EPKINLY® (epcoritamab-bysp) Approved by U.S. FDA for Patients with
Relapsed or Refractory (R/R) Follicular Lymphoma (FL)
Company Announcement
- Approval based on results from Phase 1/2
EPCORE® NHL-1 study, which
demonstrated durable, clinically meaningful treatment responses in
patients with challenging-to-treat R/R FL
- EPKINLY offers an off-the-shelf, T-cell engaging
treatment option that enables treatment across practice settings to
address high clinical need
- EPKINLY is the first and only bispecific antibody
approved in the U.S. to treat both relapsed or refractory (R/R)
follicular lymphoma (FL) and R/R diffuse large B-cell lymphoma
(DLBCL), after two or more lines of systemic therapy
COPENHAGEN, Denmark; June 27, 2024 –
Genmab A/S (Nasdaq: GMAB) today
announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has
approved EPKINLY® (epcoritamab-bysp) for the treatment of adults
with relapsed or refractory (R/R) follicular lymphoma (FL) after
two or more lines of systemic therapy. With this approval, EPKINLY
is the first and only T-cell engaging bispecific antibody
administered subcutaneously approved in the U.S. to treat this
patient population. This indication is approved under accelerated
approval based on response rate. Continued approval for this
indication may be contingent upon verification and description of
clinical benefit in a confirmatory clinical trial(s).
FL is the second most common form of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma
(NHL), accounting for 20-30 percent of all NHL cases.i About 15,000
people develop FL each year in the U.S.ii FL is considered
incurable with current standard of care therapies and patients
often relapse.iii,iv With each subsequent line of therapy, patients
receiving currently available treatments may experience shorter
durability of response.v
“Patients with relapsed or refractory follicular lymphoma face
significant treatment challenges, especially in third-line settings
where there is currently no clear standard of care treatment,” said
Jeff Sharman, MD, Disease Chair, Hematology Research, Sarah Cannon
Research Institute (SCRI) at Willamette Valley Cancer Institute in
Eugene, Oregon. “This approval and the durable responses observed
in the follicular lymphoma cohort of the EPCORE NHL-1 clinical
trial, which reflected a real-world patient population, including
patients with difficult-to-treat follicular lymphoma, demonstrate
the potential of EPKINLY for patients who face limited therapeutic
options post-relapse.”
The approval is based on results from the phase 1/2 EPCORE®
NHL-1 clinical trial, which evaluated the safety and preliminary
efficacy of EPKINLY in 127 adult patients with R/R FL who
previously received a median of three lines of therapy and with 70%
having double refractory disease. The results showed an overall
response rate (ORR) of 82% and a complete response (CR) rate of
60%, including 67% of patients achieving minimal residual disease
(MRD) negativity. Additionally, more than half of patients who
responded to treatment in the study remained responsive to
treatment at the time of data analysis (i.e., at a median follow-up
of 14.8 months, median duration of response (DoR) was not reached).
The study included prespecified subgroups representing patients
with challenging-to-treat FL, including patients who were
refractory to both anti-CD20 therapy and an alkylating agent,
patients who were refractory to last prior treatment, and patients
whose disease progressed within two years of first-line
immunochemotherapy (POD24). These results were recently published
in the Lancet Haematology.
Common treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) (≥20%) from the
FL cohort of the trial were injection site reaction, cytokine
release syndrome (CRS), COVID-19, fatigue, upper respiratory tract
infection, musculoskeletal pain, rash, diarrhea, fever, cough, and
headache. For patients who received EPKINLY at the recommended 3
step-up dosage schedule, CRS was primarily low grade (40% Grade 1,
9% Grade 2). There were no grade 3 CRS events observed. The
prescribing information has a Boxed Warning for serious or
life-threatening CRS and immune effector cell-associated
neurotoxicity syndrome (ICANS). Warnings and precautions include
infections, cytopenias, and embryo-fetal toxicity. Please see
additional Important Safety Information below.
