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Clinical Data From Full Phase 1 Cohort of Investigational Sotorasib Published in New England Journal of Medicine

NSCLC Data Featured in Proffered Presentation Session at Virtual ESMO 2020

Manuscript Represents First Phase 1 Results Published for a KRASG12C Inhibitor

MISSISSAUGA, ON, Sept. 22, 2020 /CNW/ - Amgen has announced that updated data from the full Phase 1 cohort of the CodeBreaK 100 clinical study, evaluating sotorasib (proposed INN for AMG 510) in 129 patients across multiple advanced solid tumours, were published in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM). Data from 59 patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) reported in the NEJM manuscript were also featured during an oral presentation at ESMO 2020. Please note the safety and efficacy of sotorasib is still under investigation and market authorization has not been obtained.

"We are pleased to present the updated Phase 1 results of CodeBreaK 100, the largest Phase 1/2, and first-in-human, clinical study for a KRASG12C inhibitor," said Dr. Suna Avcil, executive medical director, Amgen Canada. "This data, combined with data presented earlier this year, offers important insight into the development of therapeutic options for non-small cell lung cancer, advanced colorectal cancer, and other solid tumours."

A total of 59 patients with NSCLC were treated, of which 34 received the 960 mg daily dose (data cutoff of June 1, 2020). The data demonstrated confirmed objective response rate (ORR) and disease control rates (DCR) in these heavily pretreated patients.

Activity was seen across all dose levels in patients with NSCLC. Tumour shrinkage was assessed in patients at the first week-6 assessment. 

Tolerability in patients with NSCLC was consistent with previously seen CodeBreaK 100 results. No dose-limiting toxicities were observed and there were no fatal treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs). The most common TRAEs were diarrhea (25.4%), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) increase (20.3%), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) increase (20.3%), fatigue (10.2%) and nausea (10.2%). Eleven (18.6%) patients had grade 3 or higher TRAEs, one of whom had grade 3 TRAEs of ALT and AST increases that led to discontinuation of treatment.

"KRAS G12C is a driver mutation that is central to the biology of non-small cell lung cancer, colorectal cancer and other solid tumours. Historically, this mutation has been considered un-druggable" said Dr. Adrian G. Sacher, M.D., M.M.Sc., F.R.C.P.C., Division of Medical Oncology & Hematology Princess Margaret Cancer Centre. "These findings provide important insight into therapies that may target KRAS G12C in metastatic non-small cell lung cancer."  

The ESMO oral presentation included Phase 1 NSCLC results published in NEJM, as well as data on potential biomarkers of response to sotorasib that demonstrated clinical activity across a range of KRAS G12C mutant allele frequencies (MAFs), PD-L1 tissues expression levels, tumour mutational burden (TMB) plasma levels and tissue co-mutational profiles.

About KRAS
The RAS gene family, which has been the subject of almost four decades of research, contains some of the most frequently mutated oncogenes in human cancers.[i],[ii] KRAS is the most prevalent variant within this gene family and is particularly common in solid tumours.  It also accounts for about 13 per cent of non-small cell lung cancers, three to five per cent of colorectal cancers and one to two per cent of numerous other solid tumours, making this among the most broadly represented mutations across cancer patient subgroups.[v],[vi],[vii],[viii],[ix]. With the discovery and exploitation of a unique surface groove in the KRASG12C protein, Amgen was able to advance the first investigational KRASG12C inhibitor into the clinic and is exploring the potential of KRASG12C inhibition across multiple tumour types.

About CodeBreaK
The CodeBreaK clinical trial program for Amgen's investigational drug sotorasib is designed to study patients with an advanced solid tumour with the KRAS G12C mutation.

CodeBreaK 100, the Phase 1 and 2, first-in-human, open-label multicenter study, enrolled patients with KRAS G12C-mutant solid tumours. Eligible patients must have received a prior line of systemic anticancer therapy, consistent with their tumour type and stage of disease. The primary endpoint for the Phase 1 study is safety, and key secondary endpoints include objective response rate (assessed every six weeks), duration of response and progression-free survival. Patients were enrolled in four dose cohorts: 180 mg, 360 mg, 720 mg and 960 mg, taken orally once a day. 

Additional information about CodeBreaK clinical trials can be found at http://www.codebreaktrials.com.

About Amgen Canada

As a leader in innovation, Amgen Canada understands the value of science. With main operations located in Mississauga, Ont.'s vibrant biomedical cluster, and its research facility in Burnaby, B.C., Amgen Canada has been an important contributor to advancements in science and innovation in Canada since 1991. The company contributes to the development of new therapies and new ways of using existing medicines in partnership with many of Canada's leading health-care, academic, research, government and patient organizations. To learn more about Amgen Canada, visit www.amgen.ca and follow us on www.twitter.com/amgencanadagm.

