment with CYRAMZA and for 2 months after the last dose.
Most Common Adverse Reactions—CYRAMZA Administered as a Single Agent (REGARD)

The most commonly reported adverse reactions (all Grades; Grade 3-4) occurring in ≥5% of patients receiving CYRAMZA and ≥2% higher than placebo in REGARD were hypertension (16% vs 8%; 8% vs 3%), diarrhea (14% vs 9%; 1% vs 2%), headache (9% vs 3%; 0% vs 0%), and hyponatremia (6% vs 2%; 3% vs 1%).
The most common serious adverse reactions with CYRAMZA were anemia (3.8%) and intestinal obstruction (2.1%). Red blood cell transfusions were given to 11% of CYRAMZA-treated patients vs 8.7% of patients who received placebo.
Clinically relevant adverse reactions reported in ≥1% and <5% of CYRAMZA-treated patients in REGARD were: neutropenia (4.7%), epistaxis (4.7%), rash (4.2%), intestinal obstruction (2.1%), and arterial thromboembolic events (1.7%).
Across clinical trials of CYRAMZA administered as a single agent, clinically relevant adverse reactions (including Grade ≥3) reported in CYRAMZA-treated patients included proteinuria, gastrointestinal perforation, and IRR. In REGARD, according to laboratory assessment, 8% of CYRAMZA-treated patients developed proteinuria vs 3% of placebo-treated patients. Two patients discontinued CYRAMZA due to proteinuria. The rate of gastrointestinal perforation in REGARD was 0.8% and the rate of IRR was 0.4%.
Most Common Adverse Reactions— CYRAMZA Administered in Combination with Paclitaxel (RAINBOW)

The most commonly reported adverse reactions (all Grades; Grade ≥3) occurring in ≥5% of patients receiving CYRAMZA with paclitaxel and ≥2% higher than placebo with paclitaxel in RAINBOW were fatigue/asthenia (57% vs 44%; 12% vs 6%), neutropenia (54% vs 31%; 41% vs 19%), diarrhea (32% vs 23%; 4% vs 2%), epistaxis (31% vs 7%; 0% vs 0%), hypertension (25% vs 6%; 15% vs 3%), peripheral edema (25% vs 14%; 2% vs 1%), stomatitis (20% vs 7%; 1% vs 1%), proteinuria (17% vs 6%; 1% vs 0%), thrombocytopenia (13% vs 6%; 2% vs 2%), hypoalbuminemia (11% vs 5%; 1% vs 1%), and gastrointestinal hemorrhage events (10% vs 6%; 4% vs 2%).
The most common serious adverse reactions in patients who received CYRAMZA with paclitaxel were neutropenia (3.7%) and febrile neutropenia (2.4%); 19% of patients who received CYRAMZA with paclitaxel received granulocyte colony-stimulating factors.
Adverse reactions resulting in discontinuation of any component of the CYRAMZA with paclitaxel combination in ≥2% of patients in RAINBOW were neutropenia (4%) and thrombocytopenia (3%).
Clinically relevant adverse reactions reported in ≥1% and <5% of patients receiving CYRAMZA with paclitaxel were sepsis (3.1%), including 5 fatal events, and gastrointestinal perforations (1.2%), including 1 fatal event.
Most Common Adverse Reactions— CYRAMZA Administered in Combination with Docetaxel (REVEL)

