Seattle Genetics, Inc. (SGEN): brentuximab vedotin (SGN-35) Hodgkin Lymphoma Drug Update

By Andrea: http://nursingoncologyjob.com

Seattle Genetics, Inc.(SGEN) and Millennium: The Takeda Oncology Company, a wholly owned subsidiary of Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited , today announced that brentuximab vedotin (SGN-35) will be featured in three poster presentations at the 8th International Symposium on Hodgkin Lymphoma (ISHL) being held October 23-26, 2010 in Cologne, Germany.

The following posters will be presented on Tuesday, October 26, 2010:

Objective responses with SGN-35 retreatment in CD30-positive hematologic malignancies: a case series (Abstract #113) Activity, safety and tolerability of antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) SGN-35 in relapsed/refractory Hodgkin lymphoma and CD30+ hematologic malignancies (Abstract #74) Activity of SGN-35 in preclinical models of combination therapy and relapse prevention (Abstract #49)

"These presentations complement the recent positive results from our pivotal Hodgkin lymphoma and phase II systemic anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL) trials, both in the relapsed or refractory setting, and describe the additional opportunities we are pursuing to meet the needs of patients with CD30-positive malignancies," said Thomas C. Reynolds, M.D., Ph.D., Chief Medical Officer of Seattle Genetics. "In addition, we are preparing our brentuximab vedotin Biologics License Application (BLA) for submission to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the first half of 2011."

"The acceptance of these presentations at ISHL underscores the scientific community's continued interest in brentuximab vedotin," said Nancy Simonian, M.D., Chief Medical Officer of Millennium. "We maintain our focus on meeting with regulators in Europe to discuss filing strategies in relapsed or refractory Hodgkin lymphoma and relapsed or refractory ALCL."

About Brentuximab Vedotin

Brentuximab vedotin is an ADC comprising an anti-CD30 monoclonal antibody attached by an enzyme cleavable linker to a potent, synthetic drug payload, monomethyl auristatin E (MMAE) utilizing Seattle Genetics' proprietary technology. The ADC employs a novel linker system that is designed to be stable in the bloodstream but to release MMAE upon internalization into CD30-expressing tumor cells. This approach is intended to spare non-targeted cells and thus may help minimize the potential toxic effects of traditional chemotherapy while allowing for the selective targeting of CD30-expressing cancer cells, thus potentially enhancing the antitumor activity.

Seattle Genetics and Millennium recently reported top-line data from a pivotal trial of brentuximab vedotin for relapsed or refractory Hodgkin lymphoma and a phase II trial for relapsed or refractory ALCL. In the pivotal Hodgkin lymphoma trial, 75 percent of patients achieved an objective response as assessed by an independent central review. The median duration of response was greater than six months. In the phase II ALCL trial, 86 percent of patients achieved an objective response as assessed by an independent central review. The median duration of response has not yet been reached at a median follow up on study of approximately six months. The safety profile of brentuximab vedotin in these trials was generally consistent with prior clinical trial experience. More complete data sets from both trials will be presented in oral sessions at the American Society of Hematology (ASH) annual meeting, December 4-7, 2010, in Orlando, FL.

The companies are also conducting a phase III clinical trial (the AETHERA trial) for patients at high risk of residual Hodgkin lymphoma following autologous stem cell transplant, a phase II retreatment trial for relapsed patients who previously responded to brentuximab vedotin, and a phase I combination trial for the front-line treatment of Hodgkin lymphoma.

About the Seattle Genetics/Millennium Collaboration

Seattle Genetics and Millennium are jointly developing brentuximab vedotin. Under the terms of the collaboration agreement, Seattle Genetics has U.S. and Canadian commercialization rights and the Takeda Group has rights to commercialize brentuximab vedotin in the rest of the world. Seattle Genetics and the Takeda Group are funding joint development costs for brentuximab vedotin on a 50:50 basis, except in Japan where the Takeda Group will be solely responsible for development costs.

About Hodgkin Lymphoma

Lymphoma is a general term for a group of cancers that originate in the lymphatic system. There are two major categories of lymphoma: Hodgkin lymphoma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Hodgkin lymphoma is distinguished from other types of lymphoma by the presence of one characteristic type of cell, known as the Reed-Sternberg cell. A defining attribute of the Reed-Sternberg cell is its expression of the CD30 antigen.

According to the American Cancer Society, approximately 8,500 cases of Hodgkin lymphoma will be diagnosed in the United States during 2010 and more than 1,300 will die from the disease. Globally, there are more than 30,000 cases of Hodgkin lymphoma diagnosed each year. Although front-line combination chemotherapy can result in durable response rates, up to 30 percent of these patients relapse or are refractory to front-line treatment and have few therapeutic options beyond autologous stem cell transplant.

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