FDA grants accelerated approval to enfortumab vedotin-ejfv with pembrolizumab for locally advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma
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On April 3, 2023, the Food and Drug Administration granted accelerated approval to enfortumab vedotin-ejfv (Padcev, Astellas Pharma) with pembrolizumab (Keytruda, Merck) for patients with locally advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma who are ineligible for cisplatin-containing chemotherapy, based on results from Dose Escalation Cohort/Cohort A and Cohort K of the Phase 1/2 EV-103 (KEYNOTE-869) trial.
Padcev seeks to become SoC in the 1L cisplatin-ineligible setting.
View full prescribing information for Padcev and Keytruda. Both the Padcev and the Keytruda labels have been updated to reflect the new indication, suggesting that both sides will promote EV + Pembro.
- EV + Pembro will compete mainly with 1L carboplatin/gemcitabine + maintenance avelumab as the current SoC in the cisplatin-ineligible setting; however, randomized survival data may be required to drive broader uptake and displace SoC
- OS data from EV-103 (Cohort A: 26.1 mo; Cohort K: 22.3 mo) is directionally in the range of SoC (OS 26 months from start of 1L chemotherapy, ASCO GU 2023) but is immature and lacks a formal statistical comparator
- Data from the confirmatory P3 EV-302 trial in cisplatin-ineligible and -eligible 1L mUC, expected by YE 2023, could support full approval globally in an expanded ‘all-comers’ population in ~Q3 2024
Efficacy was evaluated in EV-103/KEYNOTE-869 (NCT03288545), a multi-cohort (dose escalation cohort, Cohort A, Cohort K) study. The dose escalation cohort and Cohort A were single-arm cohorts treating patients with enfortumab vedotin-ejfv plus pembrolizumab while patients on Cohort K were randomized to either the combination or to enfortumab vedotin-ejfv alone. Patients had not received prior systemic therapy for locally advanced or metastatic disease and were ineligible for cisplatin-containing chemotherapy. A total of 121 patients received enfortumab vedotin-ejfv plus pembrolizumab.
The major efficacy outcome measures were objective response rate (ORR) and duration of response (DoR) determined by blinded independent central review using RECIST v1.1. The confirmed ORR in 121 patients was 68% (95% CI: 59, 76), including 12% with complete responses. The median DoR for the dose escalation cohort + Cohort A was 22 months (range: 1+ to 46+) and for Cohort K was not reached (range: 1 to 24+).
The most common adverse reactions (>20%), including laboratory abnormalities, were increased glucose, increased aspartate aminotransferase, rash, decreased hemoglobin, increased creatinine, peripheral neuropathy, decreased lymphocytes, fatigue, increased alanine aminotransferase, decreased sodium, increased lipase, decreased albumin, alopecia, decreased phosphate, decreased weight, diarrhea, pruritus, decreased appetite, nausea, dysgeusia, decreased potassium, decreased neutrophils, urinary tract infection, constipation, potassium increased, calcium increased, peripheral edema, dry eye, dizziness, arthralgia, and dry skin.
The recommended enfortumab vedotin-ejfv dose when given with pembrolizumab is 1.25 mg/kg (up to a maximum of 125 mg for patients ≥100 kg) administered as an intravenous infusion over 30 minutes on Days 1 and 8 of a 21-day cycle until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. The recommended pembrolizumab dose, administered after enfortumab vedotin on the same day, is 200 mg every 3 weeks or 400 mg every 6 weeks until disease progression, unacceptable toxicity, or up to 24 months.
This review used the Assessment Aid, a voluntary submission from the applicant to facilitate the FDA’s assessment.
This application was granted priority review and breakthrough designation. FDA expedited programs are described in the Guidance for Industry: Expedited Programs for Serious Conditions-Drugs and Biologics.