Thursday, Jul 30, 2020
South San Francisco, CA -- July 30, 2020 --
Genentech, a member of the Roche Group (SIX: RO, ROG; OTCQX: RHHBY), today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Tecentriq® (atezolizumab) plus Cotellic® (cobimetinib) and Zelboraf® (vemurafenib) for the treatment of BRAF V600 mutation-positive advanced melanoma patients. The safety profile observed in the Tecentriq combination was consistent with the known safety profiles of the individual medicines.
The supplemental Biologics License Application (sBLA) for Tecentriq was granted under Priority Review. The review was also conducted under Project Orbis , an initiative of the FDA Oncology Center of Excellence that provides a framework for concurrent submission and review of oncology products among international partners.
“When receiving a cancer immunotherapy combined with targeted therapies, patients with BRAF V600 mutation-positive advanced melanoma were able to live for more than 15 months without their disease worsening,” said Levi Garraway, M.D., Ph.D., chief medical officer and head of Global Product Development. “Today’s FDA approval of this Tecentriq combination represents an important step forward for many patients living with advanced melanoma.”
The approval is based on results from the Phase III IMspire150 study, in which the addition of Tecentriq to Cotellic and Zelboraf helped people live longer without their disease worsening or death (progression-free survival, PFS), compared to placebo plus Cotellic and Zelboraf (median PFS 15.1 months versus 10.6 months respectively; hazard ratio, HR=0.78; confidence interval: 0.63-0.97; P=0.025). The most common adverse reactions (rate ≥20%) in patients who received Tecentriq plus Cotellic and Zelboraf were rash (75%), musculoskeletal pain (62%), fatigue (51%), hepatotoxicity (50%), pyrexia (49%), nausea (30%), pruritus (26%), edema (26%), stomatitis (23%), hypothyroidism (22%), and photosensitivity reaction (21%).
Genentech has an extensive development program for Tecentriq, including multiple ongoing and planned Phase III studies across lung, genitourinary, skin, breast, gastrointestinal, gynecological and head and neck cancers. This includes studies evaluating Tecentriq both alone and in combination with other medicines.
For those who qualify, Genentech will offer patient assistance programs for people prescribed Tecentriq plus Cotellic and Zelboraf by their doctor through Genentech Access Solutions. Please contact Genentech Access Solutions at (866) 422-2377 or visit http://www.Genentech-Access.com for more information.
About the IMspire150 study
IMspire150 is a Phase III, multi-center, double-blind, placebo-controlled randomized study in people with previously untreated BRAF V600 mutation-positive metastatic or unresectable locally advanced melanoma. The study compared the efficacy and safety of Tecentriq plus Cotellic and Zelboraf to the combination of placebo plus Cotellic and Zelboraf. The primary endpoint of the study was investigator-assessed PFS. Key secondary endpoints include PFS by an independent review committee, overall survival, objective response rate, duration of response and other safety and pharmacokinetic measures.
About advanced melanoma
Melanoma is less common, but more aggressive and deadlier than other forms of skin cancer. When melanoma is diagnosed early, it is generally a curable disease, but most people with advanced melanoma have a poor prognosis. The American Cancer Society estimates there will be more than 96,000 new cases of melanoma and 7,000 melanoma deaths this year in the United States.
In recent years, there have been significant advances in treatment for advanced melanoma and people with the disease have more options. However, it continues to be a serious health issue with a high medical need and a steadily increasing incidence over the past 30 years.
About Tecentriq (atezolizumab)
Tecentriq is a monoclonal antibody designed to bind with a protein called PD-L1. Tecentriq is designed to bind to PD-L1 expressed on tumor cells and tumor-infiltrating immune cells, blocking its interactions with both PD-1 and B7.1 receptors. By inhibiting PD-L1, Tecentriq may enable the re-activation of T cells. Tecentriq may also affect normal cells.
About Cotellic (cobimetinib)
Cotellic is designed to inhibit MEK1/2, proteins in a cell signaling pathway that helps control cell growth and survival. Cotellic, when used in combination with Zelboraf, is approved in the United States and Europe, as well as many countries around the world, for the treatment of people with melanoma that has spread to other parts of the body or cannot be removed by surgery and has a BRAF V600 mutation. Cotellic was discovered by Exelixis and is being developed by Genentech, a member of the Roche Group, in collaboration with Exelixis.
About Zelboraf (vemurafenib)
Zelboraf is a prescription medicine for the treatment of people with melanoma that has spread to other parts of the body or cannot be removed by surgery and has a BRAF V600 mutation. Zelboraf is designed to inhibit some mutated forms of BRAF, which cause abnormal signaling inside cancer cells leading to tumor growth. BRAF is a protein in a cell signaling pathway that helps control cell growth and survival. Zelboraf was the first approved product in its class. Zelboraf was co-developed under a 2006 license and collaboration agreement between Roche and Plexxikon Inc., the small molecule structure-guided R&D center of the Daiichi Sankyo Group.
