Subgroup Analysis from Pivotal WU-KONG1B Study Exhibits Robust Efficacy of Sunvozertinib in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Patients with EGFR Exon 20 Insertion Mutations Across Different Baseline Characteristics

On September 17, 2024 Dizal (SSE:688192), a biopharmaceutical company committed to developing novel medicines for the treatment of cancer and immunological diseases, reported subgroup analysis findings of its WU-KONG1 Part B (WU-KONG1B) study at the 2024 European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) (Free ESMO Whitepaper) Congress (Press release, Dizal Pharma, SEP 17, 2024, View Source [SID1234646712]). The results showed promising anti-tumor efficacy of sunvozertinib in relapsed or refractory non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) exon 20 insertion mutations (exon20ins) across different baseline characteristics, underpinning its significant clinical value for this patient population around the globe.

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WU-KONG1B is an open-label, multinational pivotal study to investigate the efficacy and safety of sunvozertinib in relapsed or refractory NSCLC with EGFR exon20ins. The study is currently being conducted across 10 countries and regions in Asia, Europe, North America, and South America. WU-KONG1B met its primary endpoint, with the preliminary results featured as an oral presentation at the 2024 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) (Free ASCO Whitepaper) Annual Meeting, demonstrating the transformative potential of sunvozertinib as a single, oral agent to treat EGFR exon20ins NSCLC. Results of the subgroup analysis were presented on September 14 at the 2024 ESMO (Free ESMO Whitepaper) Congress in Barcelona, Spain.

As of March 22, 2024, a total of 107 patients with at least 33 EGFR exon20ins subtypes were included in the efficacy analysis set. The key findings were as follows:

Per independent review committee (IRC) assessment, target lesions shrinkage was observed in 92.4% (98/106) of patients.
Per IRC assessment, the best objective response rate (ORR) was 53.3%, including 3 complete response (CR).
By EGFR exon20ins region classification, the best ORR in near loop, far loop, C-helix and unknown were 51.9%, 59.1%, 66.7% and 40%, respectively.
IRC assessed ORR was comparable between different subgroups regardless of race, region, baseline disease characteristics and prior anti-cancer treatment history.

Race

Region

Baseline BM

Best Response, n (%)

Asian

(n = 62)

Non-Asian

(n = 45)

Asia

(n = 58)

Non-Asia

(n = 49)

With

(n = 27)

Without

(n = 80)

CR

3 (4.8)

0 (0.0)

3 (5.2)

0 (0.0)

0 (0.0)

3 (3.8)

PR

32 (51.6)

22 (48.9)

29 (50.0)

25 (51.0)

18 (66.7)

36 (45.0)

Prior Amivantamab treatment

Prior IO treatment

Best Response, n (%)

With

(n = 14)

Without

(n = 93)

With

(n = 52)

Without

(n = 55)

CR

0 (0.0)

3 (3.2)

2 (3.8)

1 (1.8)

PR

7 (50.0)

47 (50.5)

26 (50.0)

28 (50.9)

With median follow-up of 7 months, duration of response (DoR) was not reached, and 66.7% of responders were still responding.
The safety profile was similar to previously reported results, and clinically manageable.
"WU-KONG1B study enrolled more than 40% of non-Asian patients. The subgroup analysis suggested superior anti-tumor efficacies and well-tolerated safety profiles of sunvozertinib across EGFR exon20ins NSCLC patients with different baseline demographics and clinical characteristics on a global scale. We are intensifying our efforts to advance ongoing global pivotal studies and regulatory submissions of this FDA Breakthrough Therapy Designated asset, making available an effective and safe oral option to more patients around the world." said Xiaolin Zhang, PhD, CEO of Dizal.

WU-KONG28, a phase Ⅲ multinational randomized study, is ongoing to assess sunvozertinib versus platinum-based doublet chemotherapy as a first-line treatment in patients from 16 countries and regions in Asia, Europe, North America, and South America. The anticipated data of this study is expected to further improve outcomes of patients in this realm.

