On October 18, 2019 The Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson reported that the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) has recommended broadening the existing marketing authorisation for Darzalex (daratumumab) to include the use of daratumumab in combination with lenalidomide and dexamethasone (DRd) for patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma (NDMM) who are ineligible for autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT) (Press release, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, OCT 18, 2019, View Source [SID1234542368]).

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"As multiple myeloma can become more complex with each relapse, it is important that patients receive the latest treatment options with the goal of extending their first remission period," said Professor Thierry Facon, M.D., Service des Maladies du Sang, Hôpital Claude Huriez, Lille, France, and principal investigator of the MAIA study. "For newly diagnosed patients who are transplant ineligible, this regimen could be an important frontline therapy option and reinforces the consistent clinical profile of daratumumab."

This Positive Opinion is based on results from the Phase 3 MAIA (MMY3008) study, published in The New England Journal of Medicine,1 and presented at the 2018 American Society of Hematology (ASH) (Free ASH Whitepaper) Annual Meeting.

Additional information about the MAIA study can be found at www.ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT02252172).

"This recommendation marks an important step towards realising our ambition to improve outcomes for patients with multiple myeloma, right from diagnosis, especially for the majority of patients who are not eligible for transplant," said Craig Tendler, M.D., Vice President, Clinical Development and Global Medical Affairs, Oncology, Janssen Research & Development, LLC.

"Daratumumab has been used to treat more than 100,000 patients worldwide and we look forward to working with regulatory authorities to bring this important therapy to even more patients with multiple myeloma," adds Dr Patrick Laroche, Haematology Therapy Area Lead, Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA), Janssen-Cilag France.

This Opinion will now be reviewed by the European Commission (EC), which has the authority to grant final approval of the indications.

Professor Thierry Facon was the principal investigator in the MAIA study. He was not compensated for any media work.

#ENDS#

About the MAIA (NCT02252172) Trial2
The randomised, open-label, multicentre Phase 3 study included 737 NDMM patients ineligible for high-dose chemotherapy and ASCT aged 45-90 years old (median age of 73 years). Patients were randomised to receive either daratumumab-Rd or Rd alone in 28-day Cycles. In the daratumumab-Rd treatment arm, patients received daratumumab 16 (mg/kg) IV weekly for Cycles 1 – 2, every two weeks for Cycles 3 – 6 and every 4 weeks for Cycle 7 and thereafter. The primary endpoint was Progression-Free Survival (PFS), defined as the time from date of randomisation to either progressive disease (PD), or death, whichever occurred first. Patients in the daratumumab-Rd and Rd treatment arm received 25 mg of lenalidomide on Days 1 – 21 of each 28-day Cycle, and dexamethasone at 40 mg once a week for each Cycle. Patients in both treatment arms continued until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity.

About daratumumab
Daratumumab is a first-in-class3 biologic targeting CD38, a surface protein that is highly expressed across multiple myeloma cells, regardless of disease stage.4 Daratumumab is believed to induce tumour cell death through multiple immune-mediated mechanisms of action, including complement-dependent cytotoxicity (CDC), antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC) and antibody-dependent cellular phagocytosis (ADCP), as well as through apoptosis, in which a series of molecular steps in a cell lead to its death.5 A subset of myeloid derived suppressor cells (CD38+ MDSCs), CD38+ regulatory T cells (Tregs) and CD38+ B cells (Bregs) were decreased by daratumumab.5 Since launch, it is estimated that 100,000 patients have been treated with daratumumab worldwide.6 Daratumumab is being evaluated in a comprehensive clinical development programme across a range of treatment settings in multiple myeloma, such as in frontline and relapsed settings.7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14 Additional studies are ongoing or planned to assess its potential in other malignant and pre-malignant haematologic diseases in which CD38 is expressed, such as smouldering myeloma.15,16 For more information, please see www.clinicaltrials.gov.

The most frequent adverse reactions seen with daratumumab include infusion reactions, fatigue, nausea, diarrhoea, muscle spasms, pyrexia, cough, neutropenia, thrombocytopenia, anaemia, peripheral sensory neuropathy and upper respiratory tract infection.5

For further information on daratumumab, please see the Summary of Product Characteristics at View Source

In August 2012, Janssen Biotech, Inc. and Genmab A/S entered a worldwide agreement, which granted Janssen an exclusive licence to develop, manufacture and commercialise daratumumab.17

About Multiple Myeloma
Multiple myeloma (MM) is an incurable blood cancer that starts in the bone marrow and is characterised by an excessive proliferation of plasma cells.18 In Europe, more than 48,200 people were diagnosed with MM in 2018, and more than 30,800 patients died.19 Almost 60 percent of patients with MM do not survive more than five years after diagnosis.20

Although treatment may result in remission, unfortunately, patients will most likely relapse as there is currently no cure.21 Refractory MM is when a patient’s disease progresses within 60 days of their last therapy.22,23 Relapsed cancer is when the disease has returned after a period of initial, partial or complete remission.24 While some patients with MM have no symptoms at all, most patients are diagnosed due to symptoms that can include bone problems, low blood counts, calcium elevation, kidney problems or infections.25 Patients who relapse after treatment with standard therapies, including proteasome inhibitors and immunomodulatory agents, have poor prognoses and few treatment options available.26