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FDA Advisory Committee Votes in Favor of Lilly's CYRAMZA® (ramucirumab) as First-Line Treatment for Metastatic EGFR-Mutated Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer


INDIANAPOLIS, Feb. 26, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE: LLY) today announced that a U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Oncologic Drugs Advisory Committee (ODAC) voted 6-5 that CYRAMZA® (ramucirumab) plus erlotinib demonstrated a favorable benefit/risk profile for patients with untreated metastatic EGFR-positive non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), based on the results of the positive Phase 3 RELAY study.

"Given the unmet need that remains in treating metastatic EGFR-mutated non-small cell lung cancer, we are encouraged that the majority of these experts agree CYRAMZA plus erlotinib has a favorable benefit/risk profile for the first-line treatment of these patients," said Maura Dickler, M.D., vice president of late phase development, Lilly Oncology. "We believe in the clinical meaningfulness of the data from the RELAY trial, which targeted the VEGFR and EGFR pathways together. We look forward to continuing to work with the FDA on this application to offer a new front-line treatment option for people with metastatic EGFR-mutated non-small cell lung cancer."

The ODAC considered the safety and efficacy data from the Phase 3 RELAY trial, which is the basis for the CYRAMZA supplemental Biologics License Application (sBLA) currently under review by the FDA. In the RELAY study, CYRAMZA, a VEGF receptor 2 antagonist, in combination with erlotinib, a globally approved EGFR-targeting tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI), demonstrated a statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvement in progression-free survival ? the time patients live without their disease getting worse ? compared to erlotinib alone. Median PFS on the CYRAMZA-plus-erlotinib arm was 19.4 months compared to 12.4 months on the placebo-plus-erlotinib arm, an improvement of seven months (HR 0.59; 95% CI, 0.46-0.79; P<0.0001). The safety profile observed in the RELAY study was consistent with what has been previously observed for CYRAMZA in Phase 3 clinical trials and the established safety profile of erlotinib. The most common (>5% incidence) Grade ?3 adverse events occurring at a higher rate (?5% difference) on the CYRAMZA-plus-erlotinib arm compared to the placebo-plus-erlotinib arm were hypertension, dermatitis acneiform (an acne-like rash), and diarrhea.

There is no cure for people with metastatic EGFR-mutated lung cancer and disease progression following acquired resistance remains a challenge. Most patients receive several lines of treatment and the therapeutic regimen prescribed for first-line treatment can impact a person's options for later lines of therapy. Globally, tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) ? including erlotinib, which was used in the trial ? are the current standard treatment option for EGFR-mutated NSCLC. There remains an ongoing need for additional first-line therapeutic options that provide clinically meaningful benefits ? including delaying disease progression and use of chemotherapy as long as possible. Moreover, new treatment options could allow oncologists greater choice on how to use the available agents, in shared decision-making with their patients.

Advisory committees provide the FDA with independent opinions and recommendations from outside medical experts during the drug review process. The FDA is not obligated to follow their recommendation, but it often does.

Lilly has also made regulatory submissions outside the U.S. based on the RELAY data. In January 2020, the European Commission granted European Union approval for CYRAMZA in combination with erlotinib for the first-line treatment of adult patients with metastatic NSCLC with activating EGFR mutations. Lilly has submitted in Japan and expects regulatory action in the second half of 2020.


About the RELAY Trial
RELAY is a global randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase 3 study of CYRAMZA in combination with erlotinib, compared to placebo in combination with erlotinib, as a first-line treatment in previously untreated patients with metastatic NSCLC whose tumors have EGFR (epidermal growth factor receptor) exon 19 deletions or exon 21 (L858R) substitution mutations. EGFR-targeting tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) are the current standard treatment options for EGFR-mutated NSCLC. Erlotinib, the TKI included in the RELAY trial regimen, is a globally approved treatment option for this type of lung cancer.