“With this approval, patients whose follicular lymphoma has
relapsed or is refractory to at least two or more lines of systemic
therapy, now have the option to be treated with EPKINLY, which has
demonstrated durable responses without mandatory hospitalization
using a 3 step-up dosage regimen in this patient population in
clinical trials,” said Jan van de Winkel, Ph.D., Chief Executive
Officer of Genmab. “In just over a year, EPKINLY has received a
second indication in the U.S., making it the first and only
bispecific antibody approved to treat patients with diffuse large
B-cell lymphoma and follicular lymphoma after two or more lines of
systemic therapy. The approved indications, along with the ongoing
clinical development program, underscore the potential of
epcoritamab to become a core therapy across B-cell
malignancies.”
“People living with follicular lymphoma are in need of
additional options when their cancer returns,” said Lee
Greenberger, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer at The Leukemia &
Lymphoma Society. “Today’s approval is welcome news for patients,
as it provides another tool in the physician arsenal for this
difficult-to-treat form of cancer.”
NCCN® Clinical
Practice GuidelinesThe National Comprehensive Cancer
Network® (NCCN®) Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology (NCCN
Guidelines®) for “B-Cell Lymphomas” were recently updated (Version
2.2024) to add EPKINLY as a Category 2A, preferred recommendation
for third-line and subsequent therapy for patients with FL. This
recommendation is based on uniform NCCN consensus that the
intervention is appropriate.vi
About the EPCORE®
NHL-1 Trial EPCORE® NHL-1 is an open-label,
multi-center safety and preliminary efficacy trial of epcoritamab
that consists of three parts: a dose escalation part; an expansion
part; and an optimization part. The trial was designed to evaluate
subcutaneous epcoritamab in patients with relapsed or refractory
B-cell non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (B-NHL), including FL. In the
expansion part, additional patients were enrolled to further
explore the safety and efficacy of epcoritamab in three cohorts of
patients with different types of relapsed/refractory B-NHLs who
have limited therapeutic options. The expansion part generated
pivotal data from patients with FL and DLBCL. The optimization part
evaluated additional CRS mitigation strategies during cycle 1. The
primary endpoint of the expansion part was overall response rate as
assessed by an Independent Review Committee. Secondary efficacy
endpoints included duration of response, complete response rate,
duration of complete response, progression-free survival, and time
to response as determined by the Lugano criteria. Overall survival,
time to next therapy, and rate of minimal residual disease
negativity were also evaluated as secondary efficacy endpoints. The
primary endpoint of the optimization part was the rate of ≥ Grade 2
CRS events and all grade CRS events from first dose of epcoritamab
through 7 days following administration of the second full dose of
epcoritamab.
About Follicular Lymphoma (FL)FL is typically
an indolent (or slow-growing) form of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL)
that arises from B-lymphocytes.vii Although FL is an indolent
lymphoma, it is considered incurable with conventional therapy and
patients who achieve remission also often experience
relapse.iii,iv,viii Additionally, with each relapse the remission
and time to next treatment is shorter.ix,x
About EPKINLY®
(epcoritamab-bysp) EPKINLY is a prescription
medicine used to treat adults with certain types of diffuse large
B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), high-grade B-cell lymphoma, or follicular
lymphoma (FL) that has come back or that did not respond to
previous treatment after receiving 2 or more treatments. EPKINLY is
approved based on patient response data. Studies are ongoing to
confirm the clinical benefit of EPKINLY. It is not known if EPKINLY
is safe and effective in children.