About sunvozertinib (DZD9008)

Sunvozertinib is an irreversible EGFR inhibitor discovered by Dizal scientists targeting a wide spectrum of EGFR mutations with wild-type EGFR selectivity. In August 2023, sunvozertinib received approval from NMPA to treat advanced NSCLC with EGFR exon20ins after platinum-based chemotherapies. The approval is based on the results of WU-KONG6 study, the pivotal study of sunvozertinib in platinum-based chemotherapy pretreated NSCLC with EGFR exon20ins. The primary endpoint of the study was the confirmed overall response rate (cORR) as assessed by the Independent Review Committee (IRC) reached 60.8%. Anti-tumor efficacy was observed across a broad range of EGFR exon20ins subtypes, and in patients with pretreated and stable brain metastasis. In addition, sunvozertinib also demonstrated encouraging anti-tumor activity in NSCLC patients with EGFR sensitizing, T790M, and uncommon mutations (such as G719X, L861Q, etc.), as well as HER2 exon20ins.

Sunvozertinib showed a well-tolerated and manageable safety profile in the clinic. The most common drug-related TEAEs (treatment-emergent adverse event) were Grade 1/2 in nature and clinically manageable.

Two global pivotal studies are ongoing in ≥ 2nd line (WU-KONG1 Part B) and 1st line setting (WU-KONG28), respectively, in NSCLC patients with EGFR exon20ins.

Pre-clinical and clinical results of sunvozertinib were published in peer-reviewed journals Cancer Discovery (IF:39.397) and The Lancet Respiratory Medicine (IF: 76.2).

BeiGene Receives Israeli Ministry of Health Approval for TEVIMBRA® for the Treatment of Oesophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma (OSCC) After Prior Chemotherapy

On September 17, 2024 BeiGene, Ltd. (NASDAQ: BGNE; HKEX: 06160; SSE: 688235), a global oncology company, reported that the Israeli Ministry of Health (IL MOH) has approved TEVIMBRA (tislelizumab) as monotherapy for the treatment of adult patients with unresectable or metastatic oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma (OESCC) after prior systemic chemotherapy (Press release, BeiGene, SEP 17, 2024, View Source [SID1234646697]).

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"In Israel, the incidence of cancer continues to rise, with solid tumors representing a substantial health burden and where access to these inhibitors remains limited for the patients. The recent approval of Tevimbra by the Israeli Ministry of Health provides a new, innovative treatment for patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), offering renewed hope and potentially improved outcomes for those affected by these challenging malignancies," said Itzik Mizrahi, Country General Manager of BeiGene Israel. "We are pleased to have received approval in Israel, which represents a significant step forward in our mission to bring innovative treatments to cancer patients around the world."

BeiGene is focused on expanding the availability of Tevimbra in Israel. The company has recently submitted applications for first- and second-line treatments for both squamous and non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and plans future filings for first-line oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma (OESCC) and gastric cancer (GC).

BeiGene has launched more than 17 potentially registration-enabling trials with TEVIMBRA, of which 11 Phase 3 randomized trials and four Phase 2 trials have already had positive readouts. Through these trials, TEVIMBRA has demonstrated its potential to deliver clinically meaningful improvements in survival benefits and quality of life for hundreds of thousands of cancer patients across a range of tumor types – in many cases, regardless of PD-(L)1 status – both as monotherapy and in combination with other regimens. More than 900,000 patients have been prescribed TEVIMBRA globally to date.

Tislelizumab received approval by the European Commission for advanced or metastatic ESCC after prior chemotherapy in 2023 and a positive opinion by the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) in February 2024 as a treatment for non-small cell lung cancer across three indications.

About TEVIMBRA (tislelizumab)

Tislelizumab is a uniquely designed humanized immunoglobulin G4 (IgG4) anti-programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) monoclonal antibody with high affinity and binding specificity against PD-1. It is designed to minimize binding to Fc-gamma (Fcγ) receptors on macrophages, helping to aid the body’s immune cells to detect and fight tumors.