The most commonly reported adverse reactions (all Grades; Grade 3-4) occurring in ≥5% of patients receiving CYRAMZA with docetaxel and ≥2% higher than placebo with docetaxel in REVEL were neutropenia (55% vs 46%; 49% vs 40%), fatigue/asthenia (55% vs 50%; 14% vs 11%), stomatitis/mucosal inflammation (37% vs 19%; 7% vs 2%), epistaxis (19% vs 7%; <1% vs <1%), febrile neutropenia (16% vs 10%; 16% vs 10%), peripheral edema (16% vs 9%; 0% vs <1%), thrombocytopenia (13% vs 5%; 3% vs <1%), lacrimation increased (13% vs 5%; <1% vs 0%), and hypertension (11% vs 5%; 6% vs 2%).
The most common serious adverse reactions in patients who received CYRAMZA with docetaxel were febrile neutropenia (14%), pneumonia (6%), and neutropenia (5%). The use of granulocyte colony-stimulating factors was 42% in CYRAMZA with docetaxel-treated patients versus 37% in patients who received placebo with docetaxel.
Treatment discontinuation due to adverse reactions occurred more frequently in CYRAMZA with docetaxel-treated patients (9%) than in placebo with docetaxel-treated patients (5%). The most common adverse reactions leading to treatment discontinuation of CYRAMZA were IRR (0.5%) and epistaxis (0.3%).
For patients with non-squamous histology, the overall incidence of pulmonary hemorrhage was 7% and the incidence of Grade ≥3 pulmonary hemorrhage was 1% for CYRAMZA with docetaxel compared to 6% overall incidence and 1% for Grade ≥3 pulmonary hemorrhage for placebo with docetaxel. For patients with squamous histology, the overall incidence of pulmonary hemorrhage was 10% and the incidence of Grade ≥3 pulmonary hemorrhage was 2% for CYRAMZA with docetaxel compared to 12% overall incidence and 2% for Grade ≥3 pulmonary hemorrhage for placebo with docetaxel.
Clinically relevant adverse reactions reported in ≥1% and <5% of CYRAMZA with docetaxel-treated patients in REVEL were hyponatremia (4.8%) and proteinuria (3.3%).
Most Common Adverse Reactions— CYRAMZA Administered in Combination with FOLFIRI (RAISE)

The most commonly reported adverse reactions (all Grades; Grade ≥3) occurring in ≥5% of patients receiving CYRAMZA with FOLFIRI and ≥2% higher than placebo with FOLFIRI in RAISE were diarrhea (60% vs 51%; 11% vs 10%), neutropenia (59% vs 46%; 38% vs 23%), decreased appetite (37% vs 27%; 2% vs 2%), epistaxis (33% vs 15%; 0% vs 0%), stomatitis (31% vs 21%; 4% vs 2%), thrombocytopenia (28% vs 14%; 3% vs <1%), hypertension (26% vs 9%; 11% vs 3%), peripheral edema (20% vs 9%; <1% vs 0%), proteinuria (17% vs 5%; 3% vs <1%), palmar-plantar erythrodysesthesia syndrome (13% vs 5%; 1% vs <1%), gastrointestinal hemorrhage events (12% vs 7%; 2% vs 1%), and hypoalbuminemia (6% vs 2%; 1% vs 0%). Twenty percent of patients treated with CYRAMZA with FOLFIRI received granulocyte colony-stimulating factors.
The most common serious adverse reactions with CYRAMZA with FOLFIRI were diarrhea (3.6%), intestinal obstruction (3.0%), and febrile neutropenia (2.8%).
Treatment discontinuation of any study drug due to adverse reactions occurred more frequently in CYRAMZA with FOLFIRI-treated patients (29%) than in placebo with FOLFIRI-treated patients (13%). The most common adverse reactions leading to discontinuation of any component of CYRAMZA with FOLFIRI as compared to placebo with FOLFIRI were neutropenia (12.5% vs 5.3%) and thrombocytopenia (4.2% vs 0.8%). The most common adverse reactions leading to treatment discontinuation of CYRAMZA were proteinuria (1.5%) and gastrointestinal perforation (1.7%).
Clinically relevant adverse reaction reported in ≥1% and <5% of patients receiving CYRAMZA with FOLFIRI was gastrointestinal perforation (1.7%) including 4 fatal events.
Thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) levels were evaluated in 224 patients (115 CYRAMZA with FOLFIRI-treated patients and 109 placebo with FOLFIRI-treated patients) with normal baseline TSH levels. Increased TSH levels were observed in 53 (46%) patients treated with CYRAMZA with FOLFIRI compared with 4 (4%) patients treated with placebo with FOLFIRI.
Most Common Adverse Reactions— CYRAMZA Administered as a Single Agent (REACH-2)

