FDA Approves Imbruvica Plus Rituximab

Janssen Pharmaceutical announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of Imbruvica (ibrutinib) in combination with rituximab for the treatment of Waldenström's macroglobulinemia (WM), a rare blood cancer. The approval expands the label for Imbruvica in WM beyond its current approved use as a monotherapy to include combination use with rituximab. This approval represents the first approved non-chemotherapy combination option for the treatment of WM. Imbruvica first received FDA approval in WM as a monotherapy in January 2015 via the Breakthrough Therapy Designation pathway, making it the first FDA-approved therapy for the disease. The expanded label marks the ninth FDA approval for Imbruvica since 2013. Imbruvica is a first-in-class Bruton's tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitor jointly developed and commercialized by Janssen Biotech and Pharmacyclics, an AbbVie company.

"The combination of Imbruvica and rituximab provides health care professionals with a new treatment option for patients living with this serious blood cancer," said Dr. Lia Palomba, hematologist-oncologist at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, and iNNOVATE study investigator. "Before Imbruvica, there were no FDA-approved treatment options for patients with Waldenström's macroglobulinemia, a disease first acknowledged nearly 75 years ago. Today, IMBRUVICA continues to provide an important therapeutic approach in the treatment of this complex disease."

This approval is based on results from the randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled iNNOVATE study (PCYC-1127), the largest Phase 3 study of a non-chemotherapy combination in WM patients. The iNNOVATE study evaluated Imbruvica in combination with rituximab versus placebo plus rituximab in 150 patients with either relapsed/refractory (r/r) disease or previously untreated WM. At a median follow up of 26.5 months, a significant improvement in the Independent Review Committee (IRC)-assessed primary endpoint of progression-free survival (PFS) was seen with Imbruvica plus rituximab when compared with placebo plus rituximab (30-month PFS rates were 82% vs. 28%, respectively). Patients in the Imbruvica plus rituximab treatment arm experienced an 80% reduction in relative risk of disease progression or death compared with patients treated with placebo plus rituximab (hazard ratio=0.20; confidence interval, 0.11-0.38, p<0.0001).

"Results from iNNOVATE showed significant improvement in progression-free survival at 30 months and demonstrated the superiority of IMBRUVICA plus rituximab over rituximab monotherapy in Waldenström's macroglobulinemia," said Meletios A. Dimopoulos, M.D., Professor and Chairman of the Department of Clinical Therapeutics, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens School of Medicine, Athens, Greece, and iNNOVATE lead study investigator. "Based on these results, Imbruvica in combination with rituximab may be considered as a first- and second-line option for appropriate people diagnosed and living with WM."

"The clinical data generated for Imbruvica plus rituximab in the treatment of Waldenström's macroglobulinemia offers physicians evidence to consider this combination regimen for newly-diagnosed patients. Today's approval represents an important milestone for people living with this rare and incurable blood cancer who have limited FDA-approved treatment options," said Andree Amelsberg, M.D., Vice President of Oncology Medical Affairs at Janssen Scientific Affairs. "We remain dedicated to a comprehensive clinical development program to explore the full potential of Imbruvica, including in combination with other therapies."

Warnings and Precautions remain the same: hemorrhage, infections, cytopenias, cardiac arrhythmias, hypertension, second primary malignancies, tumor lysis syndrome, and embryo-fetal toxicity. The most common adverse reactions (occurring in 20% or more of patients) of all grades in patients treated with IMBRUVICA plus rituximab in the iNNOVATE study were bruising (37%), musculoskeletal pain (35%), hemorrhage (32%), diarrhea (28%), rash (24%), arthralgia (24%), nausea (21%), and hypertension (20%). Grade 3 or 4 infusion-related reactions were observed in 1% of patients treated with Imbruvica plus rituximab.

The recommended dose of Imbruvica for WM is 420 mg orally once daily until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity as a single agent or in combination with rituximab. When administering Imbruvica in combination with rituximab, consider administering Imbruvica prior to rituximab when given on the same day.

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