On December 28, 2020 Personalis, Inc. (Nasdaq: PSNL), a leader in advanced genomics for cancer, reported that management will present at the 23rd Annual Needham Virtual Growth Conference on Wednesday, January 13, 2021 at 2:45 p.m. Eastern Time (Press release, Personalis, DEC 28, 2020, View Source [SID1234573293]).

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On December 28, 2020 The Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson reported the submission of a Marketing Authorisation Application (MAA) to the European Medicines Agency (EMA) seeking approval of amivantamab for the treatment of patients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) exon 20 insertion mutations whose disease has progressed after failure of platinum-based chemotherapy (Press release, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, DEC 28, 2020, View Source [SID1234573292]). The application marks the first-ever regulatory submission in the EU for a treatment for patients with NSCLC that specifically targets EGFR exon 20 insertion mutations.1

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Amivantamab is an investigational, fully-human EGFR and mesenchymal epithelial transition factor (MET) bispecific antibody with immune cell-directing activity that targets tumours with activating and resistance EGFR and MET mutations and amplifications.2,3,4,5

"The EMA submission represents an important milestone in our commitment to develop innovative, targeted therapies like amivantamab for patients facing a lung cancer diagnosis," said Peter Lebowitz, M.D., Ph.D., Global Therapeutic Area Head, Oncology, Janssen Research & Development, LLC. "This is an important step forward in our drive towards improving outcomes for patients diagnosed with NSCLC who have EGFR exon 20 insertion mutations where there are no EMA-approved targeted treatments today."

The EMA submission for amivantamab is based on monotherapy data from the Phase 1 CHRYSALIS study, a multi-centre, open-label, multi-cohort study evaluating the safety and efficacy of amivantamab as a monotherapy and in combination with lazertinib,* a novel third-generation EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI),6 in adult patients with advanced NSCLC.7 In the study, investigators assessed efficacy using overall response rate per Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumours Version 1.1** (RECIST v1.1), clinical benefit rate, and duration of response and progression-free survival, as well as the safety profile of amivantamab.7,8 This data was also the basis of the submission of the Biologics License Application for amivantamab to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in December 2020. Early data about amivantamab as a monotherapy treatment in patients with NSCLC with EGFR exon 20 insertion mutations were presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) (Free ASCO Whitepaper) 2020 Virtual Scientific Program (Abstract #9512).8

"Lung cancer is the biggest cause of cancer death in Europe and has one of the lowest five-year survival rates for patients with cancer.9 Given this significant unmet need, we are committed to improving outcomes for patients diagnosed with this complex disease," said Mathai Mammen, M.D., Ph.D., Global Head, Janssen Research & Development, Johnson & Johnson. "With today’s submission for amivantamab, we are one step closer to our goal of advancing novel therapeutics that will transform the trajectory of some of the most challenging diseases of our time, including lung cancer."

"Lung cancer is responsible for 20% of cancer deaths in Europe: more than breast and prostate cancer combined.9 Despite advances in treatment, there is still a high unmet need amongst patients with EGFR-mutated NSCLC, particularly in the exon 20 insertion mutation population due to poor response to treatments that work for other mutations,10" said Joaquín Casariego, M.D., Therapeutic Area Lead Oncology for Europe, Middle East & Africa, Janssen-Cilag, S.A. "We are encouraged by the promising results of amivantamab which continue to demonstrate potential for providing a new treatment option for patients with advanced NSCLC with EGFR exon 20 insertion mutations.8 This submission is an important milestone, and we look forward to working closely with the EMA as the application process progresses."

EGFR mutations, which drive tumours by causing uncontrolled cancer cell growth and division,11 are some of the most common mutations in NSCLC.12 EGFR exon 20 insertion mutations are the third most prevalent primary EGFR mutation.13 However, EGFR exon 20 insertions are also often undetected.13 Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) is effective at detecting EGFR exon 20 insertions and broader use of NGS can help to detect these mutations.13 Cancer driven by EGFR exon 20 insertion mutations is generally insensitive to approved EGFR TKI treatments and has a worse prognosis compared with cancer driven by more common EGFR mutations, including exon 19 deletions/L858R substitutions.10 Patients with EGFR exon 20 insertion mutations have a median survival of 16 months,14 which is much lower than patients with EGFR exon 19 deletions or L858R substitutions, who have a median survival of 32-39 months.15

*In 2018, Janssen Biotech, Inc. entered into a license and collaboration agreement with Yuhan Corporation for the development of lazertinib.

**RECIST (version 1.1) refers to Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumours, which is a standard way to measure how well solid tumours respond to treatment and is based on whether tumours shrink, stay the same, or get bigger.

