TOKYO - Astellas Pharma Inc. (TSE: 4503, President and CEO: Naoki Okamura, 'Astellas') today announced the submission of a Supplemental New Drug Application (sNDA) on January 31 to Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) for PADCEV (enfortumab vedotin (genetical recombination)) with KEYTRUDA (pembrolizumab (genetical recombination)) as a combination therapy for the first-line treatment of adult patients with previously untreated locally advanced or metastatic urothelial cancer (la/mUC).

If approved, PADCEV with KEYTRUDA has the potential to change the treatment paradigm, becoming the first combination treatment to offer an alternative to platinum-containing chemotherapy, the current standard of care in first-line la/mUC.

Globally, approximately 573,000 new cases of bladder cancer and 212,000 deaths are reported annually.i It is estimated that approximately 25,000 people in Japan are diagnosed with bladder cancer each year and approximately 10,000 deaths were reported in 2022.ii

Ahsan Arozullah, M.D., M.P.H., Senior Vice President, Head of Oncology Development, Astellas

'The initiation of MHLW's review of our application for enfortumab vedotin and pembrolizumab is encouraging, as we are working to improve upon current treatment options for patients in Japan with advanced stage urothelial cancer, who face poor outcomes at the advanced stage. This submission brings us one step closer to the possibility of offering these patients a treatment that demonstrated improved survival and slowed disease progression compared to platinum-containing chemotherapy.'

The sNDA for the first-line use of this combination is based on results from the Phase 3 EV-302 clinical trial (also known as KEYNOTE-A39). The study found the combination improved overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) with statistically significant and clinically meaningful results in patients with previously untreated la/mUC compared to platinum-containing chemotherapy. The safety results were consistent with those previously reported with this combination, and no new safety issues were identified.

The Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) of the European Medicines Agency is also reviewing the combination therapy. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the combination therapy in December 2023.

About EV-302

The EV-302 trial is an open-label, randomized, controlled Phase 3 study, evaluating enfortumab vedotin in combination with pembrolizumab versus platinum-containing chemotherapy in patients with previously untreated la/mUC. The study enrolled 886 patients with previously untreated la/mUC who were eligible for cisplatin- or carboplatin-containing chemotherapy regardless of PD-L1 status. Patients were randomized to receive either enfortumab vedotin in combination with pembrolizumab or platinum-containing chemotherapy. The dual primary endpoints of this trial are OS and PFS per RECIST v1.1 by blinded independent central review (BICR). Select secondary endpoints include ORR per RECIST v1.1 by BICR, DOR per RECIST v1.1 by BICR, and safety.

The EV-302 trial is part of an extensive clinical program evaluating this combination in multiple stages of urothelial cancer and other solid tumors. Findings from EV-302 were presented at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress 2023 in October 2023.

About Bladder and Urothelial Cancer

Urothelial cancer, or bladder cancer, begins in the urothelial cells, which line the urethra, bladder, ureters, renal pelvis, and some other organs.iii

If bladder cancer has spread to surrounding organs or muscles, it is called locally advanced disease. If the cancer has spread to other parts of the body, it is called metastatic disease.iv

Urothelial cancer accounts for 90% of all bladder cancers and can also be found in the renal pelvis, ureter, and urethra.iii

Approximately 12% of cases are locally advanced or metastatic urothelial cancer at diagnosis.v

Ongoing Investigational Trials

The EV-302 trial (NCT04223856) is an open-label, randomized, controlled Phase 3 study, evaluating enfortumab vedotin in combination with pembrolizumab versus chemotherapy in patients with previously untreated locally advanced or metastatic urothelial cancer (la/mUC) who were eligible for cisplatin- or carboplatin-containing chemotherapy regardless of PD-L1 status.

The EV-103 trial (NCT03288545) is an ongoing, multi-cohort, open-label, multicenter Phase 1b/2 study investigating enfortumab vedotin alone or in combination with pembrolizumab and/or chemotherapy in first- or second-line settings in patients with la/mUC and in patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC).

Enfortumab vedotin in combination with pembrolizumab is being investigated in an extensive program in multiple stages of urothelial cancer, including two Phase 3 clinical trials in MIBC in EV-304 (NCT04700124, also known as KEYNOTE-B15) and EV-303 (NCT03924895, also known as KEYNOTE-905). The use of enfortumab vedotin in combination with pembrolizumab in second-line urothelial cancer and in MIBC has not been proven safe or effective.

The EV-202 trial (NCT04225117) is an ongoing, multi-cohort, open-label, multicenter Phase 2 study investigating enfortumab vedotin alone in patients with previously treated advanced solid tumors. This study also has a cohort that is investigating enfortumab vedotin in combination with pembrolizumab in patients with previously untreated recurrent/ metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

About PADCEV (enfortumab vedotin (genetical recombination))

PADCEV (enfortumab vedotin (genetical recombination)) is a first-in-class antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) that is directed against Nectin-4, a protein located on the surface of cells and highly expressed in bladder cancer.vi Nonclinical data suggest the anticancer activity of PADCEV is due to its binding to Nectin-4-expressing cells, followed by the internalization and release of the anti-tumor agent monomethyl auristatin E (MMAE) into the cell, which result in the cell not reproducing (cell cycle arrest) and in programmed cell death (apoptosis).vii

About Astellas

Astellas Pharma Inc. is a pharmaceutical company conducting business in more than 70 countries around the world. We are promoting the Focus Area Approach that is designed to identify opportunities for the continuous creation of new drugs to address diseases with high unmet medical needs by focusing on Biology and Modality. Furthermore, we are also looking beyond our foundational Rx focus to create Rx+ healthcare solutions that combine our expertise and knowledge with cutting-edge technology in different fields of external partners. Through these efforts, Astellas stands on the forefront of healthcare change to turn innovative science into VALUE for patients.

About the Pfizer, Astellas and Merck Collaboration

Seagen and Astellas entered a clinical collaboration agreement with Merck to evaluate the combination of Seagen's and Astellas' PADCEVTM (enfortumab vedotin) and Merck's KEYTRUDA (pembrolizumab) in patients with previously untreated metastatic urothelial cancer. As previously announced, Pfizer Inc. successfully completed its acquisition of Seagen on December 14, 2023. KEYTRUDA is a registered trademark of Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp., a subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA (known as MSD outside of the United States and Canada).

Astellas Cautionary Notes

In this press release, statements made with respect to current plans, estimates, strategies and beliefs and other statements that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements about the future performance of Astellas. These statements are based on management's current assumptions and beliefs in light of the information currently available to it and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to: (i) changes in general economic conditions and in laws and regulations, relating to pharmaceutical markets, (ii) currency exchange rate fluctuations, (iii) delays in new product launches, (iv) the inability of Astellas to market existing and new products effectively, (v) the inability of Astellas to continue to effectively research and develop products accepted by customers in highly competitive markets, and (vi) infringements of Astellas' intellectual property rights by third parties.

Information about pharmaceutical products (including products currently in development) which is included in this press release is not intended to constitute an advertisement or medical advice.

Contact:

Elysia Wood

Tel: (703) 722-4656

Email: Elysia.Wood@astellas.com

Tel: +81-3-3244-3202

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