NORTH CHICAGO, Ill.,
June 23, 2020 /PRNewswire/
-- AbbVie (NYSE: ABBV), a research-based global
biopharmaceutical company, today announced that the U.S. Food and
Drug Administration (FDA) will review a supplemental New Drug
Application (sNDA) for IMBRUVICA® (ibrutinib) in
combination with rituximab for the treatment of Waldenström's
macroglobulinemia (WM), a rare and incurable type of non-Hodgkin's
lymphoma (NHL). The application seeks to update the IMBRUVICA U.S.
Prescribing Information based on analysis of more than five years
of data from the Phase 3 iNNOVATE clinical trial.
IMBRUVICA was first approved as a single agent therapy for all
lines of WM in 2015, becoming the first and only FDA-approved
medicine for WM, administered orally. In 2018, IMBRUVICA was also
approved as the first chemotherapy-free combination treatment with
rituximab. Results from the long-term analysis of the Phase 3
iNNOVATE study will be presented at a future medical congress. As
of today, IMBRUVICA is the only Bruton's tyrosine kinase (BTK)
inhibitor approved to treat WM.
"Since IMBRUVICA became the first FDA-approved medicine to treat
people living with Waldenström's macroglobulinemia more than five
years ago, it has significantly changed the treatment landscape for
this rare and incurable form of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma," said
Danelle James, M.D., M.A.S.,
IMBRUVICA Global Development Lead, Pharmacyclics LLC, an AbbVie
company. "This latest submission reinforces how IMBRUVICA has
provided an innovative treatment option for WM patients and our
commitment to supporting this patient community."
WM typically affects older adults and is primarily found in the
bone marrow, although lymph nodes and the spleen may also be
affected. In the U.S., there are about 2,800 new cases of WM each
year.1 As of May 2020, the
National Comprehensive Cancer Network®
(NCCN®), a not-for-profit alliance of 28 leading cancer
centers devoted to patient care, research, and education,
recommends ibrutinib (IMBRUVICA) with or without rituximab, as the
preferred regimen for patients with WM, including Category 1,
Preferred for Primary Therapy for WM.2
"We've made significant progress in the treatment of
Waldenström's macroglobulinemia, which until a couple years ago had
limited treatment options including chemotherapy," said Dr.
Meletios A. Dimopoulos, Professor
and Chairman of the Department of Clinical Therapeutics, National
and Kapodistrian University of Athens School of Medicine,
Athens, Greece, and principal
investigator. "The iNNOVATE study continues to deliver strong
clinical evidence supporting the long-term use of ibrutinib plus
rituximab across first and second lines of therapy for patients
with Waldenström's macroglobulinemia."
About iNNOVATE
iNNOVATE (PCYC-1127) is a Pharmacyclics-sponsored, randomized,
placebo-controlled, double-blind, Phase 3 study, which enrolled 150
patients with relapsed/refractory and treatment-naïve Waldenström's
macroglobulinemia. Patients were randomized to receive intravenous
rituximab 375 mg/m2 once weekly for four
consecutive weeks, followed by a second four-weekly rituximab
course following a three-month interval. All patients received
either ibrutinib 420 mg or placebo once daily continuously until
criteria for treatment discontinuation were met. The primary
endpoint was progression-free survival, with secondary endpoints
including overall response rate, hematological improvement measured
by hemoglobin, time-to-next treatment, overall survival, and number
of participants with adverse events as a measure of safety and
tolerability within each treatment arm.
About IMBRUVICA
IMBRUVICA is a once-daily,
first-in-class BTK inhibitor that is administered orally, and is
jointly developed and commercialized by Pharmacyclics, LLC, an
AbbVie Company, and Janssen Biotech, Inc. (Janssen). The BTK
protein sends important signals that tell B cells to mature and
produce antibodies. BTK signaling is needed by specific cancer
cells to multiply and spread.3,4 By blocking BTK,
IMBRUVICA may help move abnormal B cells out of their nourishing
environments in the lymph nodes, bone marrow, and other
organs.5
Since its launch in 2013, IMBRUVICA has received 11 FDA
approvals across six disease areas: chronic lymphocytic leukemia
(CLL) with or without 17p deletion (del17p); small lymphocytic
lymphoma (SLL) with or without del17p; WM; previously-treated
patients with mantle cell lymphoma (MCL)*; previously-treated
patients with marginal zone lymphoma (MZL) who require systemic
therapy and have received at least one prior anti-CD20-based
therapy* – and previously-treated patients with chronic
graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD) after failure of one or more
lines of systemic therapy.6
IMBRUVICA is now approved in 99 countries and has been used to
treat nearly 200,000 patients worldwide across its approved
indications. IMBRUVICA is the only FDA-approved medicine in WM and
cGVHD. IMBRUVICA has been granted four Breakthrough Therapy
Designations from the U.S. FDA. This designation is intended to
expedite the development and review of a potential new drug for
serious or life-threatening diseases. IMBRUVICA was one of the
first medicines to receive FDA approval via the Breakthrough
Therapy Designation pathway.
