Company Announcement
- Application to broaden label for daratumumab in front line multiple myeloma submitted to
EMA
- Submission based on data from Phase III ALCYONE study
- Genmab to receive USD 3 million in milestone payments from Janssen
Copenhagen, Denmark; November 21, 2017 – Genmab A/S (Nasdaq
Copenhagen: GEN) announced today that Janssen Pharmaceutica NV (Janssen) has submitted a Type II variation application to the
European Medicines Agency (EMA). This application seeks to broaden the existing marketing authorization for daratumumab
(DARZALEX®) to include use in combination with bortezomib, melphalan and prednisone, for the treatment of adult patients
with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma who are ineligible for autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT).
The submission of the application triggers milestone payments totaling USD 3 million to
Genmab from Janssen. The milestone payments were included in Genmab’s financial guidance for 2017, which was published on November
14, 2017. In August 2012, Genmab granted Janssen an exclusive worldwide license to develop, manufacture and commercialize
daratumumab.
“We are very pleased about this submission, which marks the first application for the use of daratumumab for
patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma. We look forward to working with both Janssen and the EMA so that daratumumab
can potentially become available for a broader group of multiple myeloma patients,” said Jan van de Winkel, Ph.D., Chief Executive
Officer of Genmab.
The submission is based on data from the Phase III ALCYONE study of daratumumab in combination with bortezomib,
melphalan and prednisone in front line multiple myeloma. This data will also be used as the basis for a potential regulatory
submission to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
About DARZALEX® (daratumumab)
DARZALEX® (daratumumab) injection for intravenous infusion is indicated in the United States in combination with
lenalidomide and dexamethasone, or bortezomib and dexamethasone, for the treatment of patients with multiple myeloma who have
received at least one prior therapy; in combination with pomalidomide and dexamethasone for the treatment of patients with multiple
myeloma who have received at least two prior therapies, including lenalidomide and a proteasome inhibitor (PI); and as a
monotherapy for the treatment of patients with multiple myeloma who have received at least three prior lines of therapy, including
a PI and an immunomodulatory agent, or who are double-refractory to a PI and an immunomodulatory agent.1 DARZALEX is the
first monoclonal antibody (mAb) to receive U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval to treat multiple myeloma. DARZALEX is
indicated in Europe for use in combination with lenalidomide and dexamethasone, or bortezomib and dexamethasone, for the treatment
of adult patients with multiple myeloma who have received at least one prior therapy and as monotherapy for the treatment of adult
patients with relapsed and refractory multiple myeloma, whose prior therapy included a PI and an immunomodulatory agent and who
have demonstrated disease progression on the last therapy. In Japan, DARZALEX is approved in combination with lenalidomide
and dexamethasone, or bortezomib and dexamethasone, for treatment of adults with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma. DARZALEX
is the first human CD38 monoclonal antibody to reach the market. For more information, visit
www.DARZALEX.com.
Daratumumab is a human IgG1k monoclonal antibody (mAb) that binds with high affinity to the CD38 molecule,
which is highly expressed on the surface of multiple myeloma cells. Daratumumab triggers a person’s own immune system to
attack the cancer cells, resulting in rapid tumor cell death through multiple immune-mediated mechanisms of action and through
immunomodulatory effects, in addition to direct tumor cell death, via apoptosis (programmed cell
death).1,2,3,4,5
Daratumumab is being developed by Janssen Biotech, Inc. under an exclusive worldwide license to develop,
manufacture and commercialize daratumumab from Genmab. A comprehensive clinical development program,
including multiple Phase III studies, is ongoing with daratumumab in relapsed and frontline multiple myeloma settings, and
additional studies are ongoing or planned to assess its potential in other malignant and pre-malignant diseases on which CD38 is
expressed, such as smoldering myeloma, NKT-cell lymphoma, amyloidosis, myelodysplastic syndromes and solid tumors.
Daratumumab has received two Breakthrough Therapy Designations from the U.S. FDA, for multiple myeloma, as both a monotherapy and
in combination with other therapies.
