On September 4, 2015 Genmab A/S (OMX: GEN) reported that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Priority Review to the Biologics License Application (BLA) for daratumumab (Press release, Genmab, SEP 4, 2015, View Source [SID:1234507401]). The BLA is for daratumumab as a treatment for patients with multiple myeloma who have received at least three different lines of therapy including both a proteasome inhibitor and an immunomodulatory agent (IMiD) or who are double refractory to a proteasome inhibitor and an IMiD. A rolling BLA submission was started by Genmab’s licensing partner, Janssen Biotech, Inc. in June and was completed on July 9, 2015. In August 2012, Genmab granted Janssen an exclusive worldwide license to develop, manufacture and commercialize daratumumab.

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Priority Review is an FDA designation for drugs that treat a serious condition and may provide a significant improvement in safety or efficacy. The FDA aims to complete its review of the daratumumab BLA within six months and has assigned a Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) target date of March 9, 2016.

"We are pleased that the FDA has granted Priority Review for daratumumab in double refractory multiple myeloma. If approved, daratumumab has the potential to make a real difference in the lives of people who have run out of other treatment options for multiple myeloma," said Jan van de Winkel, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of Genmab.

The BLA submission includes data from the Phase II study (Sirius MMY2002) of daratumumab in multiple myeloma patients who have received at least three prior lines of therapy including both a PI and an IMiD, or who are double refractory to a PI and an IMiD. However, safety and efficacy data from the Phase I/II study (GEN501) and safety data from three other studies, have also been included in the BLA submission. Daratumumab received a Breakthrough Therapy Designation for this indication from the FDA in May 2013.

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 26,850 new patients will be diagnosed with multiple myeloma and approximately 11,240 people will die from the disease in the U.S. in 2015.3 Globally, it is estimated that 124,225 people will be diagnosed and 87,084 will 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 PIs or IMiDs, have poor prognoses and few treatment options.6

About daratumumab
Daratumumab is an investigational 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 induces rapid tumor cell death through multiple immune-mediated mechanisms7, including complement-dependent cytotoxicity7, antibody-dependent cellular phagocytosis8 and antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity7, as well as via induction of apoptosis9 . Five Phase III clinical studies with daratumumab in relapsed and frontline settings are currently ongoing. 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 and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Daratumumab has been granted Breakthrough Therapy Designation from the US FDA.