On October 22, 2021 Agenus (NASDAQ: AGEN), an immuno-oncology company with an extensive pipeline of checkpoint antibodies, cell therapies, adjuvants, and vaccines designed to activate immune response to cancers and infections, reported a strategic decision to withdraw its Biologics License Application (BLA) for balstilimab, its PD-1 inhibitor (Press release, Agenus, OCT 22, 2021, View Source [SID1234591771]). The decision to withdraw the BLA does not change the development plans for balstilimab combinations.
Schedule your 30 min Free 1stOncology Demo!
Discover why more than 1,500 members use 1stOncology™ to excel in:
Early/Late Stage Pipeline Development - Target Scouting - Clinical Biomarkers - Indication Selection & Expansion - BD&L Contacts - Conference Reports - Combinatorial Drug Settings - Companion Diagnostics - Drug Repositioning - First-in-class Analysis - Competitive Analysis - Deals & Licensing
Schedule Your 30 min Free Demo!
Following the full approval of pembrolizumab, announced four months earlier than the FDA goal date, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) no longer considered it appropriate to review the BLA for accelerated approval and recommended Agenus withdraw. The BLA submission for balstilimab received Fast Track and Priority Review designation from the FDA, with a target action date of December 16, 2021. As part of the BLA review process, Agenus successfully completed 3 FDA inspections with no cited issues, concerns, or Form-483s.
As previously reported, in the largest single-arm trial to date in this population (140 evaluable patients), balstilimab demonstrated objective responses in both PD-L1 positive and negative patients, with an objective response rate (ORR) of 20% and 8% respectively1. Pembrolizumab has demonstrated an ORR of 14% and 0% in PD-L1 positive and negative patients respectively, which led to its accelerated approval in 2018. Balstilimab has shown superior killing of PD-L1 negative tumors compared to other anti PD-1 therapies, including pembrolizumab, suggesting a broader mechanism consistent with balstilimab’s clinical activity in both PD-L1 positive and negative cervical cancer2.
Concurrent with the withdrawal, Agenus will discontinue its ongoing confirmatory trial (BRAVA) in this population, which is expected to reduce R&D expenses by over $100M. However, given the clinical benefit demonstrated by balstilimab, Agenus plans to launch expanded access programs to give patients and doctors access to balstilimab in several countries, including the US, pending regulatory processes.
"While the commercial market for balstilimab monotherapy in second line cervical cancer was always anticipated to be small, Agenus’ priority remains developing balstilimab as a necessary component of highly effective and affordable combination therapies, both with its own portfolio and with partners, including in combination with Agenus’ next-generation CTLA-4, AGEN1181," said Garo Armen, CEO and Chairman of Agenus.
"Balstilimab has demonstrated meaningful clinical activity and an excellent safety profile in second-line cervical cancer, including in PD-L1 negative patients, who are ineligible to receive standard of care anti-PD-1 therapy, which makes the decision to withdraw so difficult for us," said Steven O’Day, MD, Chief Medical Officer of Agenus. "Balstilimab remains a critical component of our combination regimens, including with our next-generation CTLA-4 agent, AGEN1181. Concomitant with presentation of new data at SITC (Free SITC Whitepaper) next month, we continue to accelerate development of AGEN1181 in combination with balstilimab in trials designed to rapidly support full or accelerated approval in multiple tumor types."
Agenus executives will host a conference call to discuss this update at 8:30AM ET today.
Conference Call
Dial-in numbers: (833) 614-1394 (US) or (914) 987-7115 (International); Conference ID: 5399638.
Webcast
A live webcast and replay of the conference call will be accessible from the Events & Presentations page of the Company’s website at View Source and via View Source
References
1. D.M. O’Malley, A. Oaknin, B.J. Monk, et al., Phase II study of the safety and efficacy of the anti-PD-1 antibody balstilimab inpatients with rec…, Gynecologic Oncology, View Source
2. C. Joyce, D. Chand et al., Differentiated activity profile for the PD-1 inhibitor balstilimab. Journal of Clinical Oncology 39, no. 15_suppl (May 20, 2021) 5529-5529.
About Balstilimab
Balstilimab is a novel, fully human monoclonal immunoglobulin G4 (IgG4) designed to block PD-1 (programmed cell death protein 1) from interacting with its ligands PD-L1 and PD-L2. PD-1 is a negative regulator of immune activation that is considered a foundational target within the immuno-oncology market.