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FDA approves Tezspire™ (tezepelumab-ekko) for severe asthma

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On December 17, 2021, Amgen announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Tezspire™ (tezepelumab-ekko) for the add-on maintenance treatment of adult and pediatric patients aged 12 years and older with severe asthma. Tezepelumab (AMG157, MEDI-9929) is a human IgG2 antibody that targets a cytokine, thymic stromal lymphopoietin, that plays a key role in asthma inflammation. The drug was developed by Amgen in collaboration with AstraZeneca.

The approval was based in part on data from the randomized, placebo-controlled Phase 3 NAVIGATOR study (NCT03347279), which evaluated the effects of tezepelumab in adults and adolescents with severe uncontrolled asthma. In this study, patients received tezepelumab (210 mg; n=529) or placebo (n=532) SC every 4 weeks for 52 weeks. The primary outcome measure of the study, the annualized asthma exacerbation rate from baseline to Week 52, was met. For the tezepelumab group, the annualized rate of asthma exacerbations was 0.93 (95% CI, 0.80 to 1.07), while the rate was 2.10 (95% CI, 1.84 to 2.39) with placebo (rate ratio, 0.44; 95% CI, 0.37 to 0.53; P<0.001). Overall, data from the study indicated that, compared to those administered placebo, patients who received tezepelumab had fewer exacerbations and better lung function, asthma control, and health-related quality of life.104 A pre-specified exploratory analysis showed that tezepelumab reduced the annualized asthma exacerbation rate in patients with nasal polyps by 86% (95% CI: 70, 93) and 52% (95% CI: 42, 61) in those without nasal polyps over 52 weeks compared to placebo given with standard of care.

Marketing applications for Tezspire are under regulatory review in the EU, Japan and several other countries around the world.

Anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody therapeutics Ronapreve and Regkirona approved in the EU

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On November 11, 2021, the European Medicines Agency’s human medicines committee recommended authorizing anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody therapeutics Ronapreve (casirivimab/imdevimab) and Regkirona (regdanvimab) for COVID-19.

  • The Committee recommended authorizing Ronapreve for treating COVID-19 in adults and adolescents (from 12 years of age and weighing at least 40 kilograms) who do not require supplemental oxygen and who are at increased risk of their disease becoming severe. Ronapreve can also be used for preventing COVID-19 in people aged 12 years and older weighing at least 40 kilograms. The company that applied for authorization of Ronapreve was Roche Registration GmbH.
  • The Committee recommended authorizing Regkirona for treating adults with COVID-19 who do not require supplemental oxygen and who are also at increased risk of their disease becoming severe. The applicant for Regkirona was Celltrion Healthcare Hungary Kft.

On November 12, 2021, the European Commission approved both products.

Tisotumab vedotin approved by FDA for cervical cancer

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On September 20, 2021, FDA granted accelerated approval to TIVDAK (tisotumab vedotin-tftv) for the treatment of adult patients with recurrent or metastatic cervical cancer with disease progression on or after chemotherapy. The BLA for TIVDAK for this indication was given a Priority review. TIVDAK’s approval was based on tumor response and the durability of the response; verification and description of clinical benefit in confirmatory trials may be necessary for continued approval for this indication.

TIVDAK is an ADC comprising Genmab’s human tissue factor IgG1k antibody targeting tissue factor conjugated to MMAE via a protease-cleavable linker using Seagen’s ADC technology. The companies are co-developing the product. The recommended dose of TIVDAK is 2 mg/kg (up to a maximum of 200 mg) given as an intravenous infusion over 30 minutes every 3 weeks until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity.

FDA’s approval was based on results of the pivotal single-arm Phase 2 innovaTV 204 study (NCT03438396), which included 101 patients with recurrent or metastatic cervical cancer who had received no more than two prior systemic regimens in the recurrent or metastatic setting, including at least one prior platinum-based chemotherapy regimen. Patients received tisotumab vedotin 2.0 mg/kg IV every 3 weeks  until progression or toxicity. The major efficacy outcome measures were confirmed objective response rate as assessed by an independent review committee using RECIST v1.1 criteria and duration of response (DOR). The objective response rate was 24% [95% CI: 15.9%-33.3%], including 7 patients (7%) with a complete response and 17 patients (17%) with a partial response, and the median DOR was 8.3 months (95% CI: 4.2, not reached).

TIVDAK is the 9th antibody therapeutic to be first approved for marketing in the EU or US in 2021. Explore our searchable table of antibody therapeutics approved in the US or EU for details.