Initiated in 2015, the study randomized 449 patients across North America, Europe and Asia. The primary endpoint of the RELAY trial is progression-free survival (PFS); key secondary endpoints include safety, response rate, overall survival (OS), and patient-reported outcomes. On the primary endpoint of investigator-assessed PFS, CYRAMZA plus erlotinib (N=224) demonstrated statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvement in median PFS ? the time patients live without their cancer growing or spreading after starting treatment ? by seven months compared to placebo plus erlotinib (N=225) [19.4 months with the CYRAMZA-containing arm compared to 12.4 months with the placebo-containing arm (HR 0.59; 95% CI, 0.46-0.79; P<0.0001)]. Improvements with CYRAMZA plus erlotinib were also consistently observed across secondary and exploratory endpoints including duration of response, PFS2 and time on targeted therapy. Improvements were also consistently seen across all specified subgroups, including patients with tumors that had exon 19 and 21 mutations. OS was immature at the time of analysis. The trial will continue until it reaches its final number of OS events.

The most common mechanism of acquired resistance to first-line treatment with first-and second-generation EGFR-TKI is the T790M mutation, with approximately 30 to 60 percent of patients whose disease progresses acquiring the mutation. In RELAY, the rate of T790M mutations following disease progression was similar between treatment groups.

The most common Grade ?3 adverse events occurring at a rate of five percent or greater in the CYRAMZA-containing arm were hypertension (N=52 [24%, Grade 3 only]), dermatitis acneiform (an acne-like rash) (N=33 [15%, Grade 3 only)], and diarrhea (N=16 [7%, Grade 3 only]).

Detailed RELAY efficacy and safety results were published in The Lancet Oncology.

About Lung Cancer and EGFR Mutations 
Globally, lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death, killing nearly 1.8 million people worldwide each year.1 In the U.S., lung cancer is the second most common cancer and the leading cause of cancer death, responsible for approximately 22 percent of all cancer deaths ? more than those from colorectal, breast and prostate cancers combined.2 It is estimated that there will be 228,820 new cases of lung cancer and 135,720 deaths from lung cancer in the U.S. in 2020.3 Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is much more common than other types of lung cancer and accounts for about 80 to 85 percent of all lung cancer cases.4 Stage IV NSCLC is a very difficult-to-treat cancer and the prognosis is poor for metastatic NSCLC.5 Fifty percent of NSCLC patients present with advanced or metastatic disease at diagnosis.6 The five-year survival rate for metastatic NSCLC is six percent.7

EGFR is a protein that helps cells grow and divide. When the EGFR gene is mutated it can cause the protein to be overactive, resulting in the formation of cancer cells. EGFR mutations may occur in 10 to 35 percent of NSCLC tumors globally.8 In the U.S., it is estimated that approximately 15 percent of people diagnosed with NSCLC have an EGFR mutation.9 Activating EGFR mutations are found in about 10 to 20 percent of Caucasian patients with lung adenocarcinomas and in up to 40 to 60 percent of Asian patients.10,11,12 Regardless of ethnicity, these mutations are commonly found in females, non-smokers and those with adenocarcinoma histology.13,14 The most common activating mutations in EGFR are deletions within exon 19 and a substitution in exon 21 (L858R), which are present in over 90 percent of EGFR-mutated tumors. The presence of these activating EGFR mutations in advanced NSCLC is associated with sensitivity to small-molecule EGFR TKIs. 11,12

About CYRAMZA® (ramucirumab) 
In the U.S., CYRAMZA (ramucirumab) has five FDA approvals to treat four different types of cancers. CYRAMZA is being investigated in a broad global development program that has enrolled more than 15,000 patients across more than 100 trials worldwide. These include several studies investigating CYRAMZA in combination with other anti-cancer therapies for the treatment of multiple tumor types.

CYRAMZA is an antiangiogenic therapy. It is a vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) Receptor 2 antagonist that binds specifically to VEGFR-2, thereby blocking the binding of the receptor ligands (VEGF-A, VEGF-C, and VEGF-D) ? which may slow tumor growth. CYRAMZA inhibited angiogenesis in an in vivo animal model.

