Genmab Announces Net Sales of DARZALEX® (daratumumab) for Second Quarter of 2024

On July 17, 2024 Genmab A/S (Nasdaq: GMAB) reported that worldwide net trade sales of DARZALEX (daratumumab), including sales of the subcutaneous (SC) product (daratumumab and hyaluronidase-fihj, sold under the tradename DARZALEX FASPRO in the U.S.), as reported by Johnson & Johnson were USD 2,878 million in the second quarter of 2024 (Press release, Genmab, JUL 17, 2024, View Source [SID1234644929]). Net trade sales were USD 1,641 million in the U.S. and USD 1,237 million in the rest of the world. Genmab receives royalties on the worldwide net sales of DARZALEX, both the intravenous and SC products, under the exclusive worldwide license to Janssen to develop, manufacture and commercialize daratumumab.

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Atara Biotherapeutics Announces U.S. FDA Acceptance and Priority Review of the Biologics License Application for Tabelecleucel (Tab-cel®) for the Treatment of Epstein-Barr Virus Positive Post-Transplant Lymphoproliferative Disease

On July 17, 2024 Atara Biotherapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATRA), a leader in T-cell immunotherapy, leveraging its novel allogeneic Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) T-cell platform to develop transformative therapies for patients with cancer and autoimmune diseases, reported that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted the filing of its Biologics License Application (BLA) for tabelecleucel (tab-cel) indicated as monotherapy for treatment of adult and pediatric patients two years of age and older with Epstein-Barr virus positive post-transplant lymphoproliferative disease (EBV+ PTLD) who have received at least one prior therapy (Press release, Atara Biotherapeutics, JUL 17, 2024, View Source [SID1234644921]). For solid organ transplant patients, prior therapy includes chemotherapy unless chemotherapy is inappropriate. There are no FDA approved therapies in this treatment setting.

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The BLA has been granted Priority Review with a Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) target action date of January 15, 2025.

"The acceptance of the tab-cel BLA is a significant milestone towards making this first-of-its-kind treatment available to patients in the U.S.," said Pascal Touchon, President and Chief Executive Officer of Atara. "The FDA’s granting of priority review highlights the high unmet need in EBV+ PTLD, which is a devastating disease with limited treatment options and a poor overall survival rate. We continue to work closely with the Pierre Fabre Laboratories team to help prepare for the potential launch in the U.S. in early 2025, along with the potential label expansion multicohort Phase 2 EBVision trial."

Tab-cel is an allogeneic, EBV-specific T-cell immunotherapy designed to target and eliminate EBV-infected cells. The BLA is supported by pivotal and supportive data covering more than 430 patients treated with tab-cel across multiple life-threatening diseases including the latest pivotal ALLELE study data that demonstrated a statistically significant 48.8% Objective Response Rate (ORR) (p<0.0001) and favorable safety profile consistent with previous analyses.

Tab-cel has been granted Breakthrough Therapy Designation for the treatment of rituximab-refractory EBV-associated lymphoproliferative disease by the U.S. FDA and has orphan drug designation.

In December 2023, Atara announced the closing of the expanded global partnership with Pierre Fabre Laboratories for the U.S. and remaining global commercial markets for tab-cel, building on an initial partnership covering Europe, Middle East, Africa, and other select emerging markets. With the acceptance of the tab-cel BLA, Atara will receive a $20 million milestone payment from Pierre Fabre, with the potential to receive a $60 million milestone payment from Pierre Fabre contingent upon FDA approval of the tab-cel BLA. In addition, Pierre Fabre is reimbursing Atara for expected tab-cel global development costs through the BLA transfer and purchasing tab-cel inventory through the manufacturing transfer date. Atara is also eligible to receive sales milestones and double-digit tiered royalties on net sales of tab-cel in the U.S. and remaining global commercial markets referenced above.