ImmPACT Bio to Participate at Cell & Gene Therapy International 2024

On September 17, 2024 ImmPACT Bio USA, Inc. ("ImmPACT Bio"), a clinical-stage company developing transformative logic-gate-based chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapies for treating cancer and autoimmune diseases, reported that it will participate at the Cell & Gene Therapy International 2024 meeting, to be held September 23-26, 2024 in Boston, MA (Press release, ImmPACT-Bio, SEP 17, 2024, View Source;gene-therapy-international-2024-302248187.html [SID1234646713]). Sylvain Roy, ImmPACT Bio’s chief technology officer, will provide a presentation about cell therapy manufacturing entitled, "Transitioning from Manual to Automated Processing in Autologous CAR T Manufacturing: A Case Study," on Wednesday, September 25, 2024 at 12:00 PM ET.

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"While the efficacy and durability of autologous CAR T therapies remain unparalleled, a key challenge for scalability and continued adoption is the complexity and cost of manufacturing," said Mr. Roy. "At this meeting, ImmPACT Bio will present a case study of transition from an established GMP manual process to an automated, closed-processing manufacturing platform, and address key aspects on the optimization of CAR T-cell therapy manufacturing."

Blenrep (belantamab mafodotin) combinations in relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma accepted for regulatory review in Japan

On September 16, 2024 GSK plc (LSE/NYSE: GSK) reported that Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) has accepted for review a new drug application (NDA) for Blenrep (belantamab mafodotin) in combination with bortezomib plus dexamethasone (BorDex) or pomalidomide plus dexamethasone (PomDex) as a treatment for relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma (Press release, GlaxoSmithKline, SEP 17, 2024, View Source [SID1234646665]). MHLW also has granted orphan drug designation for Blenrep, which reflects the high unmet medical need and ensures priority NDA review in multiple myeloma.

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This is the third major regulatory filing acceptance for belantamab mafodotin combinations in the treatment of relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma, following marketing authorisation application acceptance2 by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) in July 2024 and by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) in the UK earlier this month.

Hesham Abdullah, Senior Vice President, Global Head Oncology, R&D, GSK, said: "Blenrep combinations show potential based on the results of the DREAMM-7 and DREAMM-8 trials to redefine the treatment of relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma. We are committed to working with health authorities worldwide to advance Blenrep along regulatory pathways so we can bring these additional treatment options to patients as quickly as possible."

Multiple myeloma presents a growing health concern in Japan, where the number of patients diagnosed with multiple myeloma per year has increased continuously over the last five decades.3,4 This underscores the urgent need for more treatment options for patients in Japan, particularly those with progressing disease that has become resistant to the current standard of care.

The application is based on interim results from the DREAMM-7 and DREAMM-8 phase III trials, which both met their primary endpoints, showing statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvements in progression-free survival (PFS) for the belantamab mafodotin combinations compared to standard of care combinations in relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma. A positive overall survival (OS) trend was observed in both trials but was not statistically significant at the time of interim analysis. Follow-up for OS continues. The DREAMM-7 trial is evaluating belantamab mafodotin combined with BorDex versus daratumumab plus BorDex, while the DREAMM-8 trial is evaluating belantamab mafodotin in combination with PomDex versus bortezomib plus PomDex.

Results from both trials also showed clinically meaningful improvements across all other secondary efficacy endpoints, including deeper and more durable responses compared to the respective standard of care combinations. The safety and tolerability profiles of the belantamab mafodotin combinations in DREAMM-7 and DREAMM-8 trials were broadly consistent with the known profiles of the individual agents.

About multiple myeloma
Multiple myeloma is the third most common blood cancer globally and is generally considered treatable but not curable.1,5 There are approximately more than 180,000 new cases of multiple myeloma diagnosed globally each year.6 More than 7,200 new cases of multiple myeloma are diagnosed in Japan each year.1 Research into new therapies is needed as multiple myeloma commonly becomes refractory to available treatments.7

About DREAMM-7
The DREAMM-7 phase III clinical trial is a multicentre, open-label, randomised trial evaluating the efficacy and safety of belantamab mafodotin in combination with BorDex compared to a combination of daratumumab and BorDex in patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma who previously were treated with at least one prior line of multiple myeloma therapy, with documented disease progression during or after their most recent therapy.