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains forward-looking statements that are based on the current expectations and beliefs of Amgen. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are statements that could be deemed forward-looking statements, including any statements on the outcome, benefits and synergies of collaborations, or potential collaborations, with any other company, including BeiGene Ltd. or any collaboration or potential collaboration in pursuit of therapeutic antibodies against COVID-19 (including statements regarding such collaboration's, or our own, ability to discover and develop fully-human neutralizing antibodies targeting SARS-CoV-2  or antibodies against targets other than the SARS-CoV-2 receptor binding domain, and/or to produce any such antibodies to potentially prevent or treat COVID-19), or the Otezla® (apremilast) acquisition (including anticipated Otezla sales growth and the timing of non-GAAP EPS accretion), as well as estimates of revenues, operating margins, capital expenditures, cash, other financial metrics, expected legal, arbitration, political, regulatory or clinical results or practices, customer and prescriber patterns or practices, reimbursement activities and outcomes, effects of pandemics or other widespread health problems such as the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic on our business, outcomes, progress, or effects relating to studies of Otezla as a potential treatment for COVID-19, and other such estimates and results. Forward-looking statements involve significant risks and uncertainties, including those discussed below and more fully described in the Securities and Exchange Commission reports filed by Amgen, including our most recent annual report on Form 10-K and any subsequent periodic reports on Form 10-Q and current reports on Form 8-K. Unless otherwise noted, Amgen is providing this information as of the date of this news release and does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this document as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed and actual results may differ materially from those we project. Discovery or identification of new product candidates or development of new indications for existing products cannot be guaranteed and movement from concept to product is uncertain; consequently, there can be no guarantee that any particular product candidate or development of a new indication for an existing product will be successful and become a commercial product. Further, preclinical results do not guarantee safe and effective performance of product candidates in humans. The complexity of the human body cannot be perfectly, or sometimes, even adequately modeled by computer or cell culture systems or animal models. The length of time that it takes for us to complete clinical trials and obtain regulatory approval for product marketing has in the past varied and we expect similar variability in the future. Even when clinical trials are successful, regulatory authorities may question the sufficiency for approval of the trial endpoints we have selected. We develop product candidates internally and through licensing collaborations, partnerships and joint ventures. Product candidates that are derived from relationships may be subject to disputes between the parties or may prove to be not as effective or as safe as we may have believed at the time of entering into such relationship. Also, we or others could identify safety, side effects or manufacturing problems with our products, including our devices, after they are on the market.

Our results may be affected by our ability to successfully market both new and existing products domestically and internationally, clinical and regulatory developments involving current and future products, sales growth of recently launched products, competition from other products including biosimilars, difficulties or delays in manufacturing our products and global economic conditions. In addition, sales of our products are affected by pricing pressure, political and public scrutiny and reimbursement policies imposed by third-party payers, including governments, private insurance plans and managed care providers and may be affected by regulatory, clinical and guideline developments and domestic and international trends toward managed care and healthcare cost containment. Furthermore, our research, testing, pricing, marketing and other operations are subject to extensive regulation by domestic and foreign government regulatory authorities. Our business may be impacted by government investigations, litigation and product liability claims. In addition, our business may be impacted by the adoption of new tax legislation or exposure to additional tax liabilities. If we fail to meet the compliance obligations in the corporate integrity agreement between us and the U.S. government, we could become subject to significant sanctions. Further, while we routinely obtain patents for our products and technology, the protection offered by our patents and patent applications may be challenged, invalidated or circumvented by our competitors, or we may fail to prevail in present and future intellectual property litigation. We perform a substantial amount of our commercial manufacturing activities at a few key facilities, including in Puerto Rico, and also depend on third parties for a portion of our manufacturing activities, and limits on supply may constrain sales of certain of our current products and product candidate development. An outbreak of disease or similar public health threat, such as COVID-19, and the public and governmental effort to mitigate against the spread of such disease, could have a significant adverse effect on the supply of materials for our manufacturing activities, the distribution of our products, the commercialization of our product candidates, and our clinical trial operations, and any such events may have a material adverse effect on our product development, product sales, business and results of operations. We rely on collaborations with third parties for the development of some of our product candidates and for the commercialization and sales of some of our commercial products. In addition, we compete with other companies with respect to many of our marketed products as well as for the discovery and development of new products. Further, some raw materials, medical devices and component parts for our products are supplied by sole third-party suppliers. Certain of our distributors, customers and payers have substantial purchasing leverage in their dealings with us. The discovery of significant problems with a product similar to one of our products that implicate an entire class of products could have a material adverse effect on sales of the affected products and on our business and results of operations. Our efforts to collaborate with or acquire other companies, products or technology, and to integrate the operations of companies or to support the products or technology we have acquired, may not be successful. A breakdown, cyberattack or information security breach could compromise the confidentiality, integrity and availability of our systems and our data. Our stock price is volatile and may be affected by a number of events. Our business performance could affect or limit the ability of our Board of Directors to declare a dividend or our ability to pay a dividend or repurchase our common stock. We may not be able to access the capital and credit markets on terms that are favorable to us, or at all.

The scientific information discussed in this news release related to our product candidates is preliminary and investigative. Such product candidates are not approved by Health Canada, and no conclusions can or should be drawn regarding the safety or effectiveness of the product candidates.

References

[i]

Cox AD, et al. Nat Rev Drug Discov. 2014;13:828-851.

[ii]

Fernandez-Medarde A, et al. Genes Cancer. 2011;2:344-358.

[iii]

Biernacka A, et al. Cancer Genet. 2016;209:195-198.

[iv]

Stephen AG, et al. Cancer Cell. 2014;25:272-281.

[v]

Neumann J, et al. Pathol Res Pract. 2009;205:858-862.

[vi]

Jones RP, et al. Br J Cancer. 2017;116:923-929.

[vii]

Wiesweg M, et al. Oncogene. 2019;38:2953-2966.

[viii]

Canon J, et al. Nature. 2019;575:217-223.

[ix]

Zhou L, et al. Med Oncol. 2016;33:32.

[x]

Ryan MB, et al. Nat Rev Clin Oncol. 2018;15:709-720.

 

SOURCE Amgen Canada

- 22 Sep 2020
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