European Commission approves Ipsen’s Cabometyx® (cabozantinib) for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma in adults previously treated with sorafenib

Regulatory News:

Ipsen (Euronext: IPN; ADR: IPSEY) today announced that the European Commission (EC) has approved Cabometyx^® (cabozantinib) 20, 40, 60 mg as a monotherapy for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in adults who have previously been treated with sorafenib. This approval allows for the marketing of Cabometyx^® (cabozantinib) in this indication in all 28 member states of the European Union, Norway and Iceland.

“Today’s EC approval for the use of Cabometyx ^® provides a much needed new option for HCC patients. Until now, physicians in Europe had only one approved therapy for the 2 ^nd line treatment of this aggressive and difficult-to-treat cancer.^1,2 We are proud to offer Cabometyx ^® as an innovative treatment that has been shown to extend survival in previously treated patients with HCC,” said Harout Semerjian, Chief Commercial Officer, Ipsen. “This new indication reinforces Ipsen’s commitment to improve patients’ lives through the expansion of the clinical benefit of Cabometyx ^® in the treatment of solid tumors.”

Philippe Merle, M.D., Ph.D., Hepatology and Gastroenterology specialist at La Croix-Rousse Hospital, Lyon, stated: “Patients with HCC in Europe can now benefit from a treatment that has, through the CELESTIAL trial, proven effective in prolonging life and delaying disease progression. This is a very encouraging development for liver cancer patients, and provides physicians with a new therapeutic option for this complex disease.”

The EC approval is based on the results of the global placebo-controlled CELESTIAL phase 3 pivotal trial which met its primary endpoint of overall survival (OS), with cabozantinib providing a statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvement in OS compared with placebo in patients with advanced HCC who have been previously treated with sorafenib.³ In July 2018, CELESTIAL phase 3 pivotal trial results were published in the New England Journal of Medicine.³

The EC has also approved Cabometyx^® for the treatment of advanced renal cell carcinoma (aRCC) both in treatment-naïve adults with intermediate or poor risk (May 2018) and in adults following prior vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-targeted therapy (September 2016).

The detailed recommendations for the use of this product are described in the Summary of Product Characteristics (SmPC), available here.

About CELESTIAL

CELESTIAL is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled global phase 3 study of cabozantinib versus placebo in patients with advanced HCC who have been previously treated with sorafenib. The study was conducted at more than 100 sites globally in 19 countries. The trial was designed to enroll 760 patients with advanced HCC who previously received sorafenib and may have received up to two prior systemic cancer therapies for HCC and had adequate liver function. Enrollment of the trial was completed in September 2017, and 773 patients were ultimately randomized. Patients were randomized 2:1 to receive 60 mg of cabozantinib once daily or placebo and were stratified based on etiology of the disease (hepatitis C, hepatitis B or other), geographic region (Asia versus other regions) and presence of extrahepatic spread and/or macrovascular invasion (yes or no). No cross-over was allowed between the study arms.

The primary endpoint for the trial is OS, and secondary endpoints include objective response rate (ORR) and progression-free survival (PFS). Exploratory endpoints include patient-reported outcomes, biomarkers and safety.

Based on available clinical trial data from various published trials conducted in the second-line setting of advanced HCC, the CELESTIAL trial statistics for the primary endpoint of OS assumed a median OS of 8.2 months for the placebo arm. A total of 621 events provide the study with 90 percent power to detect a 32 percent increase in median OS (HR = 0.76) at the final analysis. Two interim analyses were planned and conducted at 50 percent and 75 percent of the planned 621 events. The independent data monitoring committee for the study recommended that the trial should be stopped for efficacy following review of the second planned interim analysis. CELESTIAL trial met its primary endpoint, with cabozantinib providing a statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvement in OS compared to placebo in patients with advanced HCC. The safety data in the study were consistent with the established profile of cabozantinib.

About Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC)

Hepatocellular carcinoma is the most common form of liver cancer in adults.⁴ The disease originates in cells called hepatocytes found in the liver. With approximately 800’000 new cases diagnosed each year, HCC is the sixth most common cancer and the second-leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide.^5,6 According to the GLOBOCAN data, it is estimated that across the European Union (EU-28) nearly 60’000 new patients will be diagnosed with liver cancer in 2020.⁷ Without treatment, patients with the disease in advanced stage usually survive between 4 and 8 months.⁸

About Cabometyx ^® (cabozantinib)

Cabometyx^® is an oral small molecule inhibitor of tyrosine kinase receptors, including VEGFR, MET, AXL and RET. In preclinical models, cabozantinib has been shown to inhibit the activity of these receptors, which are involved in normal cellular function and pathologic processes such as tumor angiogenesis, invasiveness, metastasis and drug resistance.

In February of 2016, Exelixis and Ipsen jointly announced an exclusive licensing agreement for the commercialization and further development of cabozantinib indications outside of the United States, Canada and Japan. This agreement was amended in December of 2016 to include commercialization rights for Ipsen in Canada.

Cabometyx^® tablets are approved in the United States for the treatment of patients with advanced RCC. On September 9, 2016, the European Commission approved Cabometyx^® tablets for the treatment of advanced RCC in adults who have received prior vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-targeted therapy in the European Union, Norway and Iceland. Cabometyx^® is also approved in Australia, Brazil, Canada, Hong Kong, South Korea, Switzerland, Taiwan and Ukraine. Cabometyx^® is available in 20 mg, 40 mg or 60 mg doses. The recommended dose is 60 mg orally, once daily.

On May 17, 2018, Ipsen announced that the European Commission approved Cabometyx^® for the first-line treatment of adults with intermediate- or poor- risk advanced renal cell carcinoma in the European Union, Norway and Iceland.

On November 15, 2018, Ipsen announced that the European Commission approved Cabometyx^® for the second-line treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma in adults who have previously been treated with sorafenib in the European Union, Norway and Iceland.

About Ipsen

Ipsen is a global biopharmaceutical group focused on innovation and specialty care. The group develops and commercializes innovative medicines in three key therapeutic areas - Oncology, Neuroscience and Rare Diseases. Its commitment to Oncology is exemplified through its growing portfolio of key therapies for prostate cancer, neuroendocrine tumors, renal cell carcinoma and pancreatic cancer. Ipsen also has a well-established Consumer Healthcare business. With total sales over €1.9 billion in 2017, Ipsen sells more than 20 drugs in over 115 countries, with a direct commercial presence in more than 30 countries. Ipsen's R&D is focused on its innovative and differentiated technological platforms located in the heart of the leading biotechnological and life sciences hubs (Paris-Saclay, France; Oxford, UK; Cambridge, US). The Group has about 5,400 employees worldwide. Ipsen is listed in Paris (Euronext: IPN) and in the United States through a Sponsored Level I American Depositary Receipt program (ADR: IPSEY). For more information on Ipsen, visit www.ipsen.com.

Forward Looking Statement

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References:
¹ Stivarga (regorafenib) EU Summary Of Product Characteristics
² ESMO HCC Clinical Guidelines, Ann Oncol 2018 ; 29 (Supplement 4): iv238–iv255, 2018
³ Abou-Alfa GK et al. Cabozantinib in Patients with Advanced and Progressing Hepatocellular Carcinoma. N Engl J Med. 2018 Jul 5;379(1):54-63.
⁴ McGlynn KA, London WT. The Global Epidemiology of Hepatocellular Carcinoma, Present and Future. Clinics in liver disease. 2011;15(2):223-x. doi:10.1016/j.cld.2011.03.006.
⁵ Ferlay J, Soerjomataram I, Dikshit R, et al: Cancer incidence and mortality worldwide: sources, methods and major patterns in GLOBOCAN 2012. Int J Cancer 136:E359-86, 2015
⁶ GLOBOCAN International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). Available at: http://gco.iarc.fr/today/factsheets-cancers?cancer=7&type=0&sex=0
⁷ GLOBOCAN International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). Available at: http://globocan.iarc.fr/Pages/burden_sel.aspx
⁸ Annals of Oncology 23 (Supplement 7): vii41–vii48, 2012

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