South San Francisco, CA — December 6, 2018 — 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), in combination with Avastin® (bevacizumab), paclitaxel and carboplatin (chemotherapy), for the initial (first-line) treatment of people with metastatic non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with no EGFR or ALK genomic tumor aberrations.
“This Tecentriq regimen has demonstrated a significant survival benefit in the initial treatment of metastatic non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer,” said Sandra Horning, M.D., chief medical officer and head of Global Product Development. “Today’s approval supports our combination approach for Tecentriq in lung cancer and our vision to develop medicines that improve outcomes for patients with this complex disease.”
This approval is based on results from the Phase III IMpower150 study, which showed that Tecentriq in combination with Avastin and chemotherapy helped people live significantly longer compared to Avastin and chemotherapy (median overall survival [OS] = 19.2 versus 14.7 months; hazard ratio [HR] = 0.78; 95 percent CI: 0.64-0.96; p=0.016) in the intention-to-treat wild-type (ITT-WT) population. The safety profile of the Tecentriq combination was consistent with that observed in previous studies.
Genentech is working with the FDA on postmarketing commitments (PMCs) to better understand and characterize the potential effects of Tecentriq-related anti-drug antibodies (ADAs) and neutralizing antibodies (NAbs) across all of our studies. An analysis of ADAs in the IMpower150 study showed no impact on the efficacy of Tecentriq.
Tecentriq is also approved by the FDA to treat people with metastatic NSCLC who have disease progression during or following platinum-containing chemotherapy, and have progressed on an appropriate FDA-approved targeted therapy if their tumor has EGFR or ALK genetic alterations.
For those who qualify, Genentech offers patient assistance programs for people taking Tecentriq through Genentech Access Solutions. Doctors can contact Genentech Access Solutions at (866) 422-2377. More information is also available at http://www.Genentech-Access.com.
About the IMpower150 study
IMpower150 is a multicenter, open-label, randomized, controlled Phase III study evaluating the efficacy and safety of Tecentriq in combination with chemotherapy (carboplatin and paclitaxel) with or without Avastin in people with Stage IV or recurrent metastatic non-squamous NSCLC who had not been treated with chemotherapy for their advanced disease. It enrolled 1,202 people, of whom 1,045 were in the ITT-WT subpopulation, which excluded those people with EGFR and ALK mutations. People were randomized (1:1:1) to receive:
- Tecentriq plus carboplatin and paclitaxel (Arm A), or
- Tecentriq and Avastin plus carboplatin and paclitaxel (Arm B), or
- Avastin plus carboplatin and paclitaxel (Arm C, control arm).
The co-primary endpoints comparing Arms B and C were progression-free survival (PFS) as determined by the independent review facility (IRF) using Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors Version 1.1 (RECIST v1.1) and OS and assessed in the ITT-WT subpopulation. Key secondary endpoints included IRF-assessed PFS, OS and safety in the ITT population.
A summary of the ITT-WT data from the IMpower150 study that support this approval is included below.
- Tecentriq in combination with Avastin and chemotherapy helped people live significantly longer compared to Avastin and chemotherapy (median OS=19.2 versus 14.7 months; HR=0.78, 95 percent CI: 0.64-0.96; p=0.016).
- In addition, Tecentriq in combination with Avastin and chemotherapy reduced risk of disease worsening or death (PFS) by 29 percent compared to Avastin and chemotherapy (HR=0.71, 95 percent CI: 0.59-0.85, p=0.0002).
- Tecentriq in combination with Avastin and chemotherapy shrank tumors (overall response rate; ORR) in 55 percent of people (95 percent CI: 49-60) compared to 42 percent of people (95 percent CI: 37-48) on Avastin and chemotherapy.
4 percent of people receiving Tecentriq in combination with Avastin and chemotherapy experienced a complete response (CR), and 51 percent of people experienced a partial response (PR). - The median duration of response (DoR) for people receiving Tecentriq in combination with Avastin and chemotherapy was 10.8 months (95 percent CI: 8.4-13.9) compared to 6.5 months (95 percent CI: 5.6-7.6) for people on Avastin and chemotherapy.
- The most common adverse reactions (≥20 percent) in people receiving Tecentriq in combination with Avastin and chemotherapy were fatigue and lack of energy (asthenia; 50 percent), hair loss (alopecia; 48 percent), nausea (39 percent), diarrhea (32 percent), constipation (30 percent), decreased appetite (29 percent), joint pain (arthralgia; 26 percent), hypertension (25 percent) and pain from nerve damage (peripheral neuropathy; 24 percent).
About lung cancer
According to the American Cancer Society, it is estimated that more than 234,000 Americans will be diagnosed with lung cancer in 2018, and NSCLC accounts for 85 percent of all lung cancers. It is estimated that approximately 60 percent of lung cancer diagnoses in the United States are made when the disease is in the advanced stages.
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 1.5 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 Personalized Cancer Immunotherapy
For more than 30 years, Genentech has been developing medicines with the goal to redefine treatment in oncology. Today, we’re investing more than ever to bring personalized cancer immunotherapy (PCI) to people with cancer. The goal of PCI is to provide each person with a treatment tailored to harness his or her own immune system to fight cancer. Genentech is studying more than 20 investigational medicines, 10 of which are in clinical trials. In every study we are evaluating biomarkers to identify which people may be appropriate candidates for our medicines. For more information visit http://www.gene.com/cancer-immunotherapy.
About Genentech in Lung Cancer
Lung cancer is a major area of focus and investment for Genentech, and we are committed to developing new approaches, medicines and tests that can help people with this deadly disease. Our goal is to provide an effective treatment option for every person diagnosed with lung cancer. We currently have four approved medicines to treat certain kinds of lung cancer and more than 10 medicines being developed to target the most common genetic drivers of lung cancer or to boost the immune system to combat the disease.
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.
Source: Genentech
Posted: December 2018
