On October 5, 2020 ImmunoGen, Inc., (Nasdaq: IMGN) a leader in the expanding field of antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) for the treatment of cancer, reported that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Breakthrough Therapy designation for IMGN632 for the treatment of patients with relapsed or refractory blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm (BPDCN) (Press release, ImmunoGen, OCT 5, 2020, View Source [SID1234568093]).
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"We are pleased FDA has granted Breakthrough Therapy designation for IMGN632, our novel CD123-targeted ADC, as it underscores the urgent need for effective and well-tolerated treatments for patients with this rare and aggressive cancer," said Mark Enyedy, ImmunoGen’s President and Chief Executive Officer. "We look forward to continuing to work with FDA to further define the development path for IMGN632 in BPDCN, in addition to pursuing our ongoing evaluation of IMGN632 in AML and other hematological malignancies."
According to FDA guidelines, Breakthrough Therapy designation is designed to expedite the development and review of drugs that are intended to treat a serious condition and have generated preliminary clinical evidence that the drug may demonstrate substantial improvement over available therapy. Breakthrough Therapy designation was granted for IMGN632 based on the findings from the BPDCN cohort of the first-in-human study of IMGN632, for which initial data were presented in an oral session at the American Society of Hematology (ASH) (Free ASH Whitepaper) Annual Meeting in 2019. Updated data from the IMGN632 monotherapy BPDCN dose expansion cohort will be presented at ASH (Free ASH Whitepaper) this December.
ABOUT IMGN632
IMGN632 is a CD123-targeting ADC in clinical development for hematological malignancies, including blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm (BPDCN), acute myeloid leukemia (AML), and acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL). IMGN632 is currently being evaluated in multiple cohorts, including monotherapy for patients with BPDCN and minimal residual disease positive (MRD+) AML following frontline induction therapy and in combinations with Vidaza (azacitidine) and Venclexta (venetoclax) for patients with relapsed/refractory AML. IMGN632 uses one of ImmunoGen’s novel indolino-benzodiazepine (IGN) payloads, which alkylate DNA without crosslinking. IGNs have been designed to have high potency against AML blasts, while demonstrating less toxicity to normal marrow progenitors than other DNA-targeting payloads.
ABOUT BLASTIC PLASMACYTOID DENDRITIC CELL NEOPLASM
BPDCN is a rare form of blood cancer that has features of both leukemia and lymphoma, with characteristic skin lesions, lymph node involvement, and frequent spread to the bone marrow. This aggressive cancer requires intense treatment often followed by stem cell transplant. Despite the recent approval of a CD123-targeting therapy, the unmet need remains high for patients, particularly in the relapsed/refractory setting.