On July 29, 2021 BeiGene, Ltd. (NASDAQ: BGNE; HKEX: 06160), a global, science-driven biotechnology company, reported positive topline results from an interim analysis of the Phase 3 SEQUOIA trial comparing BRUKINSA (zanubrutinib) to bendamustine and rituximab (B+R) in patients with treatment-naïve (TN) chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) or small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL) whose tumor did not exhibit the deletion of chromosome 17p13.1 (del[17p]) (Press release, BeiGene, JUL 29, 2021, View Source [SID1234585405]).
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"The combined clinical evidence from SEQUOIA, ALPINE1, the 205 trial2, and the AU-003 trial3 validates our confidence in BRUKINSA as a regimen which can offer improvements in treatment outcomes for hundreds of thousands of patients living with CLL"
With a median follow-up of 25.8 months, the SEQUOIA trial met the primary endpoint of progression-free survival (PFS) as assessed by independent review committee (IRC), as BRUKINSA achieved a highly statistically significant improvement in PFS compared to B+R.
In addition, the trial demonstrated a statistically significant improvement in PFS per investigator assessment, a secondary endpoint. BRUKINSA was also generally well-tolerated, consistent with its known safety profile.
"The combined clinical evidence from SEQUOIA, ALPINE1, the 205 trial2, and the AU-003 trial3 validates our confidence in BRUKINSA as a regimen which can offer improvements in treatment outcomes for hundreds of thousands of patients living with CLL," said Jane Huang, M.D., Chief Medical Officer, Hematology at BeiGene. "We are pleased to see that at the interim analysis of the SEQUOIA trial, BRUKINSA significantly prolonged progression-free survival for treatment-naïve CLL patients, and that the demonstrated safety profile was consistent with what we have observed in its global development program with more than 2,300 patients treated with BRUKINSA to date."
1. Results from the interim analysis of ALPINE with a median follow-up time of 15.3 months were reported at the 2021 European Hematology Association (EHA) (Free EHA Whitepaper) (EHA2021) Congress in June 2021. Available at EHA (Free EHA Whitepaper) Open Access Library.
2. Long-term results from BGB-3111-205 with a median follow-up time of 34 months were reported at the EHA (Free EHA Whitepaper)2021 Congress in June 2021. Available at EHA (Free EHA Whitepaper) Open Access Library.
3. Long-term results from BGB-3111-AU-003 in relapsed or refractory CLL with a median follow-up time of 39.4 months were shared at the BeiGene Investor Conference Call in June 2021. Available ir.beigene.com.
About SEQUOIA
SEQUOIA is a randomized, multicenter, global Phase 3 trial (NCT03336333) designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of BRUKINSA compared to B+R in patients with TN CLL or SLL. The trial consists of three cohorts:
Cohort 1 (n=479): randomized 1:1 to receive BRUKINSA (n=241) or B+R (n=238) until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity, in patients not harboring del(17p); data from this group comprise the primary endpoint;
Cohort 2 (n=110): patients with del(17p) receiving BRUKINSA as a monotherapy; and
Cohort 3 (enrollment ongoing): patients with del(17p) or pathogenic TP53 variant receiving BRUKINSA in combination with venetoclax.
Patients with del(17p) were not randomized to B+R, as they experience poor clinical outcomes and poor response to chemoimmunotherapy. The primary endpoint of the trial is IRC-assessed PFS. Secondary endpoints include investigator-assessed PFS, IRC- and investigator-assessed overall response rate (ORR), overall survival (OS), PFS and ORR in patients with del(17p), and safety.
Cohort 2, representing high-risk patients treated with BRUKINSA monotherapy, was previously presented at the American Society for Hematology (ASH) (Free ASH Whitepaper) Annual Meeting in December 2020. This cohort of patients with del(17p) achieved significant efficacy with an 18-month PFS of 90.6%, as assessed by investigator.
