BOUDRY, Switzerland--(Antara/BUSINESS WIRE)-- Celgene Corporation (NASDAQ:CELG) today announced interim results from the ABOUND clinical trial program evaluating the use of ABRAXANE® (paclitaxel protein-bound particles for injectable suspension) (albumin-bound) in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Interim data being presented from the ABOUND trials during the IASLC 17th World Conference on Lung Cancer (WCLC) reinforces the benefit of ABRAXANE/carboplatin doublet therapy in first-line NSCLC.
Interim ABOUND.70+ data in 128 elderly patients (≥ 70 years old) receiving first-line treatment with ABRAXANE/carboplatin for advanced NSCLC found that 91 (73%) patients experienced grade ≥2 peripheral neuropathy (PN) or grade ≥3 myelosuppression [primary endpoint]. At the time of the analyses, the median overall survival was 14.6 months and the median progression-free survival was 6.2 months, pooled across the two treatment arms [secondary endpoints]. Patients were randomized to receive first-line treatment with ABRAXANE/carboplatin either continuous weekly or weekly every three weeks with a one-week break.i Overall, 80 percent of patients discontinued treatment and the majority did so due to adverse events (24 percent) or disease progression (34 percent). Grade ≥2 PN was reported in 34% of patients, and grade ≥3 neutropenia, anemia, and thrombocytopenia was observed in 52%, 21% and 21% of patients, respectively. i
The interim ABOUND.sqm data in 284 patients receiving first-line induction treatment with ABRAXANE/carboplatin for stage IIIB/IV squamous NSCLC showed that the safety profile was consistent with that previously reported for the squamous subset in the pivotal Phase III trial.ii,iii During the induction phase, all patients received four 21-day cycles of standard ABRAXANE/carboplatin therapy.ii Overall, 119 patients (42 percent) discontinued treatment during the induction phase. The majority of patients discontinued treatment due to disease progression (34 percent) or adverse events (24 percent). The most common grade 3/4 treatment emergent adverse events (TEAEs) were hematologic and included anemia (26 percent), neutropenia (43 percent) and thrombocytopenia (15 percent).ii
Both ABOUND trials also evaluated quality of life utilizing the Lung Cancer Symptom 3-item index Scale (LCSS), Symptom Burden Index, Lung Cancer Symptom and Pulmonary Symptom Scores and the EuroQol five dimensions, five level questionnaire (EQ-5D-5L). These interim analyses suggest that quality of life was generally maintained or improved in both patient populations.iv,v
"These early data from the ABOUND clinical trial program are very encouraging, as they are consistent with the findings related to these hard to treat non-small cell lung cancer patient subgroups seen in the pivotal ABRAXANE Phase III trial," said Michael Pehl, President, Hematology and Oncology for Celgene. "These data, coupled with the ongoing studies of ABRAXANE in combination with novel agents and immunotherapies, provide us with a deeper understanding of how to treat challenging patient populations and will help us continue to develop future treatment options."
With the rapidly evolving lung cancer treatment landscape, Celgene remains committed to continuing to explore new combinations that will benefit those living with lung cancer, including patients who may not benefit from immunotherapy and targeted therapy. ABRAXANE is being actively evaluated as a foundation therapy in these patients.
Interim results of the phase I study of the immunotherapy agent nivolumab in combination with ABRAXANE/carboplatin in 22 patients with Stage IIIB/IV NSCLC will also be presented at WCLC. Patients received four cycles of standard ABRAXANE/carboplatin therapy in combination with nivolumab, followed by nivolumab monotherapy starting at cycle 5. The primary endpoints were number of patients with dose limiting toxicity and percentage of patients with grade 3/4 TEAEs or treatment discontinuation due to a TEAE. The interim data suggests that combining ABRAXANE/carboplatin with nivolumab may have promising anti-tumor activity in patients with advanced NSCLC with no unexpected adverse events (AEs).vi
The most common grade 3/4 AEs observed during the study included neutropenia (45 percent), anemia (35 percent), hypokalemia (15 percent), and vomiting (15 percent).vi The study has been expanded and patients are currently enrolling in part 2. Additional data on the safety and efficacy of this combination in multiple tumor types will be presented at a future medical meeting.