About Amivantamab

Amivantamab is an investigational, fully-human EGFR-MET bispecific antibody with immune cell-directing activity that targets tumours with activating and resistance EGFR mutations and MET mutations and amplifications.2,3,4,5 Amivantamab is pending regulatory review as a potential treatment for NSCLC patients with EGFR exon 20 insertion mutations after failure of platinum-based chemotherapy. The production and development of the antibody followed Janssen Biotech, Inc.’s licensing agreement with Genmab for use of its DuoBody technology platform.16

About Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC)

In Europe, it is estimated that over 470,000 patients were diagnosed with lung cancer in 2018, with around 85 percent diagnosed with NSCLC.17,18 Lung cancer is Europe’s biggest cancer killer, with more deaths than breast cancer and prostate cancer combined.19 The five-year survival rate for patients with metastatic NSCLC is currently 24 percent.19

The main subtypes of NSCLC are adenocarcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma and large cell carcinoma.20 Among the most common driver mutations in NSCLC are alterations in EGFR, which is a receptor tyrosine kinase supporting cells growth and division.11 EGFR mutations are present in 10 to 15 percent of Caucasian patients with NSCLC and occur in 40 to 50 percent of Asian patients who have NSCLC adenocarcinoma.12 Estimated median overall survival for patients with NSCLC and EGFR exon 20 insertion mutations is shorter than in patients with more common EGFR mutations.14

On December 28, 2020 Iovance Biotherapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: IOVA), a late-stage biotechnology company developing novel T cell-based cancer immunotherapies, reported that Maria Fardis, PhD, MBA, President and Chief Executive Officer of Iovance, plans to present at the 39th Annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference on Thursday, January 14, 2021, at 10:50 a.m. ET (Press release, Iovance Biotherapeutics, DEC 28, 2020, View Source [SID1234573289]). The live and archived webcasts of the presentation and breakout session will be available in the Investors section of the Iovance website at View Source

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On December 28, 2020 Y-mAbs Therapeutics, Inc. (the "Company" or "Y-mAbs") (Nasdaq: YMAB) a commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of novel, antibody-based therapeutic products for the treatment of cancer, reported that it has entered into a definitive agreement to sell its Priority Review Voucher ("PRV") to United Therapeutics Corporation (Nasdaq: UTHR), based on an agreed valuation of $105 million (Press release, Y-mAbs Therapeutics, DEC 28, 2020, View Source [SID1234573288]).

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The PRV was granted in conjunction with the approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration ("FDA") of DANYELZA, for the treatment of refractory/relapsed high-risk neuroblastoma.

Under the terms of the Company’s license agreement with Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center ("MSK"), Y-mAbs is entitled to retain 60% of the net proceeds from monetization of the PRV, and the remaining 40% will be paid to MSK. The transaction remains subject to customary closing conditions, including anti-trust review.

"We are pleased to announce the sale of the PRV, which will provide an important source of non-dilutive capital to fund additional investment in our pipeline. These efforts will be critical to our growth over the coming year, and we are committed to our mission of becoming a world leader in developing better and safer antibody-based oncology products addressing unmet pediatric and adult medical needs," said Thomas Gad, founder, Chairman and President.

Jefferies LLC acted as exclusive financial advisor to Y-mAbs on this transaction.

Researchers at MSK developed DANYELZA, which is exclusively licensed by MSK to Y-mAbs. As a result of this licensing arrangement, MSK has institutional financial interests related to the compound and Y-mAbs.

About DANYELZA (naxitamab-gqgk)

DANYELZA (naxitamab-gqgk) is indicated, in combination with granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor ("GM-CSF"), for the treatment of pediatric patients 1 year of age and older and adult patients with relapsed or refractory high-risk neuroblastoma in the bone or bone marrow who have demonstrated a partial response, minor response, or stable disease to prior therapy. This indication was approved under accelerated approval based on overall response rate and duration of response. Continued approval for this indication may be contingent upon verification and description of clinical benefits in a confirmatory trial. DANYELZA includes a Boxed Warning for serious infusion-related reactions, such as cardiac arrest and anaphylaxis, and neurotoxicity, such as severe neuropathic pain and transverse myelitis. See full Prescribing Information for complete Boxed Warning and other important safety information.

On December 28, 2020 Hutchison China MediTech Limited ("Chi-Med") (Nasdaq/AIM: HCM) reported that it has initiated the filing of a New Drug Application ("NDA") to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration ("FDA") – the first portion of a rolling submission for surufatinib for the treatment of pancreatic and non-pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors ("NET") (Press release, Hutchison China MediTech, DEC 28, 2020, https://www.chi-med.com/chi-med-initiates-rolling-submission-of-nda-to-us-fda-for-surufatinib-for-the-treatment-of-advanced-net/ [SID1234573283]). Chi-Med plans to complete the NDA submission in the first half of 2021, which would be the company’s first NDA in the U.S.

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The Fast Track Designation granted earlier this year by the FDA permits the company to submit sections of the NDA on a rolling basis. The NDA is supported by data from the two positive Phase III studies of surufatinib in NET in China, along with data from surufatinib studies in U.S. non-pancreatic and pancreatic NET patients. The company previously announced that it had reached an agreement with the FDA during a pre-NDA meeting, whereby these studies may serve as the basis to support an NDA submission. Filing acceptance of the NDA is subject to FDA review of the complete application. The data package will also be used to file a Marketing Authorization Application ("MAA") to the European Medicines Agency ("EMA") in 2021, based on scientific advice from the EMA’s Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP).