The most commonly reported adverse reactions (all Grades; Grade ≥3) occurring in ≥10% of patients receiving CYRAMZA and ≥2% higher than placebo in REACH-2 were fatigue (36% vs 20%; 5% vs 3%), peripheral edema (25% vs 14%; 2% vs 0%), hypertension (25% vs 13%; 13% vs 5%), abdominal pain (25% vs 16%; 2% vs 2%), decreased appetite (23% vs 20%; 2% vs 1%), proteinuria (20% vs 4%; 2% vs 0%), nausea (19% vs 12%; 0% vs 0%), ascites (18% vs 7%; 4% vs 1%), headache (14% vs 5%; 0% vs 1%), epistaxis (14% vs 3%; <1% vs 0%), insomnia (11% vs 6%; 0% vs 1%), pyrexia (10% vs 3%; 0% vs 0%), vomiting (10% vs 7%; 0% vs 0%), and back pain (10% vs 7%; <1% vs 1%). The most common laboratory abnormalities (all Grades; Grade ≥3) occurring in ≥15% of patients receiving CYRAMZA and ≥2% higher than placebo were thrombocytopenia (46% vs 15%; 8% vs 1%), hypoalbuminemia (33% vs 16%; <1% vs 0%), hyponatremia (32% vs 25%; 16% vs 5%), neutropenia (24% vs 12%; 8% vs 3%), and hypocalcemia (16% vs 5%; 2% vs 0%).
The most common serious adverse reactions with CYRAMZA were ascites (3%) and pneumonia (3%).
Treatment discontinuations due to adverse reactions occurred in 18% of CYRAMZA-treated patients, with proteinuria being the most frequent (2%).
Clinically relevant adverse reactions reported in ≥1% and <10% of CYRAMZA-treated patients in REACH-2 were IRR (9%), hepatic encephalopathy (5%) including 1 fatal event, and hepatorenal syndrome (2%) including 1 fatal event.

Cue Biopharma to Present at Upcoming Investor Conferences in March 2020

On February 26, 2020 Cue Biopharma, Inc. (NASDAQ: CUE), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company engineering a novel class of injectable biologics to selectively engage and modulate targeted T cells within the body, reported it will present at the Cowen & Co. 40th Annual Health Care Conference on Monday, March 2, 2020 in Boston, Massachusetts and the 30th Annual Oppenheimer Healthcare Conference on Wednesday, March 18, 2020 in New York (Press release, Cue Biopharma, FEB 26, 2020, View Source [SID1234608304]).

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Presentation details can be found below:

Cowen Health Care Conference
Date and Time: Monday, March 2 at 2:10 p.m. EST
Location: Boston Marriott Copley Place
A live and archived version of the webcast will be available at http://wsw.com/webcast/cowen57/cue/. The presentation will be archived for 30 days on the Investors section of the Company’s website at www.cuebiopharma.com.

Oppenheimer Healthcare Conference
Date and Time: Wednesday, March 18 at 9:10 a.m. EDT
Location: InterContinental Barclay Hotel (Grand Ballroom 1)
The webcast link will be available on the Cue Biopharma website two weeks prior to this event. The presentation will be archived for 30 days on the Investors section of the Company’s website at www.cuebiopharma.com.

FDA committee votes against approval of Tookad for localized prostate cancer

On February 26, 2020 an FDA advisory committee reported that it voted 2-13 against recommending approval of padeliporfin di-potassium, a minimally invasive treatment for localized prostate cancer (Press release, US FDA, FEB 26, 2020, View Source [SID1234591387]).

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The vote by the Oncologic Drugs Advisory Committee, or ODAC, indicates the panel does not believe the treatment has a favorable benefit-risk profile for this group of men with low-risk disease.

Many panel members expressed concern that men with very low-risk disease would choose this therapy instead of active surveillance, despite the unproven long-term benefits and harms of the treatment.

"For the true low-risk patients who were eligible for the study [of this therapy], I strongly prefer active surveillance for their treatment," Howard Sandler, MD, MS, FASTRO, FASCO, professor and chair in the department of radiation oncology at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, said during the committee discussion. "For patients who — for whatever reason — don’t want active surveillance, I think they should have proven anticancer therapy with surgery or radiation. I’m not sure that a treatment that has some risk for morbidity is an ideal option for someone with a cancer that doesn’t need any treatment."

Padeliporfin di-potassium (Steba Biotech), also called Tookad Vascular-Targeted Photodynamic (VTP) therapy, is a partial gland ablation treatment that targets half of the prostate to eliminate cancer while preserving surrounding normal tissue to reduce toxicity and improve quality of life for men with early-stage prostate cancer.

Tookad is under evaluation for men with stage T1 to T2a prostate cancer with a PSA less than 10 ng/mL and Gleason grade group 1 disease based on transrectal ultrasound (TRUS) biopsy or unilateral Gleason grade group 2 disease based on multiparametric-MRI-targeted biopsy with less than 50% of positive cores.

In making its decision, the ODAC panel reviewed efficacy and safety data from the phase 3 PCM301 study, which compared Tookad VTP with active surveillance among 413 men (mean age, 63.5 years) with early-stage prostate cancer over 2 years of follow-up.