Tecentriq U.S. Indications (pronounced ‘tē-SEN-trik’)
Tecentriq is a prescription medicine used to treat adults with:
A type of bladder and urinary tract cancer called urothelial carcinoma.
Tecentriq may be used in patients with urothelial carcinoma if their bladder cancer has spread or cannot be removed by surgery, and if they have any one of the following conditions:
The approval of Tecentriq in these patients is based on a study that measured the amount of time until patients’ disease worsened. Continued approval for this use may depend on the results of an ongoing study to confirm benefit.
A type of lung cancer called non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
Tecentriq may be used alone as the first treatment in patients with lung cancer if:
Tecentriq may be used with the medicines bevacizumab, paclitaxel, and carboplatin as the first treatment in patients with lung cancer if:
Tecentriq may be used with the medicines paclitaxel protein-bound and carboplatin as the first treatment in patients with lung cancer if:
Tecentriq may be used alone in patients with lung cancer if:
A type of breast cancer called triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC).
Tecentriq may be used with the medicine paclitaxel protein-bound in patients with TNBC when their breast cancer:
The approval of Tecentriq in these patients is based on a study that measured the amount of time until patients’ disease worsened. Continued approval for this use may depend on the results of an ongoing study to confirm benefit.
A type of lung cancer called small cell lung cancer (SCLC).
A type of liver cancer called hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).
Tecentriq may be used with the medicine bevacizumab when a patient’s liver cancer:
A type of skin cancer called melanoma.
Tecentriq may be used with the medicines cobimetinib and vemurafenib when a patient’s melanoma:
It is not known if Tecentriq is safe and effective in children.
Important Safety Information
The most important information about Tecentriq is:
Tecentriq can cause the immune system to attack normal organs and tissues and can affect the way they work. These problems can sometimes become serious or life-threatening and can lead to death.
Patients should call or see their healthcare provider right away if they get any symptoms of the following problems or these symptoms get worse.
Tecentriq can cause serious side effects, including:
Getting medical treatment right away may help keep these problems from becoming more serious. A healthcare provider may treat patients with corticosteroid or hormone replacement medicines. A healthcare provider may delay or completely stop treatment with Tecentriq if patients have severe side effects.
Before receiving Tecentriq, patients should tell their healthcare provider about all of their medical conditions, including if they:
Females who are able to become pregnant:
Patients should tell their healthcare provider about all the medicines they take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.
The most common side effects of Tecentriq when used alone include:
The most common side effects of Tecentriq when used in lung cancer with other anti-cancer medicines include:
The most common side effects of Tecentriq when used in TNBC with paclitaxel protein-bound include:
The most common side effects of Tecentriq when used in hepatocellular carcinoma with bevacizumab include:
The most common side effects of Tecentriq when used in melanoma with cobimetinib and vemurafenib include:
Tecentriq may cause fertility problems in females, which may affect their ability to have children. Patients should talk to their healthcare provider if they have concerns about fertility.
These are not all the possible side effects of Tecentriq. Patients should ask their healthcare provider or pharmacist for more information. Patients should call their doctor for medical advice about side effects of Tecentriq.
Report side effects to the FDA at (800) FDA-1088 or http://www.fda.gov/medwatch. Report side effects to Genentech at (888) 835-2555.
Please visit http://www.Tecentriq.com for the full Tecentriq Prescribing Information for additional Important Safety Information.
Cotellic U.S. Indication (pronounced ‘co-TELL-ic’)
Important: If a patient’s healthcare provider prescribes Zelboraf (vemurafenib), the patient should also read the Medication Guide that comes with Zelboraf.
Cotellic is a prescription medicine used with the medicine Zelboraf to treat a type of skin cancer called melanoma that has spread to other parts of the body or cannot be removed by surgery and has a certain type of abnormal “BRAF” gene.
A patient’s healthcare provider will perform a test to make sure that Cotellic is right for the patient.
It is not known if Cotellic is safe and effective in children under 18 years of age.
Important Safety Information
Before taking Cotellic, patients should tell their healthcare provider about all of their medical conditions, including if they:
Patients should tell their healthcare provider about all the medicines they take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins and herbal supplements. Certain medicines may affect the blood levels of Cotellic. Patients should know the medicines they take and keep a list of them to show their healthcare provider and pharmacist when they get a new medicine.
How to take Cotellic:
Patients should avoid sunlight while they are taking Cotellic. Cotellic can make a patient’s skin sensitive to sunlight. Patients may burn more easily and get severe sunburns. To help protect against sunburn when they go outside, patients:
Cotellic can cause serious side effects, including a risk of cancer. Cotellic may cause new skin cancers such as:
Patients should check their skin regularly and tell their healthcare provider right away if they have any skin changes, including a:
When taking Cotellic, a patient’s healthcare provider should check their skin to look for any new skin cancers:
A patient’s healthcare provider should also check for cancers that may not occur on the skin.
