publication date: May. 8, 2020

FDA has granted accelerated approval to Tabrecta (capmatinib) for adult patients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer whose tumors have a mutation that leads to mesenchymal-epithelial transition exon 14 skipping as detected by an FDA-approved test.

Tabrecta is the first FDA-approved therapy to treat NSCLC with specific mutations (those that lead to mesenchymal-epithelial transition or MET exon 14 skipping).

Tabrecta is sponsored by Novartis.

FDA also approved the FoundationOne CDx assay (Foundation Medicine, Inc.) as a companion diagnostic for Tabrecta. Most patients had tumor samples that were tested for mutations that lead to MET exon 14 skipping using local tests and confirmed with the F1CDx, which is a next-generation sequencing based in vitro diagnostic device capable of detecting several mutations, including mutations that lead to MET exon 14 skipping.

Lung cancer is increasingly being divided into multiple subsets of molecularly defined populations with drugs being developed to target these specific groups, Richard Pazdur, director of the FDA Oncology Center of Excellence and acting director of the Office of Oncologic Diseases in the FDAs Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, said in a statement. Tabrecta is the first approval specifically for the treatment of patients with non-small cell lung cancer whose tumors have mutations that lead to MET exon 14 skipping. This patient population now has an option for a targeted therapy, which they didnt have prior to today.

Efficacy was demonstrated in the GEOMETRY mono-1 trial (NCT02414139), a multicenter, non-randomized, open-label, multicohort study enrolling 97 patients with metastatic NSCLC with confirmed MET exon 14 skipping. Patients received Tabrecta 400 mg orally twice daily until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity.

The main efficacy outcome measures were overall response rate (ORR) determined by a blinded independent review committee using RECIST 1.1 and response duration. Among the 28 treatment-nave patients, the ORR was 68% (95% CI: 48, 84) with a response duration of 12.6 months (95% CI: 5.5, 25.3). Among the 69 previously treated patients, the ORR was 41% (95% CI: 29, 53) with a response duration of 9.7 months (95% CI: 5.5, 13.0).

FDA approves daratumumab and hyaluronidase-fihj for multiple myeloma

FDA has approved daratumumab and hyaluronidase-fihj (Darzalex Faspro) for adult patients with newly diagnosed or relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma. This new product allows for subcutaneous dosing of daratumumab.

Darzalex Faspro is sponsored by Janssen Biotech Inc.

Daratumumab and hyaluronidase-fihj is approved for the following indications that intravenous daratumumab had previously received:

in combination with bortezomib, melphalan and prednisone in newly diagnosed patients who are ineligible for autologous stem cell transplant,

in combination with lenalidomide and dexamethasone in newly diagnosed patients who are ineligible for autologous stem cell transplant and in patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma who have received at least one prior therapy,

in combination with bortezomib and dexamethasone in patients who have received at least one prior therapy,

as monotherapy, in patients who have received at least three prior lines of therapy including a proteasome inhibitor and an immunomodulatory agent or who are double-refractory to a PI and an immunomodulatory agent.

Efficacy of daratumumab and hyaluronidase-fihji (monotherapy) was evaluated in COLUMBA (NCT03277105), an open-label non-inferiority trial randomizing 263 patients to daratumumab and hyaluronidase-fihj and 259 to intravenous daratumumab (daratumumab IV). The trials co-primary endpoints were overall response rate and pharmacokinetic endpoint of the maximum Ctrough on cycle 3, day 1 pre-dose. Daratumumab and hyaluronidase-fihj was non-inferior to daratumumab IV in evaluating these two endpoints.

The ORR was 41.1% for daratumumab and hyaluronidase-fihj and 37.1% for daratumumab IV with a risk ratio of 1.11 (95% CI: 0.89, 1.37). The geometric mean ratio comparing daratumumab and hyaluronidase-fihj to daratumumab IV for maximum Ctrough was 108% (90% CI: 96,122).

Efficacy of daratumumab and hyaluronidase-fihj in combination with VMP (D-VMP) was evaluated in a single-arm cohort of PLEIADES (NCT03412565), a multi-cohort, openlabel trial. Eligible patients were required to have newly diagnosed multiple myeloma and were ineligible for transplant. The major efficacy outcome measure, ORR, was 88.1% (95% CI: 77.8, 94.7).

Efficacy of daratumumab and hyaluronidase-fihj in combination with Rd (D-Rd) was evaluated in a single-arm cohort of this trial. Eligible patients had received at least one prior line of therapy. ORR was 90.8% (95% CI: 81.0, 96.5).

FDA accepts NDA for CC-486 in AML indication

FDA has accepted a New Drug Application for CC-486, an investigational oral hypomethylating agent, for the maintenance treatment of adult patients with acute myeloid leukemia who achieved complete remission, or CR with incomplete blood count recovery, following induction therapy with or without consolidation treatment, and who are not candidates for, or who choose not to proceed to, hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

CC-486 is sponsored by Bristol Myers Squibb. FDA granted the application Priority Review and set a Prescription Drug User Fee Act goal date of Sept. 3, 2020.

The NDA submission was based on the efficacy and safety results of the phase III QUAZAR AML-001 study, which met the primary endpoint of improved overall survival for patients receiving AML maintenance treatment with CC-486 versus placebo.

Often, newly diagnosed adult patients with AML achieve a complete response with induction therapy, however many patients will relapse and experience a poor outcome. Patients in remission are seeking treatment options that decrease the likelihood of relapse and extend overall survival, Noah Berkowitz, senior vice president of Global Clinical Development, Hematology, at Bristol Myers Squibb, said in a statement.

CC-486 is an investigational therapy that is not approved for any use in any country.

Caris Life Sciences submits two PMA applications to FDA for whole exome and whole transcriptome sequencing

Caris Life Sciences has submitted two Pre-Market Approval applications for MI Exome CDx and MI Transcriptome CDx to FDA.

MI Exome CDx, whole exome sequencing (DNA), and MI Transcriptome CDx, whole transcriptome sequencing (RNA), are precision medicine assays that include key companion diagnostic biomarkers with therapy claims, and detect all classes of alterations including genomic signatures for microsatellite instability, tumor mutation burden, and loss of heterozygosity.

MI Exome CDx is a next-generation sequencing-based test utilizing DNA isolated from formalin-fixed paraffin embedded tumor tissue specimens for the qualitative detection of genomic alterations. MI Exome CDx can identify genetic variants (single nucleotide variants, insertions and deletions), copy number alterations, MSI, TMB and LOH.

MI Transcriptome CDx is a next-generation sequencing-based test that utilizes RNA isolated from formalin-fixed paraffin embedded tumor tissue specimens for the qualitative detection of genomic and transcriptomic alterations. MI Transcriptome CDx is a broad, multi-gene panel utilized to identify gene fusions, transcript variants, genetic variants (single nucleotide variants, insertions and deletions), and gene expression changes. FDA granted MI Transcriptome CDx received Breakthrough Device designation in 2019.

Read more from the original source:
FDA approves Tabrecta, first targeted therapy to treat metastatic NSCLC - The Cancer Letter