On December 1, 2019 Innovent Biologics, Inc. ("Innovent" or "the Company") (HKEX: 01801), a world-class biopharmaceutical company that develops and commercializes high quality medicines for the treatment of oncology, autoimmune, metabolic and other major diseases, reported that the new drug application ("NDA") submitted by Incyte to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration ("FDA") for pemigatinib in previously treated, locally advanced or metastatic cholangiocarcinoma with FGFR2 fusions or rearrangements has been accepted for Priority Review by FDA (Press release, Innovent Biologics, DEC 1, 2019, View Source [SID1234551850]).

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In December 2018, Innovent and Incyte entered into a strategic collaboration for three clinical-stage product candidates discovered and developed by Incyte, including pemigatinib (FGFR1/2/3 inhibitor), itacitinib (JAK1 inhibitor) and parsaclisib (PI3Kδ inhibitor). Under the terms of the agreement, Innovent has received the rights to develop and commercialize the three assets in hematology and oncology in Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan. IND approvals for all three assets were granted by the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) in November 2019.

The NDA submission is based on data from Incyte’s FIGHT-202 study evaluating pemigatinib as a treatment for patients with previously treated, locally advanced or metastatic cholangiocarcinoma. Study results, recently presented at the European Society for Medical Oncology ("ESMO") 2019 Congress, demonstrated that in patients harboring FGFR2 fusions or rearrangements (Cohort A), pemigatinib monotherapy resulted in an overall response rate ("ORR") of 36 percent (primary endpoint), and median duration of response ("DOR") of 7.5 months (secondary endpoint) with a median follow-up of 15 months. Adverse events were manageable and consistent with the mechanism of action of pemigatinib.

The FDA grants Priority Review to medicines that may offer a major advance in treatment where none currently exists. This designation shortens the review period to eight months compared to 12 months for Standard Review. The Prescription Drug User Fee Act ("PDUFA") target action date is May 30, 2020.

Cholangiocarcinoma is a rare cancer that forms in the bile duct. It is classified based on its origin: intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma ("iCCA") occurs in the bile duct inside the liver and extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma occurs in the bile duct outside the liver. Patients with cholangiocarcinoma are often diagnosed at a late or advanced stage when the prognosis is poor. The incidence of cholangiocarcinoma varies regionally and ranges between 0.3 – 3.4 per 100,000 in North America and Europe. FGFR2 fusions or rearrangements occur almost exclusively in iCCA, where they are observed in 10-16 percent of patients.

About FIGHT-202

The FIGHT-202 Phase 2, open-label, multicenter study (NCT02924376) is evaluating the safety and efficacy of pemigatinib–a selective fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR) inhibitor–in adult (age ≥ 18 years) patients with previously treated, locally advanced or metastatic cholangiocarcinoma with documented FGF/FGFR status.

Patients were enrolled into one of three cohorts – Cohort A (FGFR2 fusions or rearrangements), Cohort B (other FGF/FGFR genetic alterations) or Cohort C (no FGF/FGFR genetic alterations). All patients received 13.5 mg pemigatinib orally once daily (QD) on a 21-day cycle (two weeks on/one week off) until radiological disease progression or unacceptable toxicity.

The primary endpoint of FIGHT-202 is ORR in Cohort A, assessed by independent review per RECIST v1.1. Secondary endpoints include ORR in Cohorts B, A plus B, and C; progression free survival ("PFS"), overall survival ("OS"), duration of response ("DOR"), disease control rate ("DCR") and safety in all cohorts.

For more information about the Incyte-sponsored FIGHT-202 study, visit View Source

About FIGHT

Incyte’s FIGHT (FIbroblast Growth factor receptor in oncology and Hematology Trials) clinical trial program includes ongoing Phase 2 and 3 studies investigating safety and efficacy of pemigatinib therapy across several FGFR-driven malignancies. Phase 2 monotherapy studies include FIGHT-202, as well as FIGHT-201 investigating pemigatinib in patients with metastatic or surgically unresectable bladder cancer, including with activating FGFR3 mutations or fusions/rearrangements; FIGHT-203 in patients with myeloproliferative neoplasms with activating FGFR1 fusions/rearrangements; FIGHT-207 in patients with previously treated, locally-advanced/metastatic or surgically unresectable solid tumor malignancies harboring activating FGFR mutations or fusions/rearrangements, irrespective of tumor type. FIGHT-205 is a Phase 2 study investigating pemigatinib plus pembrolizumab combination therapy and pemigatinib monotherapy in patients with previously untreated, metastatic or unresectable bladder cancer harboring FGFR3 mutations or fusions/rearrangements who are not eligible to receive cisplatin. FIGHT-302 is a recently initiated Phase 3 study investigating pemigatinib as a first-line treatment for patients with cholangiocarcinoma with FGFR2 fusions or rearrangements.

About FGFR and Pemigatinib

Fibroblast growth factor receptors ("FGFRs") play an important role in tumor cell proliferation and survival, migration and angiogenesis (the formation of new blood vessels). Activating fusions, rearrangements, translocations and gene amplifications in FGFRs are closely correlated with the development of various cancers.

Pemigatinib is a potent, selective, oral inhibitor of FGFR isoforms 1, 2 and 3 which, in preclinical studies, has demonstrated selective pharmacologic activity against cancer cells with FGFR alterations. The U.S. FDA has granted pemigatinib Breakthrough Therapy designation for the treatment of previously treated, advanced/metastatic or unresectable FGFR2 translocated cholangiocarcinoma. The FDA’s Breakthrough Therapy designation is designed to expedite the development and review of drugs for serious conditions that have shown encouraging early clinical results and may demonstrate substantial improvements over available medicines. Additionally, the FDA granted pemigatinib Orphan Drug designation for the treatment of cholangiocarcinoma, a designation granted to investigational compounds intended for the safe and effective treatment, diagnosis or prevention of rare diseases or disorders that affect fewer than 200,000 people.