Tab-cel was granted marketing authorization under the brand name Ebvallo in December 2022 by the European Commission. Marketing authorization was also granted by the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency in the United Kingdom in May 2023 and by Swissmedic in Switzerland in May 2024. In all three territories, Ebvallo is indicated as monotherapy for the treatment of adult and pediatric patients two years of age and older with relapsed or refractory EBV+ PTLD who have received at least one prior therapy. For solid organ transplant patients, prior therapy includes chemotherapy unless chemotherapy is inappropriate. Ebvallo was awarded the 2024 Prix Galien International Award for "Best Product for Orphan/Rare Diseases."

Alkermes to Report Second Quarter Financial Results on July 24, 2024

On July 17, 2024 Alkermes plc (Nasdaq: ALKS) reported that it will host a conference call and webcast presentation at 8:00 a.m. ET (1:00 p.m. BST) on Wednesday, July 24, 2024 to discuss the company’s second quarter financial results (Press release, Alkermes, JUL 17, 2024, View Source [SID1234644920]).

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The webcast player and accompanying slides may be accessed on the Investors section of Alkermes’ website at www.alkermes.com. The conference call may be accessed by dialing +1 877 407 2988 for U.S. callers and +1 201 389 0923 for international callers. A replay of the webcast will be available approximately two hours after the completion of the event and may be accessed by visiting Alkermes’ website.

Anixa Biosciences Announces Japanese Patent on Breast Cancer Vaccine Technology

On July 17, 2024 Anixa Biosciences, Inc. ("Anixa" or the "Company") (NASDAQ: ANIX), a biotechnology company focused on the treatment and prevention of cancer, reported that its collaborator, Cleveland Clinic, has received a "Decision to Grant" notice from the Japan Patent Office (JPO) for the patent application titled "Vaccine Adjuvants and Formulations (Press release, Anixa Biosciences, JUL 17, 2024, View Source [SID1234644916])."

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"This new Japanese patent extends the claims for this novel breast cancer vaccine technology to an additional geographic region, beyond the U.S. and European patents previously awarded," stated Anixa Chairman and CEO Dr. Amit Kumar. "As the exclusive worldwide licensee of the technology, we value the additional protection this patent provides as we continue clinical development."

The vaccine is currently being studied in a phase one clinical trial at Cleveland Clinic.

Anixa’s breast cancer vaccine takes advantage of endogenously produced proteins that have a function at certain times in life, but then become "retired" and disappear from the body. One such protein is a breast-specific lactation protein, α-lactalbumin, which is no longer found post-lactation in normal, aging tissues, but is present in certain breast cancers. Activating the immune system against this "retired" protein provides preemptive immune protection against emerging breast tumors that express α-lactalbumin. The vaccine also contains an adjuvant that activates an innate immune response, which allows the immune system to mount a response against emerging tumors to prevent them from growing.

This vaccine technology was invented by the late Dr. Vincent Tuohy, who was the Mort and Iris November Distinguished Chair in Innovative Breast Cancer Research in the Department of Inflammation and Immunity at Cleveland Clinic’s Lerner Research Institute. Cleveland Clinic exclusively licensed this technology to Anixa Biosciences. Dr. Tuohy was entitled to a portion of the commercialization revenues received by Cleveland Clinic and also held equity in Anixa.

Phase III ARANOTE trial of darolutamide in combination with androgen deprivation therapy in men with metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer meets primary endpoint

On July 17, 2024 Orion reported that the Phase III ARANOTE trial, investigating darolutamide plus ADT in patients with metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer (mHSPC), has met its primary endpoint of rPFS (Press release, Orion, JUL 17, 2024, View Source [SID1234644909]). Darolutamide plus ADT significantly increased rPFS compared to placebo plus ADT. The safety data were comparable between both treatment arms and reconfirm the established tolerability profile of darolutamide in advanced prostate cancer.