Additional ABRAXANE Data Presented at WCLC
There will also be an oral presentation at WCLC focused on new findings from the phase III registration study for ABRAXANE (Abstract 4460), which reports on the impact of depth of response on survival in patients with advanced NSCLC treated with first-line chemotherapy. Real-world analyses of US veterans with NSCLC are also being presented at WCLC, evaluating prevalence of squamous NSCLC in veterans vs. the general population (Abstract 4737) and the prevalence of autoimmune disease in veterans with NSCLC (Abstract 4745).
Additional investigator initiated studies presented at WCLC also evaluated ABRAXANE as first-line (Posters P2.03a-028 and P2.06-018), second-line (Posters P2.03a-040, P2.03a-054 and P2.03a-056) or third-line (Poster P2.06-015) treatment for advanced NSCLC patients, as well as in the adjuvant (Poster P2.03a-070) and neoadjuvant (Poster P2.04-034) settings and in chemo-naïve patients with an EGFR mutation (Poster P3.02b-061).
ABOUT ABOUND
ABOUND is a multi-phase, open-label, multicenter clinical trial program evaluating the use of ABRAXANE in combination with carboplatin or other novel agents, including immunotherapy, as first- or second-line treatment of patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The ABOUND trials included patients 70 years and older, as well as those with poorer performance status or squamous disease and those receiving second-line+ treatment.vii,viii,ix,x
ABOUT THE ABRAXANE/NIVOLUMAB STUDY
This is a phase I, open-label, multicenter, safety study of ABRAXANE-based chemotherapy regimens administered prior to and/or in combination with nivolumab in pancreatic cancer, NSCLC and metastatic breast cancer. This is a six arm study assessing two treatment arms per tumor-type/indication.
About ABRAXANE® (nab-paclitaxel)
ABRAXANE® is indicated for the first-line treatment of locally advanced or metastatic non–small cell lung cancer, in combination with carboplatin, in patients who are not candidates for curative surgery or radiation therapy.
Important Safety Information
WARNING - NEUTROPENIA
* Do not administer ABRAXANE therapy to patients who have baseline neutrophil counts of less than 1500 cells/mm3. In order to monitor the occurrence of bone marrow suppression, primarily neutropenia, which may be severe and result in infection, it is recommended that frequent peripheral blood cell counts be performed on all patients receiving ABRAXANE
* Note: An albumin form of paclitaxel may substantially affect a drug’s functional properties relative to those of drug in solution. DO NOT SUBSTITUTE FOR OR WITH OTHER PACLITAXEL FORMULATIONS
CONTRAINDICATIONS
Neutrophil Counts
* ABRAXANE should not be used in patients who have baseline neutrophil counts of <1500cells/mm3
Hypersensitivity
* Patients who experience a severe hypersensitivity reaction to ABRAXANE should not be rechallenged with the drug
WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS
Hematologic Effects
* Bone marrow suppression (primarily neutropenia) is dose-dependent and a dose-limiting toxicity of ABRAXANE. In a clinical study, Grade 3-4 neutropenia occurred in 47% of patients with non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)
* Monitor for myelotoxicity by performing complete blood cell counts frequently, including prior to dosing on Days 1, 8, and 15
* Do not administer ABRAXANE to patients with baseline absolute neutrophil counts (ANC) of less than 1500 cells/mm3
* In the case of severe neutropenia (<500 cells/mm3 for 7 days or more) during a course of ABRAXANE therapy, reduce the dose of ABRAXANE in subsequent courses in patients with NSCLC
* Resume treatment if recommended at permanently reduced doses for both weekly ABRAXANE and every-3-week carboplatin after ANC recovers to at least 1500 cells/mm3 and platelet count of at least 100,000 cells/mm3 on Day 1 or to an ANC of at least 500 cells/mm3 and platelet count of at least 50,000 cells/mm3 on Days 8 or 15 of the cycle
Nervous System
* Sensory neuropathy is dose- and schedule-dependent
* The occurrence of Grade 1 or 2 sensory neuropathy does not generally require dose modification
* If ≥ Grade 3 sensory neuropathy develops, withhold ABRAXANE treatment until resolution to ≤ Grade 1 followed by a dose reduction for all subsequent courses of ABRAXANE
Hypersensitivity
* Severe and sometimes fatal hypersensitivity reactions, including anaphylactic reactions, have been reported
* Patients who experience a severe hypersensitivity reaction to ABRAXANE should not be rechallenged with this drug
Hepatic Impairment
* Because the exposure and toxicity of paclitaxel can be increased with hepatic impairment, administration of ABRAXANE in patients with hepatic impairment should be performed with caution
* Patients with hepatic impairment may be at an increased risk of toxicity, particularly from myelosuppression, and should be monitored for development of profound myelosuppression