Marek Kania, M.D., Managing Director and Chief Medical Officer of Hutchison MediPharma International, said, "With the initiation of our first regulatory filing in the U.S., we are executing our strategy of building a global pharmaceutical company that brings innovative cancer therapies to patients worldwide. There is a great need for additional therapies to treat neuroendocrine tumors, and surufatinib has demonstrated significant clinical benefit in patients with advanced tumors. The NDA filing to the U.S. FDA represents a significant step toward our goal of commercializing surufatinib and other novel therapies globally."

The company plans to initiate an Expanded Access Protocol to ensure patients with limited therapeutic options have access to this important treatment. Enrollment into this early access program is anticipated to begin in the first quarter of 2021, once regulatory clearance of the protocol has been granted by the FDA.

The FDA granted two Fast Track Designations to surufatinib for development in pancreatic and non-pancreatic (extra-pancreatic) NET in April 2020 and Orphan Drug Designation for pancreatic NET in November 2019.

About NET
NET form in cells that interact with the nervous system or in glands that produce hormones. They can originate in various parts of the body, most often in the gut or the lungs and can be benign or malignant. NET are typically classified as pancreatic NET or non-pancreatic NET. Approved targeted therapies include Sutent and Afinitor for pancreatic NET, or well-differentiated, non-functional gastrointestinal or lung NET.

According to Frost and Sullivan, there were 19,000 newly diagnosed cases of NET in the U.S. in 2018. Importantly, NET are associated with a relatively long duration of survival compared to other tumors. As a result, there were approximately 141,000 estimated patients living with NET in the U.S. in 2018.[1]

About Surufatinib
Surufatinib is a novel, oral angio-immuno kinase inhibitor that selectively inhibits the tyrosine kinase activity associated with vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR) and fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR), which both inhibit angiogenesis, and colony stimulating factor-1 receptor (CSF-1R), which regulates tumor-associated macrophages, promoting the body’s immune response against tumor cells. Its unique dual mechanism of action may be very suitable for possible combinations with other immunotherapies, where there may be synergistic anti-tumor effects.

Chi-Med currently retains all rights to surufatinib worldwide.

About Surufatinib Development
NET in the U.S., Europe and Japan: In the U.S., surufatinib was granted Fast Track Designations for development in pancreatic and non-pancreatic (extra-pancreatic) NET in April 2020 and Orphan Drug Designation for pancreatic NET in November 2019. A U.S. FDA NDA submission was initiated in December 2020, to be followed by a MAA submission to the EMA in Europe. The basis to support these filings includes the completed SANET-ep and SANET-p[2] studies, along with existing data from surufatinib in U.S. non-pancreatic and pancreatic NET patients (clinicaltrials.gov identifier: NCT02549937).

Non-pancreatic NET in China: In November 2019, a NDA for surufatinib for the treatment of patients with advanced non-pancreatic NET was accepted for review by the National Medical Products Administration of China ("NMPA") and granted Priority Review status in December 2019. The NDA is supported by data from the successful SANET-ep[3] study, a Phase III trial (clinicaltrials.gov identifier: NCT02588170) in patients with advanced non-pancreatic NETs conducted in China. The study had met the pre-defined primary endpoint of progression-free survival ("PFS") at a preplanned interim analysis. The positive results of this trial were highlighted in an oral presentation at the 2019 ESMO (Free ESMO Whitepaper) Congress and published in The Lancet Oncology in September 2020.[4] SANET-ep demonstrated that surufatinib reduces risk of progression or death by 67%, with median PFS significantly longer for patients treated with surufatinib at 9.2 months, compared to 3.8 months for patients in the placebo group (HR 0.334; 95% CI: 0.223-0.499; p<0.0001). Surufatinib had an acceptable risk/benefit ratio.

Pancreatic NET in China: In 2016, we initiated the SANET-p study, which is a pivotal Phase III study in patients with low- or intermediate-grade, advanced pancreatic NET in China. It was terminated early as the pre-defined primary endpoint of PFS was met (clinicaltrials.gov identifier: NCT02589821) at a preplanned interim analysis, leading to a second NDA accepted by the China NMPA in September 2020. The positive results of this study were presented at the 2020 ESMO (Free ESMO Whitepaper) Virtual Congress and published simultaneously in The Lancet Oncology[5], demonstrating that surufatinib reduces the risk of disease progression or death by 51% in patients, with median PFS of 10.9 months compared to 3.7 months on placebo (HR 0.491; 95% CI: 0.391-0.755; p=0.0011). The safety profile of surufatinib was manageable and consistent with observations in prior studies.

Biliary tract cancer in China: In March 2019, we initiated a Phase IIb/III study comparing surufatinib with capecitabine in patients with advanced biliary tract cancer whose disease progressed on first-line chemotherapy. The primary endpoint is overall survival (OS) (clinicaltrials.gov identifier: NCT03873532).

Immunotherapy combinations: We have entered into collaboration agreements to evaluate the safety, tolerability and efficacy of surufatinib in combination with anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibodies, including with tislelizumab (BGB-A317), Tuoyi (toripalimab) and Tyvyt (sintilimab), which are approved as monotherapies in China.