A total of 494 participants, including Japanese patients, were randomised at a 1:1 ratio to receive either belantamab mafodotin in combination with BorDex or a combination of daratumumab and BorDex. Belantamab mafodotin was scheduled to be dosed at 2.5mg/kg intravenously every three weeks.

The primary endpoint is PFS as per an independent review committee. The key secondary endpoints include OS, duration of response (DOR), and minimal residual disease (MRD) negativity rate as assessed by next-generation sequencing. Other secondary endpoints include overall response rate (ORR), safety, and patient reported and quality of life outcomes.

Results from DREAMM-7 were first presented8 at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) (Free ASCO Whitepaper) Plenary Series in February 2024, shared in an encore presentation at the 2024 ASCO (Free ASCO Whitepaper) Annual Meeting, and published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

A Japan expansion cohort is set to further evaluate the DREAMM-7 protocol in Japanese patients. Results for Japanese participants will be presented at a future scientific meeting.

About DREAMM-8
The DREAMM-8 phase III clinical trial is a multicentre, open-label, randomised trial evaluating the efficacy and safety of belantamab mafodotin in combination with PomDex compared to a combination of bortezomib and PomDex in patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma previously treated with at least one prior line of multiple myeloma therapy, including a lenalidomide-containing regimen, and who have documented disease progression during or after their most recent therapy. Compared to the patient population studied in the DREAMM-7 trial, patients in DREAMM-8 were more heavily pre-treated in that all had prior exposure to lenalidomide, 75% were refractory to lenalidomide, 25% had prior daratumumab exposure and of those most were daratumumab refractory.

A total of 302 participants, including Japanese patients, were randomised at a 1:1 ratio to receive either belantamab mafodotin plus PomDex, or bortezomib plus PomDex.

The primary endpoint is PFS as per an independent review committee. The key secondary endpoints include OS and MRD negativity rate as assessed by next-generation sequencing. Other secondary endpoints include ORR, DOR, safety, and patient reported and quality of life outcomes.

Results from DREAMM-8 were first presented9 at the 2024 ASCO (Free ASCO Whitepaper) Annual Meeting and published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

A Japan expansion cohort is set to further evaluate the DREAMM-8 protocol in Japanese patients. Results for Japanese participants will be presented at a future scientific meeting.

About Blenrep
Blenrep is an antibody-drug conjugate comprising a humanised B-cell maturation antigen monoclonal antibody conjugated to the cytotoxic agent auristatin F via a non-cleavable linker. The drug linker technology is licensed from Seagen Inc.; the monoclonal antibody is produced using POTELLIGENT Technology licensed from BioWa Inc., a member of the Kyowa Kirin Group.

Blenrep is approved as monotherapy in Hong Kong, Israel and Singapore. Refer to the local Summary of Product Characteristics for a full list of adverse events and complete important safety information.

BioNTech to Host AI Day as an Edition of its Innovation Series on October 1, 2024

On September 17, 2024 BioNTech SE (Nasdaq: BNTX, "BioNTech"), alongside its artificial intelligence ("AI") company InstaDeep Ltd. ("InstaDeep"), reported that it will host an AI Day, an edition of BioNTech’s "Innovation Series", at 09:00 a.m. EDT (3:00 p.m. CEST) on Tuesday, October 1st, 2024 in London, United Kingdom (Press release, BioNTech, SEP 17, 2024, View Source [SID1234646698]). The event will provide an overview of BioNTech’s and InstaDeep’s AI strategy and capabilities, and the application of AI in BioNTech’s pipeline and internal processes.

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The live webcast of the event will be available via this link.

A replay of the webcast will be available shortly after the event’s conclusion and archived on BioNTech’s website for one year after.