On December 8, 2015 Merck (NYSE: MRK), known as MSD outside the United States and Canada, reported that new study findings investigating the use of KEYTRUDA (pembrolizumab), the company’s anti-PD-1 therapy, across a range of hematological cancers were presented at the 57th American Society of Hematology (ASH) (Free ASH Whitepaper) Annual Meeting (Press release, Merck & Co, DEC 8, 2015, View Source [SID:1234508490]).

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New and updated data were presented that demonstrate a potential role for KEYTRUDA in multiple myeloma, Hodgkin lymphoma, B-cell lymphoma, and Richter’s transformation in chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

"As part of our commitment to helping people with cancer, Merck is leading a broad immuno-oncology clinical program to evaluate the role of KEYTRUDA across several types of blood cancer," said Roger Dansey, M.D., senior vice president and therapeutic area head, oncology late-stage development, Merck Research Laboratories. "Despite the numerous advances in the treatment of blood cancers, there remains a significant unmet medical need. The findings presented at ASH (Free ASH Whitepaper) are encouraging, and reinforce the potential for KEYTRUDA in the treatment of these types of cancer."

KEYTRUDA data presented at ASH (Free ASH Whitepaper) included five presentations, with first-time findings in multiple myeloma and updated findings in classical Hodgkin lymphoma.

(Abstract #505) Oral Presentation: Pembrolizumab in Combination with Lenalidomide and Low-Dose Dexamethasone for Relapsed/Refractory Multiple Myeloma (RRMM): Keynote-023. J. San Miguel. Monday, Dec. 7, 7:00 AM EST. Location: Hall E1 (Orange County Convention Center).

(Abstract #584) Oral Presentation: PD-1 Blockade With Pembrolizumab in Patients With Classical Hodgkin Lymphoma After Brentuximab Vedotin Failure: Safety, Efficacy, and Biomarker Assessment. P. Armand. Monday, Dec. 7, 10:45 AM EST. Location: Hall E2 (Orange County Convention Center).

(Abstract #506) Oral Presentation: A Phase II Study of Anti PD-1 Antibody Pembrolizumab, Pomalidomide and Dexamethasone in Patients with Relapsed/Refractory Multiple Myeloma (RRMM). A. Badros. Monday, Dec. 7, 7:15 AM EST. Location: Hall E1 (Orange County Convention Center).

(Abstract #834) Oral Presentation: PD-1 Blockade with Pembrolizumab (MK-3475) in Relapsed/Refractory CLL including Richter Transformation: an early efficacy report from a phase 2 trial (MC1485). W. Ding. Monday, Dec. 7, 5:45 PM EST. Location: Valencia BC (Orange County Convention Center).

(Abstract #3986) Poster Presentation: Phase 1b Study of PD-1 Blockade with Pembrolizumab in Patients with Relapsed/Refractory Primary Mediastinal Large B-Cell Lymphoma (PMBCL). P. Zinzani. Monday, Dec. 7, 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM EST. Location: Hall A (Orange County Convention Center).

The KEYTRUDA program currently addresses more than 30 tumor types in more than 160 clinical trials, including more than 80 trials that combine KEYTRUDA with other cancer treatments. Within this program, there is a strong focus on hematological malignancies, with approximately 20 trials evaluating KEYTRUDA in blood cancers. This includes four registration-enabling studies in Hodgkin lymphoma and multiple myeloma, as well as more than 15 combinations of KEYTRUDA with other treatments for specific hematologic malignancies.

Registration-enabling trials of KEYTRUDA are also currently enrolling patients suffering from melanoma, NSCLC, head and neck cancer, bladder cancer, gastric cancer, colorectal cancer, esophageal cancer, and breast cancer, with further trials in planning for other malignancies.