Epcoritamab is an IgG1-bispecific antibody created using
Genmab's proprietary DuoBody® technology and administered
subcutaneously. Genmab's DuoBody-CD3 technology is designed to
direct cytotoxic T cells selectively to elicit an immune response
toward target cell types. Epcoritamab is designed to simultaneously
bind to CD3 on T cells and CD20 on B cells and induces
T-cell-mediated killing of CD20+ cells.xi
Epcoritamab (approved under the brand name EPKINLY in the U.S.
and Japan, and TEPKINLY in the EU) has received regulatory approval
in certain lymphoma indications in several territories. Epcoritamab
is being co-developed by Genmab and AbbVie as part of the
companies' oncology collaboration. The companies will share
commercial responsibilities in the U.S. and Japan, with AbbVie
responsible for further global commercialization.
Genmab and AbbVie continue to evaluate the use of epcoritamab as
a monotherapy, and in combination, across lines of therapy in a
range of hematologic malignancies. This includes four ongoing Phase
3, open-label, randomized trials including a trial evaluating
epcoritamab as a monotherapy in patients with R/R DLBCL compared to
investigators choice chemotherapy (NCT04628494), a trial evaluating
epcoritamab in combination with R-CHOP in adult participants with
newly diagnosed DLBCL (NCT05578976), a trial evaluating epcoritamab
in combination with rituximab and lenalidomide (R2) in patients
with R/R FL (NCT05409066), and a trial evaluating epcoritamab in
combination with rituximab and lenalidomide (R2) compared to
chemoimmunotherapy in patients with previously untreated FL
(NCT06191744). The safety and efficacy of epcoritamab has not been
established for these investigational uses. Please visit
www.clinicaltrials.gov for more information.
EPKINLY®
(epcoritamab-bysp) U.S. IMPORTANT SAFETY
INFORMATION
Important Warnings—EPKINLY can cause serious side
effects, including:
- Cytokine release syndrome (CRS), which is
common during treatment with EPKINLY and can be serious or
life-threatening. To help reduce your risk of CRS, you will receive
EPKINLY on a step-up dosing schedule (when you receive 2 or 3
smaller step-up doses of EPKINLY before your first full dose during
your first cycle of treatment), and you may also receive other
medicines before and for 3 days after receiving EPKINLY. If your
dose of EPKINLY is delayed for any reason, you may need to repeat
the step-up dosing schedule.
- Neurologic problems that can be
life-threatening and lead to death. Neurologic problems may happen
days or weeks after you receive EPKINLY.
People with DLBCL or high-grade B-cell lymphoma
should be hospitalized for 24 hours after receiving their
first full dose of EPKINLY on day 15 of cycle 1 due to
the risk of CRS and neurologic problems.
Tell your healthcare provider or get medical help right
away if you develop a fever of 100.4°F (38°C) or higher;
dizziness or lightheadedness; trouble breathing; chills; fast
heartbeat; feeling anxious; headache; confusion; shaking (tremors);
problems with balance and movement, such as trouble walking;
trouble speaking or writing; confusion and disorientation;
drowsiness, tiredness or lack of energy; muscle weakness; seizures;
or memory loss. These may be symptoms of CRS or neurologic
problems. If you have any symptoms that impair
consciousness, do not drive or use heavy machinery
or do other dangerous activities until your symptoms go away.
EPKINLY can cause other serious side effects,
including:
- Infections that may lead to death. Your
healthcare provider will check you for signs and symptoms of
infection before and during treatment and treat you as needed if
you develop an infection. You should receive medicines from your
healthcare provider before you start treatment to help prevent
infection. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you develop
any symptoms of infection during treatment, including fever of
100.4°F (38°C) or higher, cough, chest pain, tiredness, shortness
of breath, painful rash, sore throat, pain during urination, or
feeling weak or generally unwell.
- Low blood cell counts, which can be serious or
severe. Your healthcare provider will check your blood cell counts
during treatment. EPKINLY may cause low blood cell counts,
including low white blood cells (neutropenia), which can increase
your risk for infection; low red blood cells (anemia), which can
cause tiredness and shortness of breath; and low platelets
(thrombocytopenia), which can cause bruising or bleeding
problems.