About Angiogenesis and VEGF Protein 
Angiogenesis is the process of making new blood vessels. In a person with cancer, angiogenesis creates new blood vessels that give a tumor its own blood supply, allowing it to grow and spread.

Some tumors create proteins called VEGF. These proteins attach to the VEGF receptors of blood vessel cells causing new blood vessels to form around the tumors, enabling growth. Blocking the VEGF protein from binding to the receptors located on the surface of blood vessels helps to inhibit tumor growth by slowing angiogenesis and the blood supply that feeds tumors. Of the three known VEGF receptors, VEGF Receptor 2 is linked most closely to VEGF-induced tumor angiogenesis.

U.S. INDICATIONS FOR CYRAMZA

Gastric Cancer  
CYRAMZA, as a single agent, or in combination with paclitaxel, is indicated for the treatment of patients with advanced or metastatic gastric or gastroesophageal junction (GEJ) adenocarcinoma with disease progression on or after prior fluoropyrimidine- or platinum-containing chemotherapy.

Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer  
CYRAMZA, in combination with docetaxel, is indicated for the treatment of patients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with disease progression on or after platinum-based chemotherapy. Patients with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) or anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) genomic tumor aberrations should have disease progression on FDA-approved therapy for these aberrations prior to receiving CYRAMZA.

Colorectal Cancer  
CYRAMZA, in combination with FOLFIRI (irinotecan, folinic acid, and 5-fluorouracil), is indicated for the treatment of patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) with disease progression on or after prior therapy with bevacizumab, oxaliplatin, and a fluoropyrimidine.

Hepatocellular Carcinoma 
CYRAMZA, as a single agent, is indicated for the treatment of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) who have an alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) of ?400 ng/mL and have been treated with sorafenib.

U.S. IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION FOR CYRAMZA® (ramucirumab)  
Warnings and Precautions 
Hemorrhage

Gastrointestinal Perforations

Impaired Wound Healing

Arterial Thromboembolic Events

Hypertension

Infusion-Related Reactions

Worsening of Pre-existing Hepatic Impairment

Posterior Reversible Encephalopathy Syndrome

Proteinuria Including Nephrotic Syndrome 

Thyroid Dysfunction

Embryo-Fetal Toxicity

Lactation

Most Common Adverse Reactions?CYRAMZA Administered as a Single Agent (REGARD)

Most Common Adverse Reactions? CYRAMZA Administered in Combination with Paclitaxel (RAINBOW)

Most Common Adverse Reactions? CYRAMZA Administered in Combination with Docetaxel (REVEL)

Most Common Adverse Reactions? CYRAMZA Administered in Combination with FOLFIRI (RAISE)

Most Common Adverse Reactions? CYRAMZA Administered as a Single Agent (REACH-2)

RB-P HCP ISI 18NOV2019

Please see full U.S. Prescribing Information for CYRAMZA.

About Lilly Oncology 
For more than 50 years, Lilly has been dedicated to delivering life-changing medicines and support to people living with cancer and those who care for them. Lilly is determined to build on this heritage and continue making life better for all those affected by cancer around the world. To learn more about Lilly's commitment to people with cancer, please visit www.LillyOncology.com.

About Eli Lilly and Company 
Lilly is a global healthcare leader that unites caring with discovery to create medicines that make life better for people around the world. We were founded more than a century ago by a man committed to creating high-quality medicines that meet real needs, and today we remain true to that mission in all our work. Across the globe, Lilly employees work to discover and bring life-changing medicines to those who need them, improve the understanding and management of disease, and give back to communities through philanthropy and volunteerism. To learn more about Lilly, please visit us at www.lilly.com and lilly.com/newsroom. P-LLY

© Lilly USA, LLC 2020. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

CYRAMZA is a trademark owned by or licensed to Eli Lilly and Company, its subsidiaries, or affiliates.