* For NSCLC, the starting dose should be reduced for patients with moderate or severe hepatic impairment
Albumin (Human)
* ABRAXANE contains albumin (human), a derivative of human blood
Use in Pregnancy: Pregnancy Category D
* ABRAXANE can cause fetal harm when administered to a pregnant woman
* If this drug is used during pregnancy, or if the patient becomes pregnant while receiving this drug, the patient should be apprised of the potential hazard to the fetus
* Women of childbearing potential should be advised to avoid becoming pregnant while receiving ABRAXANE
Use in Men
* Men should be advised not to father a child while receiving ABRAXANE
ADVERSE REACTIONS
Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) Study
* The most common adverse reactions (≥20%) of ABRAXANE in combination with carboplatin are anemia, neutropenia, thrombocytopenia, alopecia, peripheral neuropathy, nausea, and fatigue
* The most common serious adverse reactions of ABRAXANE in combination with carboplatin for NSCLC are anemia (4%) and pneumonia (3%)
* The most common adverse reactions resulting in permanent discontinuation of ABRAXANE are neutropenia (3%), thrombocytopenia (3%), and peripheral neuropathy (1%)
* The most common adverse reactions resulting in dose reduction of ABRAXANE are neutropenia (24%), thrombocytopenia (13%), and anemia (6%)
* The most common adverse reactions leading to withholding or delay in ABRAXANE dosing are neutropenia (41%), thrombocytopenia (30%), and anemia (16%)
* The following common (≥10% incidence) adverse reactions were observed at a similar incidence in ABRAXANE plus carboplatin–treated and paclitaxel injection plus carboplatin–treated patients: alopecia (56%), nausea (27%), fatigue (25%), decreased appetite (17%), asthenia (16%), constipation (16%), diarrhea (15%), vomiting (12%), dyspnea (12%), and rash (10%); incidence rates are for the ABRAXANE plus carboplatin treatment group
* Adverse reactions with a difference of ≥2%, Grade 3 or higher, with combination use of ABRAXANE and carboplatin vs combination use of paclitaxel injection and carboplatin in NSCLC are anemia (28%, 7%), neutropenia (47%, 58%), thrombocytopenia (18%, 9%), and peripheral neuropathy (3%, 12%), respectively
* Adverse reactions with a difference of ≥5%, Grades 1-4, with combination use of ABRAXANE and carboplatin vs combination use of paclitaxel injection and carboplatin in NSCLC are anemia (98%, 91%), thrombocytopenia (68%, 55%), peripheral neuropathy (48%, 64%), edema peripheral (10%, 4%), epistaxis (7%, 2%), arthralgia (13%, 25%), and myalgia (10%, 19%), respectively
* Neutropenia (all grades) was reported in 85% of patients who received ABRAXANE and carboplatin vs 83% of patients who received paclitaxel injection and carboplatin
Postmarketing Experience With ABRAXANE and Other Paclitaxel Formulations
* Severe and sometimes fatal hypersensitivity reactions have been reported with ABRAXANE. The use of ABRAXANE in patients previously exhibiting hypersensitivity to paclitaxel injection or human albumin has not been studied
* There have been reports of congestive heart failure, left ventricular dysfunction, and atrioventricular block with ABRAXANE, primarily among individuals with underlying cardiac history or prior exposure to cardiotoxic drugs
* There have been reports of extravasation of ABRAXANE. Given the possibility of extravasation, it is advisable to monitor closely the ABRAXANE infusion site for possible infiltration during drug administration
DRUG INTERACTIONS
* Caution should be exercised when administering ABRAXANE concomitantly with medicines known to inhibit or induce either CYP2C8 or CYP3A4
USE IN SPECIFIC POPULATIONS
Nursing Mothers
* It is not known whether paclitaxel is excreted in human milk. Because many drugs are excreted in human milk and because of the potential for serious adverse reactions in nursing infants, a decision should be made to discontinue nursing or to discontinue the drug, taking into account the importance of the drug to the mother
Pediatric
* The safety and effectiveness of ABRAXANE in pediatric patients have not been evaluated
Geriatric
* Myelosuppression, peripheral neuropathy, and arthralgia were more frequent in patients ≥65 years of age treated with ABRAXANE and carboplatin in NSCLC
Renal Impairment
* There are insufficient data to permit dosage recommendations in patients with severe renal impairment or end stage renal disease (estimated creatinine clearance <30 mL/min)
DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION
* Do not administer ABRAXANE to any patient with total bilirubin greater than 5 x ULN or AST greater than 10 x ULN
* Reduce starting dose in NSCLC patients with moderate to severe hepatic impairment
* Dose reductions or discontinuation may be needed based on severe hematologic or neurologic toxicity
* Monitor patients closely
Please see full Prescribing Information, including Boxed WARNING.