About Genmab
Genmab is a publicly traded, international biotechnology company specializing in the creation and
development of differentiated antibody therapeutics for the treatment of cancer. Founded in 1999, the company has two
approved antibodies, DARZALEX® (daratumumab) for the treatment of certain multiple myeloma indications, and
Arzerra® (ofatumumab) for the treatment of certain chronic lymphocytic leukemia indications. Daratumumab is in
clinical development for additional multiple myeloma indications, other blood cancers, and solid tumors. A subcutaneous
formulation of ofatumumab is in development for relapsing multiple sclerosis. Genmab also has a broad clinical and
pre-clinical product pipeline. Genmab's technology base consists of validated and proprietary next generation antibody
technologies - the DuoBody® platform for generation of bispecific antibodies, and the HexaBody® platform
which creates effector function enhanced antibodies. The company intends to leverage these technologies to create
opportunities for full or co-ownership of future products. Genmab has alliances with top tier pharmaceutical and biotechnology
companies. For more information visit
www.genmab.com.
Contact:
Rachel Curtis Gravesen, Senior Vice President, Investor Relations & Communications
T: +45 33 44 77 20; M: +45 25 12 62 60; E: rcg@genmab.com
This Company Announcement contains forward looking statements. The words “believe”, “expect”, “anticipate”,
“intend” and “plan” and similar expressions identify forward looking statements. Actual results or performance may differ
materially from any future results or performance expressed or implied by such statements. The important factors that could cause
our actual results or performance to differ materially include, among others, risks associated with pre-clinical and clinical
development of products, uncertainties related to the outcome and conduct of clinical trials including unforeseen safety issues,
uncertainties related to product manufacturing, the lack of market acceptance of our products, our inability to manage growth, the
competitive environment in relation to our business area and markets, our inability to attract and retain suitably qualified
personnel, the unenforceability or lack of protection of our patents and proprietary rights, our relationships with affiliated
entities, changes and developments in technology which may render our products obsolete, and other factors. For a further
discussion of these risks, please refer to the risk management sections in Genmab’s most recent financial reports, which are
available on www.genmab.com. Genmab does not undertake
any obligation to update or revise forward looking statements in this Company Announcement nor to confirm such statements in
relation to actual results, unless required by law.
Genmab A/S and its subsidiaries own the following trademarks: Genmab®; the Y-shaped Genmab
logo®; Genmab in combination with the Y-shaped Genmab logo™; the DuoBody logo®; the HexaBody logo™;
HuMax®; HuMax-CD20®; DuoBody®; HexaBody® and UniBody®. Arzerra®
is a trademark of Novartis AG or its affiliates. DARZALEX® is a trademark of Janssen Biotech,
Inc.
1 DARZALEX Prescribing information, June 2017.
Available at:
https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2016/761036s004lbl.pdf Last
accessed June 2017
2 De Weers, M et al. Daratumumab, a Novel Therapeutic
Human CD38 Monoclonal Antibody, Induces Killing of Multiple Myeloma and Other Hematological Tumors. The Journal of Immunology.
2011; 186: 1840-1848.
3 Overdijk, MB, et al. Antibody-mediated phagocytosis contributes to the
anti-tumor activity of the therapeutic antibody daratumumab in lymphoma and multiple myeloma. MAbs. 2015; 7: 311-21.
4 Krejcik, MD et al. Daratumumab Depletes CD38+ Immune-regulatory Cells,
Promotes T-cell Expansion, and Skews T-cell Repertoire in Multiple Myeloma. Blood. 2016; 128: 384-94.
5 Jansen, JH et al. Daratumumab, a human CD38 antibody induces apoptosis
of myeloma tumor cells via Fc receptor-mediated crosslinking. Blood. 2012; 120(21): abstract
2974.
Company Announcement no. 42
CVR no. 2102 3884
LEI Code 529900MTJPDPE4MHJ122
Genmab A/S
Kalvebod Brygge 43
1560 Copenhagen V
Denmark
Attachments:
http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/5dedd24c-1246-42e5-ab67-2573cb79e2ed