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Darolutamide is already approved under the brand name Nubeqa for the treatment of patients with non-metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (nmCRPC), who are at high risk of developing metastatic disease, and patients with metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer (mHSPC, in combination with ADT and docetaxel).

"The results of the ARANOTE trial reconfirm that darolutamide, a compound discovered by Orion scientists, is a viable treatment option for patients with metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer. In these patients, darolutamide has now shown efficacy with and without docetaxel, and thus, pending regulatory approval, can provide choices for the personalised treatment regime. I would like to thank all the patients and the investigators who participated in the ARANOTE trial," said Professor, M.D., Ph.D. Outi Vaarala, Senior Vice President of Innovative Medicines and Research & Development at Orion.

Detailed results of the ARANOTE trial are planned to be presented at a forthcoming scientific congress. Bayer plans to submit the data from the study to relevant global health authorities to support expanded use of darolutamide in men with mHSPC.

ARANOTE is part of a robust clinical development program investigating darolutamide across various stages of prostate cancer, which includes the Phase III ARASTEP trial evaluating darolutamide plus ADT versus ADT alone in hormone-sensitive high-risk biochemical recurrence (BCR) prostate cancer, who have no evidence of metastatic disease by conventional imaging and a positive PSMA PET/CT at baseline. Furthermore, darolutamide is also being investigated by Bayer in the collaborative Phase III DASL-HiCaP (ANZUP1801) trial led by the Australian and New Zealand Urogenital and Prostate Cancer Trials Group (ANZUP). The study evaluates darolutamide as an adjuvant treatment for localized prostate cancer with very high risk of recurrence.

About the ARANOTE trial
The ARANOTE trial is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase III study designed to assess the efficacy and safety of darolutamide plus ADT in patients with mHSPC. A total of 669 patients were randomized to receive 600mg of darolutamide twice daily or matching placebo in addition to ADT.

The primary endpoint of this study is rPFS, measured as time from randomization to date of first documented radiological progressive disease or death due to any cause, whichever occurs first. Secondary endpoints include overall survival (time to death from any cause), time to first castration-resistant event, time to initiation of subsequent anti-cancer therapy, time to prostate-specific antigen (PSA) progression, PSA undetectable rates, time to pain progression, and safety assessments.

About metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer
Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer in men and the fifth most common cause of cancer death in men worldwide.1 In 2020, an estimated 1.4 million men were diagnosed with prostate cancer, and about 375,000 died from the disease worldwide.2

At the time of diagnosis, most men have localized prostate cancer, meaning their cancer is confined to the prostate gland and can be treated with curative surgery or radiotherapy. mHSPC is a stage in the disease where the cancer has spread outside of the prostate to other parts of the body. Up to 10% of men will already present with mHSPC when first diagnosed.3, 4, 5 For patients with mHSPC, ADT is the cornerstone of treatment, often in combination with chemotherapy docetaxel and/or an androgen receptor inhibitor (ARi). Despite treatment, most men with mHSPC will eventually progress to castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC), a condition with limited survival.

About darolutamide
Darolutamide is an oral ARi with a distinct chemical structure that binds to the androgen receptor with high affinity and exhibits strong antagonistic activity, thereby inhibiting the receptor function and the growth of prostate cancer cells. The low potential for blood-brain barrier penetration for darolutamide is supported by preclinical models and neuroimaging data in healthy humans. This is also supported by the overall low incidence of central nervous system (CNS)-related adverse events (AEs) compared to placebo as seen in the ARAMIS Phase III trial and the maintained verbal learning and memory observed in the darolutamide arm of the Phase II ODENZA trial.

Darolutamide is approved under the brand name Nubeqa in more than 85 countries around the world for the treatment of patients with non-metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (nmCRPC), who are at high risk of developing metastatic disease. It is also approved in combination with ADT and docetaxel for the treatment of patients with mHSPC in over 80 markets including the U.S., Japan, EU, and China. The product is developed jointly by Orion and Bayer.