Lilly Forward-Looking Statement 
This press release contains forward-looking statements (as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995) about the RELAY trial and CYRAMZA as a potential treatment for patients with metastatic EGFR mutation-positive non-small cell lung cancer and reflects Lilly's current beliefs. However, as with any pharmaceutical product, there are substantial risks and uncertainties in the process of development and commercialization. Among other things, there can be no guarantee that CYRAMZA will receive regulatory approval for EGFR mutation-positive metastatic non-small cell lung cancer or continue to be commercially successful. For further discussion of these and other risks and uncertainties, see Lilly's most recent Form 10-K and Form 10-Q filings with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. Except as required by law, Lilly undertakes no duty to update forward- looking statements to reflect events after the date of this release.

1 International Agency for Research on Cancer. 2018 Lung Cancer Fact Sheet. Available at: http://gco.iarc.fr/today/data/factsheets/cancers/15-Lung-fact-sheet.pdf. Accessed February 24, 2020.  
2 American Cancer Society. Cancer Facts and Figures 2020. Available at: https://acsjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.3322/caac.21590 Accessed February 24, 2020. 
3 American Cancer Society. Key Statistics for Lung Cancer. Available at https://www.cancer.org/cancer/lung-cancer/about/key-statistics.html. Accessed February 24, 2020. 
4
 American Cancer Society. What is non-small cell lung cancer? Available at: http://www.cancer.org/cancer/lungcancer-non-smallcell/detailedguide/non-small-cell-lung-cancer-what-is-non-small-cell-lung-cancer. Accessed February 24, 2020.  
5 American Cancer Society. Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Survival Rates, by Stage. Available at: http://www.cancer.org/cancer/lungcancer-non-smallcell/detailedguide/non-small-cell-lung-cancer-survival-rates. Accessed February 24, 2020. 
6 Riess, J. Shifting Paradigms in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: An Evolving Therapeutic Landscape Supplement. Am J Manag Care. 2013;19:S390-S397. 
7 Cancer.Net. Lung Cancer ? Non Small Cell: Statistics. Available at: https://www.cancer.net/cancer-types/lung-cancer-non-small-cell/statistics. Accessed February 24, 2020. 
8 Dong L, Lei D, Zhang H. Clinical strategies for acquired epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor resistance in non-small-cell lung cancer patients. Oncotarget. 2017 Sep 8; 8(38): 64600?64606. 
9 Li Y, Appius A, Pattipaka T, Feyereislova A, Cassidy A, Ganti AK. Real-world management of patients with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation-positive non-small-cell lung cancer in the USA [published correction appears in PLoS One. 2019 Feb 20;14(2):e0212831]. PLoS One. 2019;14(1):e0209709. Published 2019 Jan 4. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0209709. 
10 Girard N. Optimizing outcomes in EGFR mutation-positive NSCLC: which tyrosine kinase inhibitor and when? Future Oncol. 2018 May;14(11):1117-1132. doi: 10.2217/fon-2017-0636.  
11
 Hirsh V. Turning EGFR mutation-positive non-small-cell lung cancer into a chronic disease: optimal sequential therapy with EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors. Ther Adv Med Oncol. 2018 Jan 22;10:1758834017753338. doi: 10.1177/1758834017753338.  
12 National Comprehensive Cancer Network. NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology 2019: Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (Version 3). https://www.nccn.org/professionals/physician_gls/pdf/nscl.pdf. February 24, 2020. 
13 Midha A, Dearden S, McCormack R. EGFR mutation incidence in non-small-cell lung cancer of adenocarcinoma histology: a systematic review and global map by ethnicity (mutMapII). Am J Cancer Res. 2015 Aug 15;5(9):2892-911.  
14 Ladanyi M, Pao W. Lung adenocarcinoma: guiding EGFR-targeted therapy and beyond. Mod Pathol. 2008 May;21 Suppl 2:S16-22. doi: 10.1038/modpathol.3801018.

Refer to:

Tracy Henrikson; [email protected]; (609) 454-7116 (media)


Kevin Hern; [email protected]; (317) 277-1838 (investors)                

 

Eli Lilly and Company logo. (PRNewsFoto, Eli Lilly and Company) (PRNewsfoto/Eli Lilly and Company)

 

 

SOURCE Eli Lilly and Company


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