Bimekizumab authorized for marketing in the EU

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On August 20, 2021, the European Commission authorized marketing of Bimzelx (bimekizumab) in the EU for the treatment of moderate to severe plaque psoriasis in adults who are candidates for systemic therapy. Bimekizumab is a humanized IgG1 kappa antibody that selectively inhibits IL-17A and IL-17F by binding regions that are common to these pro-inflammatory cytokines, which share ~50% sequence identity and are expressed as homodimers and IL-17A/F heterodimers. Bimekizumab is approved at a recommended dose of 320 mg, administered by two subcutaneous injections every four weeks to week 16 and every eight weeks thereafter. [1]

The decision to grant a marketing approval was supported by results from 3 Phase 3 studies that included an active comparator arm, ustekinumab (Stellara®; BE VIVID study; NCT03370133), adalimumab (Humira®; BE SURE study; NCT03412747), or secukinumab (Cosentyx®; BE RADIANT study; NCT03536884). All three pivotal studies met their co-primary endpoints at Week 16, demonstrating superiority of bimekizumab over the active comparator in certain defined measures (e.g., Psoriasis Area and Severity Index). Clinical responses achieved with bimekizumab at Week 16 were maintained up to one year. [2-4] Coprimary endpoints were also met in the Phase 3 BE READY study (NCT03410992), which investigated the efficacy and safety of bimekizumab in patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis compared to placebo. [5]

Bimzelx is the 8th antibody therapeutic to be first approved for marketing in the EU or US in 2021.

  1. European Medicines Agency. Bimzelx public assessment report.
  2. Reich K, Papp KA, Blauvelt A, et al. Bimekizumab versus ustekinumab for the treatment of moderate to severe plaque psoriasis (BE VIVID): efficacy and safety from a 52-week, multicentre, double-blind, active comparator and placebo-controlled phase 3 trial. Lancet. 2021;397(10273):487-498.
  3. Warren RB, Blauvelt A, Bagel J, et al. Bimekizumab versus Adalimumab in Plaque Psoriasis. N Engl J Med. 2021;385(2):130-141.
  4. Reich K, Warren RB, Lebwohl M, Gooderham M, Strober B, Langley RG, Paul C, De Cuyper D, Vanvoorden V, Madden C, Cioffi C, Peterson L, Blauvelt A. Bimekizumab versus Secukinumab in Plaque Psoriasis. N Engl J Med. 2021 Jul 8;385(2):142-152.
  5. Gordon KB, Foley P, Krueger JG, et al. Bimekizumab efficacy and safety in moderate to severe plaque psoriasis (BE READY): a multicentre, double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomised withdrawal phase 3 trial. Lancet. 2021;397(10273):475-486.

FDA approves anifrolumab for systemic lupus erythematosus

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On July 30, 2021, the US Food and Drug Administration approved AstraZeneca’s Saphnelo (anifrolumab-fnia) for the treatment of adult patients with moderate to severe systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) who are receiving standard therapy. The recommended dosage is 300 mg administered as an intravenous infusion over a 30-minute period every 4 weeks. Saphnelo is undergoing regulatory review for SLE in the EU and Japan.

Anifrolumab (MEDI-546) is an interferon (IFN) alpha receptor 1 (IFNAR1)-specific human IgG1κ antibody. It binds to subunit 1 of IFNAR1, thereby blocking the action of different type I IFNs (IFN-α, IFN-β and IFN-ω). The heavy chain of the antibody incorporates 3 mutations, L234F, L235E, and P331S, to decrease effector functions. Type I IFNs are involved in the pathogenesis of SLE, and ~ 60-80% of adult patients with active SLE express elevated levels of type I IFN-inducible genes.

FDA’s approval was based in part on efficacy and safety data from two TULIP Phase 3 trials and the MUSE Phase 2 trial. In these trials, more patients treated with Saphnelo experienced a reduction in overall disease activity across organ systems, including skin and joints, and achieved sustained reduction in oral corticosteroid use compared to placebo, with both groups receiving standard therapy. Clinical study results from the Phase 3 TULIP-2 and TULIP-1 trials were published in The New England Journal of Medicine and in The Lancet Rheumatology, respectively,  while results from the MUSE Phase 2 trial were published in Arthritis & Rheumatology.

Need help keeping up to date on US and EU approvals?

The Antibody Society maintains a comprehensive table of approved monoclonal antibody therapeutics and those in regulatory review in the EU or US in the Web Resources section of our website.