About Blood Cancers

In most blood cancers, also called hematological malignancies, the normal blood cell development process is interrupted by uncontrolled growth of an abnormal type of cancerous blood cell. These cancerous cells prevent blood from performing many of its functions, like fighting off infections or preventing serious bleeding. There are three main types of blood cancer: leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma. In 2012, an estimated 916,000 people worldwide were diagnosed and 570,000 people died from one of the three main types of blood cancer.

About KEYTRUDA (pembrolizumab) Injection 100 mg

KEYTRUDA is a humanized monoclonal antibody that works by increasing the ability of the body’s immune system to help detect and fight tumor cells. KEYTRUDA blocks the interaction between PD-1 and its ligands, PD-L1 and PD-L2, thereby activating T lymphocytes which may affect both tumor cells and healthy cells.

KEYTRUDA is indicated in the United States at a dose of 2 mg/kg administered as an intravenous infusion over 30 minutes every three weeks for the treatment of patients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) whose tumors express PD-L1 as determined by an FDA-approved test with disease progression on or after platinum-containing chemotherapy. Patients with EGFR or ALK genomic tumor aberrations should have disease progression on FDA-approved therapy for these aberrations prior to receiving KEYTRUDA. KEYTRUDA is also indicated at the same dosing for the treatment of patients with unresectable or metastatic melanoma and disease progression following ipilimumab and, if BRAF V600 mutation positive, a BRAF inhibitor. These indications are approved under accelerated approval based on tumor response rate and durability of response. An improvement in survival or disease-related symptoms has not yet been established. Continued approval for these indications may be contingent upon verification and description of clinical benefit in the confirmatory trials.

Selected Important Safety Information for KEYTRUDA (pembrolizumab)

Pneumonitis, including fatal cases, occurred in patients receiving KEYTRUDA. Pneumonitis occurred in 12 (2.9%) of 411 melanoma patients, including Grade 2 or 3 cases in 8 (1.9%) and 1 (0.2%) patients, respectively, receiving KEYTRUDA. Pneumonitis occurred in 19 (3.5%) of 550 patients with NSCLC, including Grade 2 (1.1%), 3 (1.3%), 4 (0.4%), or 5 (0.2%) pneumonitis in patients, receiving KEYTRUDA. Monitor patients for signs and symptoms of pneumonitis. Evaluate suspected pneumonitis with radiographic imaging. Administer corticosteroids for Grade 2 or greater pneumonitis. Withhold KEYTRUDA for Grade 2; permanently discontinue KEYTRUDA for Grade 3 or 4 or recurrent Grade 2 pneumonitis.

Colitis (including microscopic colitis) occurred in 4 (1%) of 411 patients with melanoma, including Grade 2 or 3 cases in 1 (0.2%) and 2 (0.5%) patients, respectively, receiving KEYTRUDA. Colitis occurred in 4 (0.7 %) of 550 patients with NSCLC, including Grade 2 (0.2%) or 3 (0.4%) colitis in patients receiving KEYTRUDA. Monitor patients for signs and symptoms of colitis. Administer corticosteroids for Grade 2 or greater colitis. Withhold KEYTRUDA for Grade 2 or 3; permanently discontinue KEYTRUDA for Grade 4 colitis.

Hepatitis occurred in patients receiving KEYTRUDA. Hepatitis (including autoimmune hepatitis) occurred in 2 (0.5%) of 411 patients with melanoma, including a Grade 4 case in 1 (0.2%) patient, receiving KEYTRUDA. Monitor patients for changes in liver function. Administer corticosteroids for Grade 2 or greater hepatitis and, based on severity of liver enzyme elevations, withhold or discontinue KEYTRUDA.

Hypophysitis occurred in 2 (0.5%) of 411 patients with melanoma, including a Grade 2 case in 1 and a Grade 4 case in 1 (0.2% each) patient, receiving KEYTRUDA. Hypophysitis occurred in 1 (0.2 %) of 550 patients with NSCLC, which was Grade 3 in severity. Monitor patients for signs and symptoms of hypophysitis (including hypopituitarism and adrenal insufficiency). Administer corticosteroids and hormone replacement as indicated. Withhold KEYTRUDA for Grade 2 and withhold or discontinue for Grade 3 or Grade 4 hypophysitis.