The rate of absence of definite cancer based on histology at 24 months and the difference in rate of treatment failure, defined as the progression of disease from low- to moderate- or high-risk prostate cancer, served as the study’s coprimary endpoints.

Results showed that the study met both endpoints. Overall, 28.2% of patients assigned Tookad VTP experienced local progression at 24 months compared with 58% of patients assigned active surveillance, for a 66% risk reduction (HR = 0.34; 95% CI, 0.25-0.47).

Forty-nine percent of patients assigned Tookad VTP achieved absence of prostate cancer compared with 13.5% of the control group (RR = 3.6; 95% CI, 2.5-5.26).

However, these data may not be accurate, as the rate of missed biopsy at 24 months was 18% for the treatment group and 42% for the control group. This included 13% of patients in the treatment group and 15% in the control group who had missing biopsies at 24 months for reasons other than having undergone definitive therapy.

"Both primary endpoints of PCM301 rely on accuracy and reliability of biopsies," the FDA wrote in its background briefing materials. "Given that many patients had missing data (13%) or false-negative biopsies (13.5% on the active surveillance arm), potential for errors in pathologic grading due to sampling error, the reliability of results and the difference in magnitude of effect in the two arms is of concern."

The ODAC panel also weighed the greater risk for toxicity observed in the Tookad VTP group.

More men assigned Tookad VTP experienced any-grade adverse events (95% vs. 55%) and grade 3 to grade 4 adverse events (22% vs. 10%).

Specifically, a greater proportion of men assigned Tookad VTP experienced erectile dysfunction (38% vs. 12%) — which was left unresolved at 2 years more frequently in the treatment group (23% vs. 10%) — hematuria (28% vs. 3%), dysuria (27% vs. 2%), and urinary retention (16% vs. 1%) and incontinence (15% vs. 7%).

Ultimately, although many panel members expressed enthusiasm about the potential future role of focal therapy for prostate cancer, they found the limitations of the current analysis prohibitive in recommending approval of the therapy for men with low-risk disease.

"I think if we — on less-than-good evidence — approve this, it could cause more harm than good," Patrick C. Walsh, MD, university distinguished service professor emeritus at James Buchanan Brady Urological Institute of Johns Hopkins Hospital, said during the committee discussion. "I could tell these patients we don’t have to do anything, we can follow you, or we can give you this treatment and in 2 years you still have 50% chance you’re going to have cancer and 28% chance it’s going to be progressing. But, I don’t think that is what patients will hear. Many doctors out there are in business, and this will be an opportunity that will be misused.

"We can’t speed up the time clock today," Walsh added. "These are 2-year data, and I don’t think they are enough to permit so many patients to have a treatment that we don’t know whether or not is working well." – by Alexandra Todak

LIDDS completes a direct share issue raising SEK 8.0 million

The board of directors of LIDDS AB has decided to carry out a directed issue of 467,783 shares at a subscription price of SEK 17 per share (Press release, Lidds, FEB 26, 2020, View Source [SID1234555854]). LIDDS will through the directed share issue receive proceeds amounting to SEK 8.0 million, before transaction costs.

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The board of directors of LIDDS has, based on the authorization given by the annual general meeting on May 16, 2019, decided to carry out a directed issue of 467.783 shares to new and current investors.

The subscription price in the Directed Share Issue is set to SEK 17,00 and has been determined by volume weighted average price during the last 5 business days with a discount of 5%. Through the Directed Share Issue, LIDDS will raise SEK 8.0 million before transaction costs.

The Directed Share Issue entails a dilution of approximately 1.9 percent of the number of shares and the votes in the Company. Through the Directed Share Issue, the number of outstanding shares and votes will increase by 467,783 shares from 24,254,888 shares to 24,722,671 shares. The share capital will increase by SEK 24,792.50 from SEK 1,285,509.07 to SEK 1,310,301.56.

The reason for the deviation from the shareholders’ preferential rights, is to strengthen the shareholder base and to finance LIDDS’ exciting development projects. The Directed Share Issue will primarily be used to finance the NZ-TLR9 immuno-oncology project which includes an upcoming Phase I clinical trial.

Subscribers in the Directed Share Issue are new shareholders and existing shareholders including Nyenburgh Holding, a life science investment fund based in Amsterdam.