As of early 2019, the National Comprehensive Cancer
Network® (NCCN®), a not-for-profit alliance
of 28 leading cancer centers devoted to patient care, research, and
education, recommends ibrutinib (IMBRUVICA) as a preferred regimen
for the initial treatment of CLL/SLL and it is the only Category 1
treatment for treatment-naïve patients without deletion 17p. In
February 2020, the NCCN
Guidelines® were updated to elevate IMBRUVICA with or
without rituximab from other recommended regimens to a preferred
regimen for the treatment of relapsed/refractory MCL.
IMBRUVICA is being studied alone and in combination with other
treatments in several blood and solid tumor cancers and other
serious illnesses. IMBRUVICA is the most comprehensively studied
BTK inhibitor, with more than 150 ongoing clinical trials. There
are approximately 30 ongoing company-sponsored trials, 14 of which
are in Phase 3, and more than 100 investigator-sponsored trials and
external collaborations that are active around the world. For more
information, visit www.IMBRUVICA.com.
*Accelerated approval was granted for the MCL and MZL
indications based on overall response rate. Continued approval for
MCL and MZL may be contingent upon verification and description of
clinical benefit in confirmatory trials.
Important Side Effect Information
Before taking IMBRUVICA®, tell your
healthcare provider about all of your medical conditions, including
if you:
- have had recent surgery or plan to have surgery. Your
healthcare provider may stop IMBRUVICA® for any planned
medical, surgical, or dental procedure.
- have bleeding problems.
- have or had heart rhythm problems, smoke, or have a medical
condition that increases your risk of heart disease, such as high
blood pressure, high cholesterol, or diabetes.
- have an infection.
- have liver problems.
- are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. IMBRUVICA®
can harm your unborn baby. If you are able to become pregnant, your
healthcare provider will do a pregnancy test before starting
treatment with IMBRUVICA®. Tell your healthcare provider
if you are pregnant or think you may be pregnant during treatment
with IMBRUVICA®.
-
- Females who are able to become pregnant should use
effective birth control (contraception) during treatment with
IMBRUVICA® and for 1 month after the last dose.
- Males with female partners who are able to become
pregnant should use effective birth control, such as condoms,
during treatment with IMBRUVICA® and for 1 month after
the last dose.
- are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. Do not breastfeed
during treatment with IMBRUVICA® and for 1 week after
the last dose.
Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you
take, including prescription and over-the-counter
medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Taking
IMBRUVICA® with certain other medicines may affect
how IMBRUVICA® works and can cause side
effects.
How should I take IMBRUVICA®?
- Take IMBRUVICA® exactly as your healthcare provider
tells you to take it.
- Take IMBRUVICA® 1 time a day.
- Swallow IMBRUVICA® capsules or tablets whole with a
glass of water.
- Do not open, break or chew IMBRUVICA® capsules.
- Do not cut, crush or chew IMBRUVICA® tablets.
- Take IMBRUVICA® at about the same time each
day.
- If you miss a dose of IMBRUVICA® take it as soon as
you remember on the same day. Take your next dose of
IMBRUVICA® at your regular time on the next day. Do not
take extra doses of IMBRUVICA® to make up for a missed
dose.
- If you take too much IMBRUVICA® call your healthcare
provider or go to the nearest hospital emergency room right
away.
What should I avoid while taking
IMBRUVICA®?
- You should not drink grapefruit juice, eat grapefruit, or eat
Seville oranges (often used in
marmalades) during treatment with IMBRUVICA®. These
products may increase the amount of IMBRUVICA® in your
blood.
What are the possible side effects of
IMBRUVICA®?
IMBRUVICA® may cause serious side
effects, including:
- Bleeding problems (hemorrhage) are common during
treatment with IMBRUVICA®, and can also be serious and
may lead to death. Your risk of bleeding may increase if you are
also taking a blood thinner medicine. Tell your healthcare provider
if you have any signs of bleeding, including: blood in your stools
or black stools (looks like tar), pink or brown urine, unexpected
bleeding, or bleeding that is severe or that you cannot control,
vomit blood or vomit looks like coffee grounds, cough up blood or
blood clots, increased bruising, dizziness, weakness, confusion,
change in your speech, or a headache that lasts a long time or
severe headache.
- Infections can happen during treatment with
IMBRUVICA®. These infections can be serious and
may lead to death. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you
have fever, chills, weakness, confusion, or other signs or symptoms
of an infection during treatment with IMBRUVICA®.
- Decrease in blood cell counts. Decreased blood counts
(white blood cells, platelets, and red blood cells) are common with
IMBRUVICA®, but can also be severe. Your
healthcare provider should do monthly blood tests to check your
blood counts.