Hyperthyroidism occurred in 5 (1.2%) of 411 patients with melanoma, including Grade 2 or 3 cases in 2 (0.5%) and 1 (0.2%) patients, respectively, receiving KEYTRUDA. Hypothyroidism occurred in 34 (8.3%) of 411 patients with melanoma, including a Grade 3 case in 1 (0.2%) patient, receiving KEYTRUDA. Hyperthyroidism occurred in 10 (1.8%) of 550 patients with NSCLC, including Grade 2 (0.7%) or 3 (0.3%). Hypothyroidism occurred in 38 (6.9%) of 550 patients with NSCLC, including Grade 2 (5.5%) or 3 (0.2%). Thyroid disorders can occur at any time during treatment. Monitor patients for changes in thyroid function (at the start of treatment, periodically during treatment, and as indicated based on clinical evaluation) and for clinical signs and symptoms of thyroid disorders. Administer replacement hormones for hypothyroidism and manage hyperthyroidism with thionamides and beta-blockers as appropriate. Withhold or discontinue KEYTRUDA for Grade 3 or Grade 4 hyperthyroidism.

Type 1 diabetes mellitus, including diabetic ketoacidosis, has occurred in patients receiving KEYTRUDA. Monitor patients for hyperglycemia or other signs and symptoms of diabetes. Administer insulin for type 1 diabetes, and withhold KEYTRUDA and administer anti-hyperglycemics in patients with severe hyperglycemia.

Nephritis occurred in patients receiving KEYTRUDA. Nephritis occurred in 3 (0.7%) patients with melanoma, consisting of one case of Grade 2 autoimmune nephritis (0.2%) and two cases of interstitial nephritis with renal failure (0.5%), one Grade 3 and one Grade 4. Monitor patients for changes in renal function. Administer corticosteroids for Grade 2 or greater nephritis. Withhold KEYTRUDA for Grade 2; permanently discontinue KEYTRUDA for Grade 3 or 4 nephritis.

Other clinically important immune-mediated adverse reactions can occur. For suspected immune-mediated adverse reactions, ensure adequate evaluation to confirm etiology or exclude other causes. Based on the severity of the adverse reaction, withhold KEYTRUDA and administer corticosteroids. Upon improvement of the adverse reaction to Grade 1 or less, initiate corticosteroid taper and continue to taper over at least 1 month. Resume KEYTRUDA when the adverse reaction remains at Grade 1 or less following steroid taper. Permanently discontinue KEYTRUDA for any severe or Grade 3 immune-mediated adverse reaction that recurs and for any life-threatening immune-mediated adverse reaction.

Across clinical studies with KEYTRUDA, the following clinically significant, immune-mediated adverse reactions have occurred: bullous pemphigoid and Guillain-Barré syndrome. The following clinically significant, immune-mediated adverse reactions occurred in less than 1% of patients with melanoma treated with KEYTRUDA: exfoliative dermatitis, uveitis, arthritis, myositis, pancreatitis, hemolytic anemia, and partial seizures arising in a patient with inflammatory foci in brain parenchyma. The following clinically significant, immune-mediated adverse reactions occurred in less than 1% of 550 patients with NSCLC treated with KEYTRUDA: rash, vasculitis, hemolytic anemia, serum sickness, and myasthenia gravis.

Infusion-related reactions, including severe and life-threatening reactions, have occurred in patients receiving KEYTRUDA. Monitor patients for signs and symptoms of infusion related reactions including rigors, chills, wheezing, pruritus, flushing, rash, hypotension, hypoxemia, and fever. For severe or life-threatening reactions, stop infusion and permanently discontinue KEYTRUDA.

Based on its mechanism of action, KEYTRUDA can cause fetal harm when administered to a pregnant woman. If used during pregnancy, or if the patient becomes pregnant during treatment, apprise the patient of the potential hazard to a fetus. Advise females of reproductive potential to use highly effective contraception during treatment and for 4 months after the last dose of KEYTRUDA.

