On December 23, 2024 Nuvation Bio Inc. (NYSE: NUVB), a global biopharmaceutical company tackling some of the greatest unmet needs in oncology, reported that the U.S. FDA has accepted the company’s NDA for taletrectinib, an investigational next-generation ROS1 tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI), for the treatment of advanced ROS1+ NSCLC (line agnostic) (Press release, Nuvation Bio, DEC 23, 2024, View Source [SID1234649268]). The U.S. FDA has granted the application Priority Review and assigned a Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) goal date of June 23, 2025. Priority Review designation underscores the significant advancement taletrectinib may offer patients with ROS1+ NSCLC, for which there remains a high unmet need for new treatment options. Taletrectinib previously received Orphan Drug Designation and is the only ROS1 TKI currently in development that has received Breakthrough Therapy Designation from the U.S. FDA for the treatment of patients with locally advanced or metastatic ROS1+ NSCLC who either have or have not previously been treated with ROS1 TKIs.
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"We are thrilled to reach this important milestone for taletrectinib, a significant step forward for people living with ROS1-positive NSCLC who urgently need new treatment options," said David Hung, M.D., Founder, President, and Chief Executive Officer of Nuvation Bio. "With data from over 300 patients—the largest ROS1-positive NSCLC dataset to date supporting an original NDA—taletrectinib has demonstrated the potential to deliver durable and meaningful benefits."
Dr. Hung continued, "Since acquiring AnHeart Therapeutics earlier this year, including taletrectinib, we have executed on our plan to advance taletrectinib toward a full U.S. regulatory approval. The FDA’s Priority Review reflects the strength of our clinical data and the promise taletrectinib holds for patients. As we prepare for a launch as early as mid-2025, we’re taking critical steps to establish Nuvation Bio as a commercial oncology organization, reinforcing our commitment to bringing innovative therapies to patients who need them most."
The NDA is based on the pooled results from the pivotal Phase 2 TRUST-I and TRUST-II studies of taletrectinib, which were presented at the European Society of Medical Oncology (ESMO) (Free ESMO Whitepaper) Congress in September 2024.
About Taletrectinib
Taletrectinib is an oral, potent, central nervous system-active, selective, next-generation ROS1 inhibitor specifically designed for the treatment of patients with advanced ROS1+ NSCLC. Taletrectinib is being evaluated for the treatment of patients with advanced ROS1+ NSCLC in two Phase 2 single-arm pivotal studies: TRUST-I (NCT04395677) in China, and TRUST-II (NCT04919811), a global study.
Taletrectinib has been granted Orphan Drug Designation by the U.S. FDA for the treatment of patients with ROS1+ NSCLC and other NSCLC indications, and Breakthrough Therapy Designations by both the U.S. FDA and China’s National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) for the treatment of patients with locally advanced or metastatic ROS1+ NSCLC. Based on pooled results of the TRUST-I and TRUST-II clinical studies, the U.S. FDA has accepted for Priority Review Nuvation Bio’s NDA for taletrectinib for the treatment of patients with advanced ROS1+ NSCLC (line agnostic, full approval). Based on results of the TRUST-I clinical study, China’s NMPA approved taletrectinib for the treatment of adult patients with locally advanced or metastatic ROS1+ NSCLC who have previously been treated with a ROS1 TKI and has accepted and granted Priority Review Designation to an NDA for patients who have not previously been treated with a ROS1 TKI.
Summary of the Pivotal Pooled TRUST-I and TRUST-II Data
The pooled efficacy and safety data from the TRUST-I and TRUST-II studies presented at ESMO (Free ESMO Whitepaper) are as of June 7, 2024; both studies remain ongoing. The ESMO (Free ESMO Whitepaper) data set includes 337 patients with advanced ROS1+ NSCLC who received 600mg of taletrectinib orally once daily in 21-day cycles.
The primary endpoint of these registrational studies is confirmed objective response rate (cORR) as assessed by an independent review committee (IRC). Key secondary endpoints include intracranial cORR, duration of response (DOR), progression-free survival (PFS), and safety.
The Nuvation Bio press release summarizing the pooled results can be viewed here.
About ROS1+ NSCLC
Each year, more than one million people globally are diagnosed with NSCLC, the most common form of lung cancer. It is estimated that approximately 2% of people with NSCLC have ROS1+ disease. Up to 35% of people newly diagnosed with metastatic ROS1+ NSCLC have tumors that spread to their brain, increasing up to 55% for those whose cancer has progressed following initial treatment. Despite recent progress for people with ROS1+ NSCLC, there remains a need for more effective and tolerable treatment options.