On August 17, 2016 Genmab A/S (Nasdaq Copenhagen: GEN) reported that its licensing partner, Janssen Biotech, Inc. has submitted a supplemental Biologics License Application (sBLA) to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the use of daratumumab (DARZALEX) in combination with lenalidomide and dexamethasone, or bortezomib and dexamethasone, for the treatment of patients with multiple myeloma who received at least one prior therapy (Press release, Genmab, AUG 17, 2016, View Source [SID:1234514628]). Schedule your 30 min Free 1stOncology Demo! "We are thrilled that an application to expand the current label to include treatment of multiple myeloma patients who received at least one prior therapy has been submitted so soon after the initial FDA approval of daratumumab in November 2015. The data from the Phase III CASTOR and POLLUX studies on which the submission is based was unprecedented, meriting a Breakthrough Therapy Designation from the FDA. We believe that if approved, daratumumab has the potential to make a substantial positive impact in the treatment of patients with multiple myeloma who have relapsed on their previous therapy," said Jan van de Winkel, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of Genmab.
In July 2016, daratumumab was granted a Breakthrough Therapy Designation (BTD) in this patient population. The submission of the application triggers milestone payments totaling USD 15 million to Genmab from Janssen. The milestone payments were included in Genmab’s financial guidance for 2016 that was published on August 9, 2016. In August 2012, Genmab granted Janssen an exclusive worldwide license to develop, manufacture and commercialize daratumumab.
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A request for Priority Review has been submitted by Janssen with this sBLA. The FDA will inform Janssen whether a Priority Review has been granted by calendar day 60 of their review starting today. If the FDA grants Priority Review, the review should be completed within 6 months from today.
The submission includes data from two Phase III studies: the CASTOR study of daratumumab in combination with bortezomib and dexamethasone versus bortezomib and dexamethasone alone in patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma, and the POLLUX study of daratumumab in combination with lenalidomide and dexamethasone versus lenalidomide and dexamethasone alone in patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma. The submission also included data from the Phase I study of daratumumab in combination with pomalidomide and dexamethasone in relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma. These data will also be used as the basis for a potential regulatory submission to the European Medicines Agency (EMA).
About multiple myeloma
Multiple myeloma is an incurable blood cancer that starts in the bone marrow and is characterized by an excess proliferation of plasma cells.1 Multiple myeloma is the third most common blood cancer in the U.S., after leukemia and lymphoma.2 Approximately 30,330 new patients are expected to be diagnosed with multiple myeloma and approximately 12,650 people are expected to die from the disease in the U.S. in 2016.3 Globally, it was estimated that 124,225 people would be diagnosed and 87,084 would die from the disease in 2015.4 While some patients with multiple myeloma have no symptoms at all, most patients are diagnosed due to symptoms which can include bone problems, low blood counts, calcium elevation, kidney problems or infections.5 Patients who relapse after treatment with standard therapies, including proteasome inhibitors or immunomodulatory agents, have poor prognoses and few treatment options.6
About DARZALEX (daratumumab)
DARZALEX (daratumumab) injection for intravenous infusion is indicated in the United States for the treatment of patients with multiple myeloma who have received at least three prior lines of therapy, including a proteasome inhibitor (PI) and an immunomodulatory agent, or who are double-refractory to a PI and an immunomodulatory agent.7 DARZALEX is the first monoclonal antibody (mAb) to receive U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval to treat multiple myeloma. DARZALEX is indicated in Europe for use as monotherapy for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed and refractory multiple myeloma, whose prior therapy included a PI and an immunomodulatory agent and who have demonstrated disease progression on the last therapy. For more information, visit www.DARZALEX.com.
Daratumumab is a human IgG1k monoclonal antibody (mAb) that binds with high affinity to the CD38 molecule, which is highly expressed on the surface of multiple myeloma cells. It is believed to induce rapid tumor cell death through programmed cell death, or apoptosis,7,8 and multiple immune-mediated mechanisms, including complement-dependent cytotoxicity,7,8 antibody-dependent cellular phagocytosis9,10 and antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity.7,8 In addition, daratumumab therapy results in a reduction of immune-suppressive myeloid derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) and subsets of regulatory T cells (Tregs) and B cells (Bregs), all of which express CD38. These reductions in MDSCs, Tregs and Bregs were accompanied by increases in CD4+ and CD8+ T cell numbers in both the peripheral blood and bone marrow.7,11
Daratumumab is being developed by Janssen Biotech, Inc. under an exclusive worldwide license to develop, manufacture and commercialize daratumumab from Genmab. Five Phase III clinical studies with daratumumab in relapsed and frontline settings are currently ongoing, and additional studies are ongoing or planned to assess its potential in other malignant and pre-malignant diseases on which CD38 is expressed, such as smoldering myeloma, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and a solid tumor.