On February 10, 2020 Kite, a Gilead Company (Nasdaq: GILD), reported that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted the Biologics License Application (BLA) and granted Priority Review designation for KTE-X19, an investigational chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed or refractory mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) (Press release, Kite Pharma, FEB 10, 2020, View Source [SID1234554096]).
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The BLA is supported by data from the single arm, open-label, Phase 2 ZUMA-2 trial, which showed that 93 percent of patients responded to a single infusion of KTE-X19, including 67 percent of patients achieving a complete response, as assessed by an Independent Radiologic Review Committee (IRRC; median follow-up of 12.3 months). In the safety analysis, Grade 3 or higher cytokine release syndrome (CRS) and neurologic events were seen in 15 percent and 31 percent of patients, respectively. No Grade 5 CRS or neurologic events occurred. Detailed findings from this trial were recently presented during an oral session at the 61st American Society of Hematology (ASH) (Free ASH Whitepaper) Annual Meeting & Exposition in Orlando.
"Despite recent advances, patients with relapsed/refractory mantle cell lymphoma currently face a significant lack of effective treatment options once their disease no longer responds to currently available therapy," said Ken Takeshita, MD, Kite’s Global Head of Clinical Development. "Based on the encouraging results for KTE-X19, we are eager to continue discussions with the FDA on how to bring this innovative treatment to these patients who may benefit from CAR T therapy."
The Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA), or target action date, is August 10, 2020. The European Medicines Agency (EMA) recently validated the Marketing Authorization Application for KTE-X19 in the European Union. KTE-X19 has been granted Breakthrough Therapy Designation (BTD) by the FDA and Priority Medicines (PRIME) designation by the EMA for relapsed or refractory MCL.
KTE-X19 is investigational and not yet approved in any country globally. Its efficacy and safety have not been established. A final decision by the FDA is anticipated by August. More information about clinical trials with KTE-X19 is available at www.clinicaltrials.gov.
About MCL
MCL is a rare form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) that arises from cells originating in the "mantle zone" of the lymph node and typically affects men over the age of 60.
About ZUMA-2
ZUMA-2 is a single-arm, multicenter, open-label Phase 2 study involving 74 enrolled/leukapheresed adult patients (≥18 years old) with MCL whose disease is refractory to or has relapsed following up to five prior lines of therapy, including anthracycline or bendamustine-containing chemotherapy, anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody therapy and the BTK inhibitors ibrutinib or acalabrutinib. The objectives of the study are to evaluate the efficacy (60 patients) and safety (68 patients) after a single infusion of KTE-X19 in this patient population. The primary endpoint for the study is objective response rate (ORR). ORR in this trial is defined as the combined rate of complete responses and partial responses as assessed by an IRRC.
Secondary endpoints include duration of response, progression-free survival, overall survival, incidence of adverse events, incidence of anti-CD19 CAR antibodies, levels of anti-CD19 CAR T cells in blood, levels of cytokines in serum, and changes over time in the EQ-5D scale score and visual analogue scale score. The study is ongoing.
About KTE-X19
KTE-X19 is an investigational, autologous, anti-CD19 CAR T cell therapy. KTE-X19 uses the XLP manufacturing process that includes T-cell selection and lymphocyte enrichment. Lymphocyte enrichment is a necessary step in certain B-cell malignancies in which circulating lymphoblasts are a common feature. KTE-X19 is currently in Phase 1/2 trials in acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) and chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL).