Janssen Presents Results from Phase 3 ACIS Study in Patients with Metastatic Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer Treated with Apalutamide▼ and Abiraterone Acetate Combination
9.2.2021 14:15:00 EET | Business Wire | Press release
FOR EMEA-BASED PHARMACEUTICAL TRADE AND MEDICAL MEDIA ONLY
NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION IN THE UK, BENELUX
The Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson today presented results from the randomised, placebo-controlled double-blind Phase 3 ACIS study, which met the primary endpoint of radiographic progression-free survival (rPFS) with a 31 percent reduction in the risk of radiographic progression or death in patients with chemotherapy-naïve metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) receiving androgen deprivation therapy (ADT). Patients in the trial received either a combination of apalutamide and abiraterone acetate plus prednisone (combination arm) or placebo and abiraterone acetate plus prednisone (control arm).1 Results will be featured in an oral presentation at the American Society of Clinical Oncology’s Genitourinary (ASCO GU) Cancers Symposium, taking place virtually February 11-13, 2021 (Abstract #9; Rapid Abstract Session: Prostate Cancer, February 11 06:45 AM-8:00 PM CET).
The primary efficacy analysis showed median rPFS was extended by six months in patients treated in the combination arm compared with patients in the control arm (22.6 vs 16.6 months; hazard ratio [HR] 0.69 [95% CI, 0.58-0.83]; p<0.0001). The HR for radiographic progression or death as assessed by blinded independent central review (BICR) was 0.864 [95% CI, 0.718–1.040]. According to an updated analysis performed at a median follow-up time of 54.8 months, a 30 percent reduction in the risk of radiographic progression or death was shown in the combination arm compared with the control arm (median time to rPFS 24 vs 16.6 months: HR 0.70 [95% CI, 0.60-0.83]). No statistically significant difference was demonstrated for secondary endpoints including overall survival (OS), time to initiation of cytotoxic chemotherapy, chronic opioid use, and pain progression between treatment arms.
The safety profile was consistent with prior studies of apalutamide, with no new safety signals observed. Grade 3/4 treatment emergent adverse events (TEAEs) were reported in 63.3 percent in the combination arm versus 56.2 percent in the control arm.1 Grade 3/4 TAEs that occurred more frequently in the combination versus control arm included fatigue (4.7 percent vs 3.9 percent), hypertension (20.6 versus 12.5 percent), fall (3.3 percent versus 0.6 percent), skin rash (4.5 percent vs. 0.4 percent), cardiac disorders (9 percent vs 5.7 percent), fractures and osteoporosis (4.1 percent vs 1.4 percent), and seizures (0.2 percent vs 0).1 Quality-of-life was comparable between treatment arms per Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy–Prostate – (FACT-P Total).
##ENDS##
About the ACIS Study 1
ACIS is a Phase 3 randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicentre clinical study evaluating the efficacy and safety of apalutamide and abiraterone acetate plus prednisone compared to placebo and abiraterone acetate plus prednisone in 982 patients with chemotherapy-naïve mCRPC disease who received ADT.1 Patients were randomised to receive either apalutamide and abiraterone acetate plus prednisone, or placebo and abiraterone acetate plus prednisone. The primary endpoint of the study was rPFS. Secondary endpoints of the study included OS, time to chronic opioid use, time to initiation of cytotoxic chemotherapy, and time to pain progression.1
About Metastatic Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer
Metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) characterises cancer that no longer responds to ADT and has spread to other parts of the body. The most common metastatic sites are bones, followed by lymph nodes, lungs, and liver.2 Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men in Europe, representing 25 percent of all male new cancer cases diagnosed.3 More than one million men around the world are diagnosed with prostate cancer each year.4
About apalutamide
Apalutamide is an orally administered, selective androgen receptor (AR) inhibitor approved in Europe and is indicated
- in adult men for the treatment of non-metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (nmCRPC) who are at high risk of developing metastatic disease and
- in adult men for the treatment of metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer (mHSPC), also known as metastatic castration-sensitive prostate cancer (mCSPC), in combination with androgen deprivation therapy (ADT).5
▼ This medicinal product is subject to additional monitoring. This will allow quick identification of new safety information. Healthcare professionals are asked to report any suspected adverse reactions.
About abiraterone acetate
Abiraterone acetate, an orally administered androgen biosynthesis inhibitor, in combination with prednisone or prednisolone is approved in Europe for
- the treatment of newly diagnosed high risk metastatic hormone sensitive prostate cancer (mHSPC) in adult men in combination with androgen deprivation therapy (ADT);
- the treatment of metastatic castration resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) in adult men who are asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic after failure of ADT in whom chemotherapy is not yet clinically indicated, and
- the treatment of mCRPC in adult men whose disease has progressed on or after a docetaxel-based chemotherapy regimen.6
Additionally, abiraterone acetate was approved for the treatment of high-risk metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer (mHSPC) by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on February 8, 2018.7,8 Since its first approval in Europe in 2011, abiraterone acetate has been approved in combination with prednisone or prednisolone, in more than 105 countries and has been prescribed to more than 700,000 patients worldwide.9
About The Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson
At Janssen, we’re creating a future where disease is a thing of the past. We’re the Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson, working tirelessly to make that future a reality for patients everywhere by fighting sickness with science, improving access with ingenuity, and healing hopelessness with heart. We focus on areas of medicine where we can make the biggest difference: Cardiovascular & Metabolism, Immunology, Infectious Diseases & Vaccines, Neuroscience, Oncology, and Pulmonary Hypertension.
Learn more at www.janssen.com/emea. Follow us at www.twitter.com/janssenEMEA for our latest news. Janssen Research & Development, LLC is part of the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson.
Date of preparation: February 2021
Job code: CP-209565
###
Cautions Concerning Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains "forward-looking statements" as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 regarding potential benefits and further benefits of apalutamide. The reader is cautioned not to rely on these forward-looking statements. These statements are based on current expectations of future events. If underlying assumptions prove inaccurate or known or unknown risks or uncertainties materialise, actual results could vary materially from the expectations and projections of Janssen Research & Development, LLC, any of the other Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies and/or Johnson & Johnson. Risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: challenges and uncertainties inherent in product research and development, including the uncertainty of clinical success and of obtaining regulatory approvals; uncertainty of commercial success; manufacturing difficulties and delays; competition, including technological advances, new products and patents attained by competitors; challenges to patents; product efficacy or safety concerns resulting in product recalls or regulatory action; changes in behaviour and spending patterns of purchasers of health care products and services; changes to applicable laws and regulations, including global health care reforms; and trends toward health care cost containment. A further list and descriptions of these risks, uncertainties and other factors can be found in Johnson & Johnson's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 30, 2019, including in the sections captioned “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” and “Item 1A. Risk Factors,” and in the company’s most recently filed Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, and the company’s subsequent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Copies of these filings are available online at www.sec.gov, www.jnj.com or on request from Johnson & Johnson. None of the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies nor Johnson & Johnson undertakes to update any forward-looking statement as a result of new information or future events or developments.
References
1 Rathkopf. Dana E. Final Results From ACIS, a Randomized, Placebo (PBO)-Controlled Double-Blind Phase 3 Study of Apalutamide (APA) and Abiraterone Acetate Plus Prednisone (AAP) Versus AAP in Patients (Pts) With Chemo-Naive Metastatic Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer (mCRPC). Abstract #9.
2 Cancer.org. Understanding advanced cancer, metastatic cancer, and bone metastasis. https://www.cancer.org/treatment/understanding-your-diagnosis/advanced-cancer/what-is.html. Last accessed February 2021.
3 HEAL. Men Prostate cancer. Available https://www.env-health.org/IMG/pdf/prostate_testical.pdf Last accessed February 2021.
4 World Health Organization. "Globocan 2012: Prostate Cancer: Incidence, Mortality and Prevalence Worldwide, 2012." http://gco.iarc.fr/today/data/pdf/fact-sheets/cancers/cancer-fact-sheets-19.pdf. Accessed February 2021.
5 European Medicines Agency. ERLEADA. Available at: https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/documents/product-information/erleada-epar-product-information_en.pdf. Last accessed February 2021.
6 European Medicines Agency. ZYTIGA. Available at: https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/documents/product-information/zytiga-epar-product-information_en.pdf, Last accessed February 2021.
7 ZYTIGA® U.S. Prescribing Information, October 2020.
8 Johnson & Johnson. Press Release. ZYTIGA® (abiraterone acetate) Plus Prednisone Approved for Treatment of Earlier Form of Metastatic Prostate Cancer. Available at: https://www.jnj.com/media-center/press-releases/zytiga-abiraterone-acetate-plus-prednisone-approved-for-treatment-of-earlier-form-of-metastatic-prostate-cancer. Last accessed January 2021
9 Data on file
To view this piece of content from cts.businesswire.com, please give your consent at the top of this page.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210209005604/en/
Contact information
Media Inquiries:
Alexandra Nisipeanu
Mobile: +40 744 383 413
Email: adridean@its.jnj.com
Noah Reymond
Mobile: +31 621 385 718
Email: nreymond@its.jnj.com
Investor Relations:
Christopher DelOrefice
Office: +1 732 524 2955
Jennifer McIntyre
Office: +1 732 524 3922
About Business Wire
For more than 50 years, Business Wire has been the global leader in press release distribution and regulatory disclosure.
Subscribe to releases from Business Wire
Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Latest releases from Business Wire
NetApp Announces Intent to Acquire PEAK:AIO to Advance Scalable AI Infrastructure Architecture25.9.2026 16:00:00 EEST | Press release
NetApp® (NASDAQ: NTAP), the intelligent data infrastructure company, today announced its intent to acquire PEAK:AIO, a pioneer in next-generation metadata architecture and high-performance parallel file systems. The planned acquisition is expected to accelerate NetApp's AI infrastructure roadmap by augmenting metadata services and parallel namespace innovation designed to help AI clouds scale shared storage alongside growing GPU clusters. As AI becomes embedded in every enterprise workload, organizations are confronting a new challenge: traditional storage architectures were not designed for the unprecedented scale, concurrency, and performance requirements of AI factories, AI clouds, and next-generation data-intensive applications. NetApp is building an architecture that disaggregates metadata from data and enables metadata services to scale independently, creating a foundation for AI infrastructure capable of supporting trillions of files, exabyte-scale environments, and massively pa
MultiBank Group Secures Two Awards at Forex Expo Dubai 202625.9.2026 15:57:00 EEST | Press release
MultiBank Group, one of the world’s largest financial derivatives institutions, received two awards during its participation at Forex Expo Dubai 2026, held on 22 and 23 September at Dubai World Trade Centre. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260925539591/en/ MultiBank Group was named “Best Global Institutional Financial Ecosystem of the Year” and received the award for “Excellence in Global Financial Markets Innovation and Community Impact.” The Group was named “Best Global Institutional Financial Ecosystem of the Year” and received the award for “Excellence in Global Financial Markets Innovation and Community Impact.” The first award recognised the strength and breadth of MultiBank Group’s global institutional offering, which brings together trading, liquidity, technology, infrastructure, execution, market access and tailored client solutions within an integrated financial ecosystem. The second award acknowledg
Croma-Pharma Introduces saypha ® volume prime Lidocaine25.9.2026 15:04:00 EEST | Press release
Croma-Pharma introduces saypha® volume prime Lidocaine, a cross-linked hyaluronic acid dermal filler that replaces saypha® volume Lidocaine within the company's saypha® portfolio. The new product offers physicians a more versatile solution with expanded indications for both midface volumization and nasolabial folds, backed by strong clinical data. 1,2 saypha® volume prime Lidocaine demonstrated non-inferiority to comparatora in a randomized, subject- and evaluator-blinded, controlled, non-inferiority multicenter, parallel group comparison study with almost 500 patients.2 In the clinical evaluation, a high patient satisfaction highlights improved midface fullness, smoothness and contour, consistent with a rheologic profile designed to provide volumization in the mobile midface.b,2 With saypha® volume prime Lidocaine, Croma-Pharma further strengthens its product range, reflecting the company's long-standing commitment to scientific excellence and continuous product innovation, and provid
Abacus Global Management Completes Landmark $400 Million Securitization25.9.2026 15:00:00 EEST | Press release
Abacus Global Management, Inc. (“Abacus” or the “Company”) (NYSE: ABX), a financial services company specializing in alternative asset management, with a focus on longevity-based assets and personalized financial planning, today announced the closing of a dual-tranche securitization collateralized by a diversified portfolio of life insurance policies. The total structure is valued at over $400 million including the Class A and Class B notes and the residual interest. The notes have received an investment-grade rating from a third-party rating agency. The offering was oversubscribed and was upsized in response to investor demand. Abacus expects to use the net proceeds from the transaction to support continued policy origination and fund general corporate purposes. More fundamentally, this transaction advances the growth of the Company's asset management business. In the transaction, a special-purchase vehicle issued investment-grade notes backed by a pool of policies, which the Company
Eaton signs agreement to acquire COL Group, expanding manufacturing capacity and capabilities for data center and utility markets in EMEA25.9.2026 13:45:00 EEST | Press release
Intelligent power management company Eaton (NYSE:ETN) today announced it has signed an agreement to acquire COL Group from Oaktree’s Power Opportunities strategy. COL Group is a leader in medium-voltage electrical distribution solutions, including SF₆-free switchgear, grid automation technologies and modular power systems. The acquisition will expand Eaton's European power distribution capabilities and manufacturing footprint, enhancing its ability to support growing customer demand across data center and utility markets. “COL Group brings complementary technologies, manufacturing capabilities and engineering expertise that will further strengthen Eaton's European power distribution platform,” said Omar Zaire, president, EMEA Region, Corporate and Electrical Sector, Eaton. “The acquisition will enhance our ability to support utility and data center customers' increasing need for resilient, sustainable power infrastructure and integrated grid-to-chip power solutions.” Under the terms of
In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.
Visit our pressroom
