Roche announced the completion of a supplemental Biologics License Application (sBLA) submission to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for Tecentriq (atezolizumab) in combination with Avastin (bevacizumab), for the treatment of people with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) who have not received prior systemic therapy. The FDA is reviewing the application under the Real-Time Oncology Review pilot program, which aims to explore a more efficient review process to ensure safe and effective treatments are available to patients as early as possible. In July 2018, the FDA granted Breakthrough Therapy Designation for Tecentriq in combination with Avastin in HCC based on data from an ongoing Phase Ib trial.
“Liver cancer is the most rapidly increasing cause of cancer-related death in the United States. In the IMbrave150 study, Tecentriq in combination with Avastin became the first treatment in more than a decade to improve overall survival compared with the current standard of care,” said Levi Garraway, M.D., Ph.D., Roche’s Chief Medical Officer and Head of Global Product Development. “We are pleased that these results are being reviewed under the FDA Real-Time Oncology Review pilot program, and we are working closely with the agency to bring this potential new treatment option to people with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma as quickly as possible.”
This application is based on the results of the Phase III IMbrave150 study, which demonstrated that Tecentriq in combination with Avastin reduced the risk of death (overall survival; OS) by 42 percent (hazard ratio [HR]=0.58; 95 percent CI: 0.42-0.79; p=0.0006) and reduced the risk of disease worsening or death (progression-free survival; PFS) by 41 percent (HR=0.59; 95 percent CI: 0.47–0.76; p<0.0001), compared with sorafenib. Safety for Tecentriq and Avastin was consistent with the known safety profiles of the individual medicines. The results were presented at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Asia Congress in November 2019.
Roche has an extensive development program for Tecentriq, including multiple ongoing and planned Phase III studies, across several types of lung, genitourinary, skin, breast, gastrointestinal, gynecological and head and neck cancers. This includes studies evaluating Tecentriq both alone and in combination with other medicines.