Patients should tell their healthcare provider about any new symptoms that develop during treatment with Cotellic. Cotellic can cause serious side effects, including:
See “What should patients avoid during treatment with Cotellic?” for information on protecting the skin during treatment with Cotellic.
The most common side effects of Cotellic include:
A patient’s healthcare provider will do blood tests during treatment with Cotellic. The most common changes to blood tests include:
These are not all the possible side effects of Cotellic. Patients should call their doctor for medical advice about side effects.
Report side effects to the FDA at (800) FDA-1088 or http://www.fda.gov/medwatch. Report side effects to Genentech at (888) 835-2555.
Please visit http://www.cotellic.com/ for the Full Cotellic Prescribing Information and Patient Information for additional Important Safety Information.
Zelboraf U.S. Indication (pronounced ‘ZEL-bor-af’)
Zelboraf is a prescription medicine used to treat a type of skin cancer called melanoma that has spread to other parts of the body or cannot be removed by surgery and has a certain type of abnormal “BRAF” gene.
It is not known if Zelboraf is safe and effective in children under 18 years of age.
Important Safety Information
The most important information about Zelboraf is:
Zelboraf can affect the way normal organs and tissues work. These problems can sometimes become serious.
Patients should call or see their healthcare provider right away if they get any symptoms of the following problems or these symptoms get worse.
Zelboraf can cause serious side effects, including a risk of cancer.
Patients should talk with their healthcare provider about their risk for these cancers.
Patients should check their skin and tell their healthcare provider right away about any skin changes , including a:
When taking Zelboraf, a patient’s healthcare provider should check their skin to look for any new skin cancers:
A patient’s healthcare provider should also check for cancers that may not occur on the skin.
Patients should tell their healthcare provider about any new symptoms that they get while taking Zelboraf.
Before receiving Zelboraf, patients should tell their healthcare provider about all of their medical conditions, including if they:
Patients should tell their healthcare provider about all of the medicines they take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Patients should know the medicines they take. Patients should keep a list of them to show their healthcare provider and pharmacist when they get a new medicine.
Patients should avoid sunlight while they are taking Zelboraf. Zelboraf can make a patient’s skin sensitive to sunlight. Patients may burn more easily and get severe sunburns. To help protect against sunburn when they go outside, patients:
Zelboraf can cause serious side effects, including:
The most common side effects of Zelboraf include:
Patients should tell their healthcare provider if they have any side effect that bothers them or does not go away.
These are not all of the possible side effects of Zelboraf. For more information about side effects, patients should ask their healthcare provider or pharmacist. Patients should call their doctor for medical advice about side effects.
Report side effects to the FDA at (800) FDA-1088 or http://www.fda.gov/medwatch. Report side effects to Genentech at (888) 835-2555.
Please visit http://www.zelboraf.com/ for the Full Zelboraf Prescribing Information and Medication Guide for additional Important Safety Information.
About Genentech Access Solutions
Access Solutions is part of Genentech’s commitment to helping people access the Genentech medicines they are prescribed, regardless of their ability to pay. The team of in-house specialists at Access Solutions is dedicated to helping people navigate the access and reimbursement process, and to providing assistance to eligible patients in the United States who are uninsured or cannot afford the out-of-pocket costs for their medicine. To date, the team has helped more than 2 million patients access the medicines they need. Please contact Access Solutions (866) 4ACCESS/(866) 422-2377 or visit http://www.Genentech-Access.com for more information.
About Genentech in skin cancer
Genentech has been studying new treatments for skin cancer for more than 20 years. We continue to study our skin cancer medicines in combination with other medicines, including cancer immunotherapies, in several types of cancer.
About Genentech in cancer immunotherapy
Genentech has been developing medicines to redefine treatment in oncology for more than 35 years, and today, realizing the full potential of cancer immunotherapy is a major area of focus. With more than 20 immunotherapy molecules in development, Genentech is investigating the potential benefits of immunotherapy alone, and in combination with various chemotherapies, targeted therapies and other immunotherapies with the goal of providing each person with a treatment tailored to harness their own unique immune system.
In addition to Genentech’s approved PD-L1 checkpoint inhibitor, the company’s broad cancer immunotherapy pipeline includes other checkpoint inhibitors, individualized neoantigen therapies and T cell bispecific antibodies. For more information visit http://www.gene.com/cancer-immunotherapy.
About Genentech
Founded more than 40 years ago, Genentech is a leading biotechnology company that discovers, develops, manufactures and commercializes medicines to treat patients with serious and life-threatening medical conditions. The company, a member of the Roche Group, has headquarters in South San Francisco, California. For additional information about the company, please visit http://www.gene.com.
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