- Heart rhythm problems (ventricular arrhythmias, atrial
fibrillation and atrial flutter). Serious heart rhythm problems
and death have happened in people treated with
IMBRUVICA®, especially in people who have an increased
risk for heart disease, have an infection, or who have had heart
rhythm problems in the past. Tell your healthcare provider if you
get any symptoms of heart rhythm problems, such as feeling as if
your heart is beating fast and irregular, lightheadedness,
dizziness, shortness of breath, chest discomfort, or you
faint. If you develop any of these symptoms, your healthcare
provider may do a test to check your heart (ECG) and may change
your IMBRUVICA® dose.
- High blood pressure (hypertension). New or
worsening high blood pressure has happened in people treated with
IMBRUVICA®. Your healthcare provider may start you on
blood pressure medicine or change current medicines to treat your
blood pressure.
- Second primary cancers. New cancers have happened
during treatment with IMBRUVICA®, including cancers of
the skin or other organs.
- Tumor lysis syndrome (TLS). TLS is caused by the fast
breakdown of cancer cells. TLS can cause kidney failure and the
need for dialysis treatment, abnormal heart rhythm, seizure, and
sometimes death. Your healthcare provider may do blood tests to
check you for TLS.
The most common side effects of
IMBRUVICA® in adults with B-cell
malignancies (MCL, CLL/SLL, WM and MZL) include:
- diarrhea
- tiredness
- muscle and bone pain
- rash
- bruising
The most common side effects of
IMBRUVICA® in adults with cGVHD
include:
- tiredness
- bruising
- diarrhea
- mouth sores (stomatitis)
- muscle spasms
- nausea
- pneumonia
Diarrhea is a common side effect in people who take
IMBRUVICA®. Drink plenty of fluids during
treatment with IMBRUVICA® to help reduce
your risk of losing too much fluid (dehydration) due to diarrhea.
Tell your healthcare provider if you have diarrhea that does not go
away.
These are not all the possible side effects of
IMBRUVICA®. Call your doctor for medical advice about
side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at
1-800-FDA-1088.
General information about the safe and effective use of
IMBRUVICA®
Medicines are sometimes prescribed for purposes other than those
listed in a Patient Information leaflet. Do not use
IMBRUVICA® for a condition for which it was not
prescribed. Do not give IMBRUVICA® to other people,
even if they have the same symptoms that you have. It may harm
them. You can ask your pharmacist or healthcare provider for
information about IMBRUVICA® that is written for
health professionals.
Please click here
for full Prescribing Information.
About AbbVie
AbbVie's mission is to discover and
deliver innovative medicines that solve serious health issues today
and address the medical challenges of tomorrow. We strive to have a
remarkable impact on people's lives across several key therapeutic
areas: immunology, oncology, neuroscience, eye care, virology,
women's health and gastroenterology, in addition to products and
services across its Allergan Aesthetics portfolio. For more
information about AbbVie, please visit us at www.abbvie.com. Follow
@abbvie on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn.
Forward-Looking Statements
Some statements in this
news release are, or may be considered, forward-looking statements
for purposes of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of
1995. The words "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "project" and
similar expressions, among others, generally identify
forward-looking statements. AbbVie cautions that these
forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties
that may cause actual results to differ materially from those
indicated in the forward-looking statements. Such risks and
uncertainties include, but are not limited to, competition from
other products, challenges to intellectual property, difficulties
inherent in the research and development process, adverse
litigation or government action, and changes to laws and
regulations applicable to our industry. Additional information
about the economic, competitive, governmental, technological and
other factors that may affect AbbVie's operations is set forth in
Item 1A, "Risk Factors," of AbbVie's 2019 Annual Report on Form
10-K, which has been filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission. AbbVie undertakes no obligation to release publicly any
revisions to forward-looking statements as a result of subsequent
events or developments, except as required by law.
IMBRUVICA is a registered trademark of Pharmacyclics LLC.
CCRC-04364 6/20
1 Lymphoma Research Foundation. Waldenström's
Macroglobulinemia. https://lymphoma.org/aboutlymphoma/nhl/wm/. Accessed
June 2020.
2 National Comprehensive Cancer Network. NCCN
Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology Version 2.2020
Waldenström's Macroglobulinemia / Lymphoplasmacytic
Lymphoma.
3 Genetics Home Reference. Isolated growth hormone
deficiency.
http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition/isolated-growth-hormone-deficiency.
Accessed June 2020.
4 Turetsky, et al. Single cell imaging of Bruton's
Tyrosine Kinase using an irreversible inhibitor. Scientific
Reports. volume 4, Article number: 4782 (2014).
5 de Rooij MF, Kuil A, Geest CR, et al. The
clinically active BTK inhibitor PCI-32765 targets B-cell receptor-
and chemokine-controlled adhesion and migration in chronic
lymphocytic leukemia. Blood. 2012;119(11):2590-2594.
6 IMBRUVICA U.S. Prescribing
Information, April 2020.
View original
content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/imbruvica-ibrutinib-seeks-to-expand-us-label-with-long-term-data-in-waldenstroms-macroglobulinemia-wm-301081573.html
SOURCE AbbVie