BeiGene plans to consult with global regulatory authorities on next steps and present these data at an upcoming major medical conference.
About Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia and Small Lymphocytic Lymphoma
Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is the most common form of leukemia in adults, with a global incidence of approximately 114,000 new cases in 2017.1,2 CLL affects white blood cells or lymphocytes in the bone marrow.1 Proliferation of cancer cells (leukemia) in the marrow result in reduced ability to fight infection and spread into the blood, which affects other parts of the body including the lymph nodes, liver and spleen.1,3 The BTK pathway is a known route that signals malignant B cells and contributes to the onset of CLL.4 Small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL) is a non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma affecting the B-lymphocytes of the immune system, which shares many similarities to CLL but with cancer cells found mostly in lymph nodes.5
About BRUKINSA
BRUKINSA is a small molecule inhibitor of Bruton’s tyrosine kinase (BTK) discovered by BeiGene scientists that is currently being evaluated globally in a broad clinical program as a monotherapy and in combination with other therapies to treat various B-cell malignancies. Because new BTK is continuously synthesized, BRUKINSA was specifically designed to deliver complete and sustained inhibition of the BTK protein by optimizing bioavailability, half-life, and selectivity. With differentiated pharmacokinetics compared to other approved BTK inhibitors, BRUKINSA has been demonstrated to inhibit the proliferation of malignant B cells within a number of disease relevant tissues.
BRUKINSA is approved in the following indications and regions:
For the treatment of mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) in adult patients who have received at least one prior therapy (United States, November 2019)*;
For the treatment of MCL in adult patients who have received at least one prior therapy (China, June 2020)**;
For the treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) or small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL) in adult patients who have received at least one prior therapy (China, June 2020)**;
For the treatment of relapsed or refractory MCL (United Arab Emirates, February 2021);
For the treatment of Waldenström’s macroglobulinemia (WM) in adult patients (Canada, March 2021);
Registered and reimbursed for the treatment of MCL in patients who have received at least one prior therapy (Israel, April 2021);
For the treatment of adult patients with WM who have received at least one prior therapy (China, June 2021)**; and
For the treatment of MCL in adult patients who have received at least one prior therapy (Canada, July 2021).
To date, more than 30 marketing authorization applications in multiple indications have been submitted covering the United States, the European Union, and more than 20 other countries or regions.
* This indication was approved under accelerated approval based on overall response rate. Continued approval for this indication may be contingent upon verification and description of clinical benefit in a confirmatory trial.
** This indication was approved under conditional approval. Complete approval for this indication may be contingent upon results from ongoing randomized, controlled confirmatory clinical trials.
BeiGene Oncology
BeiGene is committed to advancing best and first-in-class clinical candidates internally or with like-minded partners to develop impactful and affordable medicines for patients across the globe. We have a growing R&D team of approximately 2,300 colleagues dedicated to advancing more than 90 clinical trials involving more than 13,000 patients and healthy volunteers. Our expansive portfolio is directed by a predominantly internalized clinical development team supporting trials in more than 40 countries and regions. Hematology-oncology and solid tumor targeted therapies and immuno-oncology are key focus areas for the Company, with both mono- and combination therapies prioritized in our research and development. We currently market three medicines discovered and developed in our labs: BTK inhibitor BRUKINSA in the United States, China, Canada, and additional international markets; and non-FC-gamma receptor binding anti-PD-1 antibody tislelizumab and PARP inhibitor pamiparib in China.
BeiGene also partners with innovative companies who share our goal of developing therapies to address global health needs. We commercialize a range of oncology medicines in China licensed from Amgen and Bristol Myers Squibb. We also plan to address greater areas of unmet need globally through our collaborations including with Amgen, Bio-Thera, EUSA Pharma, Mirati Therapeutics, Seagen, and Zymeworks. BeiGene has also entered into a collaboration with Novartis Pharma AG granting Novartis rights to develop, manufacture, and commercialize tislelizumab in North America, Europe, and Japan.