Your healthcare provider will monitor you for symptoms of CRS,
neurologic problems, infections, and low blood cell counts during
treatment with EPKINLY. Your healthcare provider may temporarily
stop or completely stop treatment with EPKINLY if you develop
certain side effects.
Before you receive EPKINLY, tell your healthcare
provider about all your medical conditions, including if
you have an infection, are pregnant or plan to become
pregnant, or are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. If you
receive EPKINLY while pregnant, it may harm your unborn baby.
If you are a female who can become pregnant, your
healthcare provider should do a pregnancy test before you start
treatment with EPKINLY and you should use effective birth control
(contraception) during treatment and for 4 months after your last
dose of EPKINLY. Tell your healthcare provider if you become
pregnant or think that you may be pregnant during treatment with
EPKINLY. Do not breastfeed during treatment with EPKINLY and for 4
months after your last dose of EPKINLY.
In DLBCL or high-grade B-cell lymphoma, the most common
side effects of EPKINLY include CRS, tiredness, muscle and
bone pain, injection site reactions, fever, stomach-area
(abdominal) pain, nausea, and diarrhea. The most common
severe abnormal laboratory test results include decreased
white blood cells, decreased red blood cells, and decreased
platelets.
In follicular lymphoma the most common side effects of
EPKINLY include injection site reactions, CRS, COVID-19,
tiredness, upper respiratory tract infections, muscle and bone
pain, rash, diarrhea, fever, cough, and headache. The most
common severe abnormal laboratory test results include
decreased white blood cells and decreased red blood cells.
These are not all of the possible side effects of EPKINLY. Call
your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You are
encouraged to report side effects to the FDA at (800) FDA-1088 or
www.fda.gov/medwatch or to Genmab US, Inc. at 1-855-4GENMAB
(1-855-443-6622).
Please see Medication Guide, including
Important Warnings.
Helping Patients Access CareGenmab strives to
positively impact the lives of patients when our medicines reach
the people who need them. We understand the impact that cancer can
have, and we offer support throughout the treatment journey.
MyNavCare Patient Support by Genmab™ is available
to patients in the U.S. who have been prescribed EPKINLY.
MyNavCare offers resources and services, from
financial information to ongoing patient support, to help eligible
patients access their Genmab medication. MyNavCare
provides helpful information for patients, care partners and the
healthcare providers who serve those patients throughout their
treatment journey. Patients, care partners and healthcare providers
interested in learning more about MyNavCare can
visit www.MyNavCare.com or call 1-866-NAV-CAR1
(1-866-628-2271).
About Genmab Genmab is an international
biotechnology company with a core purpose of guiding its
unstoppable team to strive toward improving the lives of patients
with innovative and differentiated antibody therapeutics. For 25
years, its passionate, innovative and collaborative team has
invented next-generation antibody technology platforms and
leveraged translational, quantitative and data sciences, resulting
in a proprietary pipeline including bispecific T-cell engagers,
antibody-drug conjugates, next-generation immune checkpoint
modulators and effector function-enhanced antibodies. By 2030,
Genmab’s vision is to transform the lives of people with cancer and
other serious diseases with knock-your-socks-off (KYSO®) antibody
medicines.
Established in 1999, Genmab is headquartered in Copenhagen,
Denmark, with international presence across North America, Europe
and Asia Pacific. For more information, please visit Genmab.com and
follow us on LinkedIn and X.