Among the 411 patients with metastatic melanoma, KEYTRUDA was discontinued for adverse reactions in 9% of 411 patients. Adverse reactions, reported in at least two patients, that led to discontinuation of KEYTRUDA were: pneumonitis, renal failure, and pain. Serious adverse reactions occurred in 36% of patients. The most frequent serious adverse reactions, reported in 2% or more of patients, were renal failure, dyspnea, pneumonia, and cellulitis. The most common adverse reactions (reported in at least 20% of patients) were fatigue (47%), cough (30%), nausea (30%), pruritus (30%), rash (29%), decreased appetite (26%), constipation (21%), arthralgia (20%), and diarrhea (20%).

Among the 550 patients with metastatic NSCLC, KEYTRUDA was discontinued due to adverse reactions in 14% of patients. Serious adverse reactions occurred in 38% of patients. The most frequent serious adverse reactions reported in 2% or more of patients were pleural effusion, pneumonia, dyspnea, pulmonary embolism, and pneumonitis. The most common adverse reactions (reported in at least 20% of patients) were fatigue (44%), decreased appetite (25%), dyspnea (23%), and cough (29%).

No formal pharmacokinetic drug interaction studies have been conducted with KEYTRUDA.

It is not known whether KEYTRUDA is excreted in human milk. Because many drugs are excreted in human milk, instruct women to discontinue nursing during treatment with KEYTRUDA and for 4 months after the final dose.

Safety and effectiveness of KEYTRUDA have not been established in pediatric patients.

On December 8, 2015 Ignyta, Inc. (Nasdaq: RXDX), a precision oncology biotechnology company, reported that the European Medicines Agency (EMA) has granted orphan drug designation for Ignyta’s product candidate entrectinib for the treatment of neuroblastoma (Press release, Ignyta, DEC 8, 2015, View Source [SID:1234508488]).

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"We are pleased that the EMA has provided this designation for entrectinib, adding to our orphan designations in the U.S. for the treatment of neuroblastoma and the treatment of TrkA-, TrkB-, TrkC-, ROS1- or ALK-positive non-small cell lung cancer and colorectal cancer," said Jonathan Lim, M.D., Chairman and CEO of Ignyta. "Entrectinib has the potential to address unmet needs of patients with rare cancers, and we will continue to aggressively pursue our clinical development program for entrectinib in solid tumors for the benefit of these patients."

About Entrectinib

Entrectinib is a novel, orally available, selective tyrosine kinase inhibitor targeting tumors that harbor activating alterations to NTRK1/2/3 (encoding TrkA/ TrkB/TrkC), ROS1 or ALK. Entrectinib is the most potent Trk inhibitor in the clinic, without undesirable off-target activity, and the only Trk inhibitor with clinically demonstrated activity against CNS metastases. This product candidate is in a Phase 2 clinical trial called STARTRK-2, which is the second of the "Studies of Tumor Alterations Responsive to Targeting Receptor Kinases." The trial is a global, multicenter, open label, potentially registration-enabling Phase 2 clinical trial of entrectinib that utilizes a basket design with screening of patient tumor samples for the relevant targets. Such a basket design takes full advantage of entrectinib’s demonstrated preliminary clinical activity across a range of different tumor types and molecular targets.

On December 8, 2015 Eagle Pharmaceuticals, Inc. ("Eagle" or "the Company") (Nasdaq:EGRX) reported that it has achieved the milestone which entitles the Company to receive a $15 million payment from Teva Pharmaceuticals Industries Ltd. resulting from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration ("FDA") approval of BENDEKA, (bendamustine hydrochloride) injection, a liquid, low-volume (50 mL) and short-time 10-minute infusion formulation of bendamustine for the treatment of patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia ("CLL") and for the treatment of patients with indolent B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma ("NHL") that has progressed during or within six months of treatment with rituximab or a rituximab-containing regimen (Press release, Eagle Pharmaceuticals, DEC 8, 2015, View Source [SID:1234508487]).

