The European Commission (EC) has granted conditional marketing authorisation for blinatumomab (marketed as Blincyto) for the treatment of adults with Philadelphia chromosome-negative (Ph-) relapsed or refractory B-precursor acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL).

ALL is a rare and rapidly progressing cancer of the blood and bone marrow.^{1, 2}

For adults with relapsed or refractory ALL, the median overall survival is just three to five months.³

It is estimated that the incidence of adults with Ph- relapsed or refractory B-precursor ALL in the European Union (EU) is approximately 900 patients per year.

Blincyto [blinatumomab] is the first clinical validation of the BiTE platform, a new and innovative approach that helps the body’s own immune system fight cancer.”

The conditional marketing authorisation for blinatumomab is based on results of two Phase II studies, study ‘211 and ‘206.

In the ‘211 trial, 42.9 percent of patients achieved complete remission (CR) or CR with partial haematological recovery (CRh) with single-agent blinatumomab.

The most serious adverse reactions that occurred during blinatumomab treatment in the pivotal ‘211 trial included infections, neurologic events, neutropenia/febrile neutropenia, cytokine release syndrome and tumour lysis syndrome.

“We tested blinatumomab in ALL, the most aggressive B-cell malignancy we know, and observed a clinically meaningful remission rate,” said Max S. Topp, M.D., professor, Hospital of Wuerzburg, Germany.

“This is the first major advance in more than two decades for patients with this hard-to-treat cancer.” 

Approval from the EC grants a centralised conditional marketing authorization with unified labelling in the 28 countries that are members of the EU.

Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein, as members of the European Economic Area (EEA), will take corresponding decisions on the basis of the decision of the EC.

Conditional license requires the license to be renewed every year and it will be converted to full standard license once post-licensing commitments have been fulfilled.

Blinatumomab was granted orphan drug designation by the European Medicines Agency in 2009 for the treatment of ALL.

References

1. Cancer Research UK. Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia risks and causes: http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/type/all/about/acute-lymphoblastic-leukaemia-risks-and-causes. Accessed November 16, 2015.

2. Mayo Clinic. 'Acute lymphocytic leukemia.' Available at: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/acute-lymphocytic-leukemia/DS00558. Accessed on November 16, 2015.

3. Advani A.S. 'New immune strategies for the treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia: Antibodies and chimeric antigen receptors'. Hematology Am Soc Hematol Educ Program. 2013;2013:131-7. Retrieved from: http://asheducationbook.hematologylibrary.org/content/2013/1/131.long

Source: Amgen