Contact: Marisol
Peron, Senior Vice President, Global Communications & Corporate
AffairsT: +1 609 524 0065; E: mmp@genmab.com
Andrew Carlsen, Vice President, Head of Investor RelationsT: +45
3377 9558; E: acn@genmab.comThis Company Announcement contains
forward looking statements. The words “believe,” “expect,”
“anticipate,” “intend” and “plan” and similar expressions identify
forward looking statements. Actual results or performance may
differ materially from any future results or performance expressed
or implied by such statements. The important factors that could
cause our actual results or performance to differ materially
include, among others, risks associated with preclinical and
clinical development of products, uncertainties related to the
outcome and conduct of clinical trials including unforeseen safety
issues, uncertainties related to product manufacturing, the lack of
market acceptance of our products, our inability to manage growth,
the competitive environment in relation to our business area and
markets, our inability to attract and retain suitably qualified
personnel, the unenforceability or lack of protection of our
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further discussion of these risks, please refer to the risk
management sections in Genmab’s most recent financial reports,
which are available on www.genmab.com and the risk factors included
in Genmab’s most recent Annual Report on Form 20-F and other
filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC),
which are available at www.sec.gov. Genmab does not undertake any
obligation to update or revise forward looking statements in this
Company Announcement nor to confirm such statements to reflect
subsequent events or circumstances after the date made or in
relation to actual results, unless required by law. Genmab A/S
and/or its subsidiaries own the following trademarks: Genmab®; the
Y-shaped Genmab logo®; Genmab in combination with the Y-shaped
Genmab logo®; HuMax®; DuoBody®; HexaBody®; DuoHexaBody®, HexElect®
and KYSO®. EPCORE®, EPKINLY®, TEPKINLY® and their designs are
trademarks of AbbVie Biotechnology Ltd. NCCN® and The National
Comprehensive Cancer Network® are trademarks of The National
Comprehensive Cancer Network.
i Ma S. Risk factors of follicular lymphoma. Expert Opin Med
Diagn. 2012;6:3232333. doi: 10.1517/17530059.2012.686996.ii
Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.
https://www.lls.org/research/follicular-lymphoma-fl. Accessed March
2024.iii Link BK, et al. Second-Line and Subsequent Therapy and
Outcomes for Follicular Lymphoma in the United States: Data From
the Observational National LymphoCare Study. Br J Haematol
2019;184(4):660-663.iv Ren J, et al. Economic Burden and Treatment
Patterns for Patients With Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma and
Follicular Lymphoma in the USA. J Comp Eff Res 2019;8(6):393-402.v
Ghione P, Palomba ML, Ghesquieres H, et al. Treatment patterns and
outcomes in relapsed/refractory follicular lymphoma: results from
the international SCHOLAR-5 study. Haematologica.
2023;108(3):822-832. doi: 10.3324/haematol.2022.281421.vi National
Comprehensive Cancer Network “NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in
Oncology (NCCN Guidelines); B-Cell Lymphomas.” Version 2.2024
published April 30, 2024.vii Lymphoma Research Foundation official
website. https://lymphoma.org/aboutlymphoma/nhl/fl/. Accessed
February 2024.viii Lymphoma Research Foundation official website.
https://lymphoma.org/understanding-lymphoma/aboutlymphoma/nhl/follicular-lymphoma/relapsedfl/.
Accessed February 2024.ix Rivas‐Delgado, A., Magnano, L.,
Moreno‐Velázquez, et al. Response duration and survival shorten
after each relapse in patients with follicular lymphoma treated in
the rituximab era. Br J Haematol. 2018;184(5):753-759.
doi:10.1111/bjh.15708x Kuruvilla J, Ewara EM, Elia-Pacitti J, et
al. Estimating the Burden of Illness of Relapsed Follicular
Lymphoma and Marginal Zone Lymphoma in Ontario, Canada. Curr
Oncol. 2023;30(5):4663-4676. doi:10.3390/curroncol30050352xi
Engelberts PJ, Hiemstra IH, de Jong B, et al. DuoBody-CD3xCD20
induces potent T-cell-mediated killing of malignant B cells in
preclinical models and provides opportunities for subcutaneous
dosing. EBioMedicine. 2020;52:102625. doi:
10.1016/j.ebiom.2019.102625.
Company Announcement no. 47CVR no. 2102 3884LEI Code
529900MTJPDPE4MHJ122
Genmab A/SCarl Jacobsens Vej 302500 ValbyDenmark
- 270624_CA47_Genmab EPKINLY FL FDA Approval
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