Kiadis Pharma announces FDA clearance of clinical study by The Ohio State University in R/R AML with off-the-shelf NK cells from universal donors

On February 26, 2020 Kiadis Pharma N.V. ("Kiadis" or the "Company") (Euronext Amsterdam and Brussels: KDS), a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company, and The Ohio State University – Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute ("OSU" or "OSUCCC-James"), reported the launch of a first-in-human clinical trial in patients with relapsed/refractory acute myeloid leukemia (R/R AML) with off-the-shelf Natural Killer ("NK") cells manufactured using Kiadis’ FC21 mbIL21 feeder cells and proprietary universal donor platform (Press release, Kiadis, FEB 26, 2020, View Source [SID1234555008]). The trial is expected to provide further clinical proof-of-concept of Kiadis’ K-NK003 product.

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The investigator-sponsored trial will be conducted at OSUCCC – James, a National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated comprehensive cancer center and freestanding cancer hospital located in Columbus, Ohio, in the United States. The OSUCCC – James team received Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for an investigational new drug application to begin this trial and expects to begin enrolling patients in March 2020. Kiadis will support the study through a collaborative research agreement with OSUCCC-James. Additionally, OSU and Kiadis plan to work together to initiate a company sponsored trial with off-the-shelf K-NK003 cells expanded with Kiadis’ particle production platform (PM21) in the same patient population later this year.

The study entitled "A Phase I Clinical Trial Testing the Safety of IL-21-Expanded, Off-the-shelf, Third-party Natural Killer Cells for the Induction of Relapsed/Refractory Acute Myeloid Leukemia and Myelodysplastic Syndrome" will evaluate the NK cell product in up to 56 patients, ages 18 – 80 who have primary refractory AML, relapsed AML, or myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). The goal of this study is to establish safety of the NK cell therapy for the induction of remission in patients with Relapsed/Refractory ("R/R") AML or MDS and to determine the optimal dosing and overall response rate. Patients enrolled in the study will receive six doses of NK cells of 1 x 107 cells/kg to 1 x 108 cells/kg after receiving reinduction chemotherapy.

"NK cells given outside the setting of transplantation have shown to induce remissions. Relapsed/refractory AML and MDS patients have a high chance of progression while waiting for manufacturing of expanded directed-donor NK cells, so having an easily accessible product, and one that does not require administration of cytokines, may be an attractive approach for these patients," stated Sumithira Vasu, MBBS, a hematologist scientist and Medical Director of the Cell Therapy Lab at OSUCCC – James who will serve as principal investigator of the clinical trial. Vasu is also an associate professor at The Ohio State University College of Medicine. "This trial uses a novel off-the-shelf, readily available product to treat what is traditionally a very sick and difficult-to-treat group of patients. I look forward to the collaboration with Kiadis to help accelerate development of this cell therapy."

"We are very pleased to be working with OSU and Dr. Vasu on the first clinical evaluation of our off-the-shelf universal donor K-NK-cell therapy in R/R AML as part of our K-NK003 cell therapy product program," says Andrew Sandler, MD, chief medical officer of Kiadis. "While this study will use our FC21 technology, we plan to leverage this study to initiate a company sponsored study at OSU and other sites with our particle production platform (PM21) in the same patient population later this year. Our proprietary PM21 platform is the only technology that produces NK-cell therapy without the use of feeder cell lines, which carry the risk of tumor cells and DNA in the final product."

The NK cell product will be manufactured in the OSU Cell Therapy Lab under the direction of Lynn O’Donnell, PhD, Director of Cell Therapy Engineering at OSUCCC – James Pelotonia Institute for Immuno-Oncology.

O’Donnell notes this off-the-shelf NK cell therapy is unique in several ways:

It is derived from normal human donors who have undergone the full FDA-mandated screening process and are demonstrating excellent NK cell expansion using the Kiadis FC21 technology.
The OSUCCC – James team is able to bank the cells ahead of patient enrollment. "Because of this, we do not need to wait for QC/QA release or ‘matching’ the donor to the recipient, saving weeks of critical time for patients with aggressive disease, " says O’Donnell, who also serves as an associate professor at The Ohio State University College of Medicine.
The NK cells are not genetically engineered like CAR-T cells, CAR-NK cells, or other allogeneic NK cell products, which O’Donnell notes eliminates the need for long-term follow up of patients, and reduces the overall regulatory burden.
NK cells are not derived from induced pluripotent stem cells or an irradiated tumor cell line, eliminating another source of risk for the patients long-term.