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The Company will receive a 20% royalty on net sales of BENDEKA. In addition, Eagle may earn an incremental step-up royalty upon the achievement of future milestones.

"We look forward to Teva’s successful commercialization of this new treatment option. We believe the $15 million milestone payment triggered by approval, coupled with future royalties of 20% on Teva’s net sales of BENDEKA, will expedite Eagle’s ability to deliver long-term, sustainable growth," stated Scott Tarriff, President and Chief Executive Officer of Eagle Pharmaceuticals.

BENDEKA was granted Orphan Drug Designations for both CLL and indolent B-cell NHL.

Under the February 2015 exclusive license agreement for BENDEKA, Teva is responsible for all U.S. commercial activities for the product including promotion and distribution.

On December 8, 2015 Medigene AG (MDG1, Frankfurt, Prime Standard) reported that early data from two independent clinical programmes in patient groups with acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) receiving dendritic cell (DC) vaccines, prepared according to technologies licensed and developed by Medigene, show an excellent safety profile and the capacity to induce T cell responses in elderly patients unable to undergo stem cell transplantation (Press release, MediGene, DEC 8, 2015, View Source [SID:1234508484]).

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Two posters were presented at the 57th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Hematology (ASH) (Free ASH Whitepaper) in Orlando, FL, USA, detailing early clinical results of patients with acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) treated with these next-generation DC vaccines. One poster, entitled "Next-Generation Dendritic Cell Vaccination in Postremission Therapy of AML: Results of a Clinical Phase I Trial", included data from an ongoing Phase I/II investigator initiated trial (IIT) under the direction of Prof. Marion Subklewe of the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität (LMU) in Munich, Germany. In particular, results were presented regarding the six patients included in a Phase I proof-of-concept study who have completed vaccination lasting up to 26 weeks. The second poster entitled "AML Patients in Minimal Residual Disease Vaccinated with a Novel Generation of Fast Dendritic Cells Expressing WT-1 and PRAME Mount Specific Immune Responses That Relate to Clinical Outcome" included results from four patients treated with DCs from 5 to 16 months so far in an ongoing Compassionate Use Programme[1] under the direction of Prof. Gunnar Kvalheim at Oslo University Hospital (OUH) in Norway.

Links to the poster abstracts:
Phase I/II IIT of LMU: View Source
Compassionate Use Programme of OUH: View Source

Prof. Marion Subklewe, Professor of Internal Medicine with special Focus on Cellular Immunotherapy at the Ludwig-Maximilian University Großhadern, Munich, explains: "Upon completion of our Phase I trial, we have obtained the first evidence that use of WT-1 and PRAME as vaccine antigens can be validated through detection of T cell responses in various patients analysed to date".

Prof. Gunnar Kvalheim, Head of Department of Cellular Therapy at the Oslo University Hospital comments on his findings so far: "We are optimistic that these results pave the way for DC vaccines as a new therapy option for patients that have high risk for disease relapse and do not qualify for stem cell transplantation. The feasibility to make good quality DC vaccines from heavily pretreated patients and the capacity of our patients to make T cell responses to one or both antigens are important early findings."

Prof. Dolores J. Schendel, Chief Scientific Officer of Medigene AG, summarizes the findings from the two ASH (Free ASH Whitepaper) reports: "We are pleased with the new information that could be derived from the preliminary assessments of the ten AML patients receiving next-generation DC vaccines in these ongoing independent studies. It was feasible to manufacture high quality DCs according to our technology that led to detectable immune responses in different patients to one or both leukaemia-associated antigens. The rapidity with which T cell responses were detected in some patients speaks to the good immunizing capacity of the DCs. These observations support the approach implemented in our own company-sponsored DC vaccine trial that was launched in March of this year at OUH."