Drugs

FDA) has approved BRAFTOVI® (encorafenib) in combination with cetuximab (marketed as ERBITUX® ) and mFOLFOX6 (fluorouracil, leucovorin, and oxaliplatin) for the treatment of patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) with a BRAF V600E mutation, as detected by an FDA-approved test.i The indication was approved based on a statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvement in response rate and durability of response in treatment-naïve patients treated with BRAFTOVI in combination with cetuximab and mFOLFOX6 from the Phase 3 BREAKWATER trial. Continued approval for this indication is contingent upon verification of clinical benefit. This accelerated approval is among the first in the industry to be conducted under the FDA’s Project FrontRunner, which seeks to support the development and approval of new cancer drugs for advanced or metastatic disease. 

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FDA) granted approval for Opdivo Qvantig™ (nivolumab and hyaluronidase-nvhy) injection for subcutaneous use, a combination product of nivolumab co-formulated with recombinant human hyaluronidase (rHuPH20), in most previously approved adult, solid tumor Opdivo indications as monotherapy, monotherapy maintenance following completion of Opdivo plus Yervoy® (ipilimumab) combination therapy, or in combination with chemotherapy or cabozantinib.1,2 The approval is based on the results from the Phase 3 randomized, open-label CheckMate-67T trial, which demonstrated non-inferior co-primary pharmacokinetic (PK) exposures, similar efficacy in overall response rate (ORR), and showed a comparable safety profile vs. intravenous (IV) Opdivo.  Read More. 

AstraZeneca’s Imfinzi (durvalumab) has been approved in the US for the treatment of adult patients with limited-stage small cell lung cancer (LS-SCLC) whose disease has not progressed following concurrent platinum-based chemotherapy and radiation therapy.

The approval was granted by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) after securing Priority Review and Breakthrough Therapy Designation. It was based on results from the ADRIATIC Phase III trial which were presented during the Plenary Session of the 2024 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting and subsequently published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

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FDA accelerated approval of Ziihera® (zanidatamab-hrii) 50mg/mL for injection for intravenous use for the treatment of adults with previously treated, unresectable or metastatic HER2-positive (IHC 3+) biliary tract cancer (BTC), as detected by an FDA-approved test.1 Ziihera was approved under accelerated approval based on a 52% objective response rate (ORR) and a median duration of response (DOR) of 14.9 months as determined by independent central review (ICR). Continued approval for this indication may be contingent upon verification and description of clinical benefit in a confirmatory trial.1 The Phase 3 HERIZON-BTC-302 confirmatory trial is ongoing to evaluate zanidatamab in combination with standard-of-care therapy versus standard-of-care therapy alone in the first-line setting for patients with HER2-positive BTC. Read More.

FDA has approved Revuforj® (revumenib) as the first and only menin inhibitor for the treatment of relapsed or refractory (R/R) acute leukemia with a lysine methyltransferase 2A gene (KMT2A) translocation in adult and pediatric patients one year and older. The FDA previously granted Breakthrough Therapy and Fast Track designations as well as Priority Review for Revuforj. The New Drug Application (NDA) received approval through the FDA's Real Time Oncology Review (RTOR) program. Read More.

Food and Drug Administration approved obecabtagene autoleucel (Aucatzyl, Autolus Inc.), a CD19-directed genetically modified autologous T cell immunotherapy, for adults with relapsed or refractory B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).

Full prescribing information for Aucatzyl will be posted on Drugs@FDA. 

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Novartis is pleased to announce FDA approval of SCEMBLIX for adults with newly diagnosed Philadelphia chromosome–positive chronic myeloid leukemia in chronic phase (Ph+ CML-CP).

FDA approval was based on results from ASC4FIRST, a multicenter, randomized, active-controlled, open-label study that evaluated SCEMBLIX vs investigator-selected tyrosine kinase inhibitors (IS-TKIs) (bosutinib, dasatinib, imatinib, nilotinib) in adult patients with newly diagnosed Ph+ CML-CP.

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FDA approved zolbetuximab-clzb (Vyloy, Astellas Pharma US, Inc.), a claudin 18.2 (CLDN18.2)-directed cytolytic antibody, with fluoropyrimidine- and platinum-containing chemotherapy, for the first-line treatment of adults with locally advanced unresectable or metastatic human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-negative gastric or gastroesophageal junction (GEJ) adenocarcinoma whose tumors are CLDN18.2 positive, as determined by an FDA-approved test.

Today, FDA also approved the VENTANA CLDN18 (43-14A) RxDx Assay (Ventana Medical Systems, Inc./Roche Diagnostics) as a companion diagnostic device to identify patients with gastric or GEJ adenocarcinoma who may be eligible for treatment with zolbetuximab.

Full prescribing information for Vyloy will be posted on Drugs@FDA.

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FDA has approved Optune Lua® for concurrent use with PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors or docetaxel, for the treatment of adult patients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (mNSCLC) who have progressed on or after a platinum-based regimen. Read More.

FDA has approved HYMPAVZI™ (marstacimab-hncq) for routine prophylaxis to prevent or reduce the frequency of bleeding episodes in adults and pediatric patients 12 years of age and older with hemophilia A (congenital factor VIII deficiency) without factor VIII (FVIII) inhibitors, or hemophilia B (congenital factor IX deficiency) without factor IX (FIX) inhibitors.

HYMPAVZI is the first and only anti-tissue factor pathway inhibitor (anti-TFPI) approved in the U.S. for the treatment of hemophilia A or B and the first hemophilia medicine approved in the U.S. to be administered via a pre-filled, auto-injector pen. HYMPAVZI can offer a subcutaneous treatment option with a once-weekly dosing schedule and minimal preparation required for each individual administration.

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