Please refer to the Summary of Product Characteristics for full European prescribing information.
About Celgene
Celgene Corporation, headquartered in Summit, New Jersey, is an integrated global biopharmaceutical company engaged primarily in the discovery, development and commercialization of innovative therapies for the treatment of cancer and inflammatory diseases through next-generation solutions in protein homeostasis, immuno-oncology, epigenetics, immunology and neuro-inflammation. For more information, please visit www.celgene.com. Follow Celgene on Social Media: @Celgene, Pinterest, LinkedIn, FaceBook and YouTube.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements, which are generally statements that are not historical facts. Forward-looking statements can be identified by the words "expects," "anticipates," "believes," "intends," "estimates," "plans," "will," "outlook" and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements are based on management's current plans, estimates, assumptions and projections, and speak only as of the date they are made. We undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statement in light of new information or future events, except as otherwise required by law. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties, most of which are difficult to predict and are generally beyond our control. Actual results or outcomes may differ materially from those implied by the forward-looking statements as a result of the impact of a number of factors, many of which are discussed in more detail in our Annual Report on Form 10-K and our other reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
i Langer C, et al. Safety and Efficacy Results from ABOUND.70+: nab-Paclitaxel + Carboplatin in Elderly Patients with Advanced NSCLC. Abstract 4630. Presented at the 2016 World Conference of Lung Cancer (WCLC), December 4-7, 2016.
ii McCleod M, et al. Interim Results from ABOUND.sqm: Safety of nab-Paclitaxel + Carboplatin Induction Therapy in Squamous Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer. Abstract 4391. Presented at the 2016 World Conference of Lung Cancer (WCLC), December 4-7, 2016.
iii Socinsky M, et al. Safety and efficacy of weekly nab®-paclitaxel in combination with carboplatin as first-line therapy in elderly patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer. Annals of Oncology. 24: 314–321, 2013.
iv Weiss J, et al. ABOUND.70+: Interim Quality of Life Results of nab-Paclitaxel + Carboplatin Treatment of Elderly Patients with NSCLC. Abstract 4286. Presented at the 2016 World Conference of Lung Cancer (WCLC), December 4-7, 2016.
v Thomas M, et al. nab-Paclitaxel + Carboplatin Induction Therapy in Squamous Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: Interim Quality of Life Results from ABOUND.sqm. Abstract 4343. Presented at the 2016 World Conference of Lung Cancer (WCLC), December 4-7, 2016.
vi Goldman J, et al. Interim Results from the Phase I Study of Nivolumab + nab-Paclitaxel + Carboplatin in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer. Abstract 4127. Presented at the 2016 World Conference of Lung Cancer (WCLC), December 4-7, 2016.
vii ClinicalTrials.gov. Safety and Efficacy Study of Nab®Paclitaxel With CC486 or Nab®Paclitaxel With Durvalumab, and Nab®Paclitaxel Monotherapy as Second/Thirdline Treatment for Advanced Nonsmall Cell Lung Cancer (abound2L+). Available at https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02250326?term=ABOUNd&rank=3. Accessed November 30, 2016.
viii ClinicalTrials.gov. Safety and Efficacy Study of Abraxane in Combination With Carboplatin to Treat Advanced NSCL Cancer in the Elderly (ABOUND 70+). Available at https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02151149?term=ABOUNd&rank=2. Accessed November 30, 2016.
ix ClinicalTrials.gov. Phase II Safety and Tolerability Trial With NabPaclitaxel Plus Carboplatin Followed by NabPaclitaxel for First Line Treatment of NSCLC Subjects With ECOG PS 2 (AboundPS2). Available at https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02289456?term=ABOUNd&rank=4. Accessed November 30, 2016.
x ClinicalTrials.gov. Safety and Efficacy Study of Abraxane as Maintenance Treatment After Abraxane Plus Carboplatin in 1st Line Stage IIIB / IV Squamous Cell Non-small Cell Lung Cancer (aboundsqm). Available at https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02027428?term=ABOUNd&rank=6. Accessed November 30, 2016.
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