Application based on Phase 3 SHINE study results, which investigated the safety and efficacy of all-oral ibrutinib in combination with bendamustine and rituximab in adult patients with previously untreated mantle cell lymphoma[1]
The Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson today announced the submission of a Type II variation application to the European Medicines Agency (EMA) seeking approval of a new indication for IMBRUVICA® (ibrutinib) in combination with bendamustine and rituximab (BR) for the treatment of adult patients with previously untreated mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) who are unsuitable for autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT).
Ibrutinib is a once-daily Bruton’s tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitor that is currently approved for patients with MCL who have received at least one prior line of therapy.[1] MCL is a rare and aggressive type of blood cancer involving the B-lymphocytes, a type of white blood cell. It is currently incurable, with many patients relapsing and requiring multiple lines of subsequent therapy.[2],[3] An unmet need remains for targeted, first-line treatment approaches that can provide disease control over longer periods of time, especially for patients unsuitable for high dose therapy and ASCT.[4],[5]
“Mantle cell lymphoma can be a difficult blood cancer to treat, and despite progress in this area over the last few years, an unmet need remains for new treatment approaches,” said Edmond Chan MBChB M.D. (Res), EMEA Therapeutic Area Lead Haematology, Janssen-Cilag Limited. “This submission to the EMA is a testament to our commitment to deepening the impact ibrutinib can have for patients and represents an important step towards providing patients and healthcare professionals with the addition of targeted therapy to standard therapy.”
The submission to the EMA is supported by the Phase 3 SHINE study (NCT01776840), which met its primary endpoint of progression-free survival (PFS). The study investigated the efficacy and safety of first-line ibrutinib given in combination with BR in patients 65 years of age or older with previously untreated MCL.[1] Results will be presented at an upcoming medical meeting.
“As the first approved BTK inhibitor, ibrutinib has now been used to treat more than 250,000 patients globally. It is also the first BTK inhibitor to be studied as a frontline treatment option for patients with mantle cell lymphoma,” said Craig Tendler, M.D., Global Head of Late Development, Diagnostics & Medical Affairs, Hematology & Oncology, Janssen Research & Development, LLC. “We are committed to the continued development of ibrutinib in B-cell malignancies where unmet needs remain in our efforts to make meaningful differences and change outcomes for patients.”
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About Ibrutinib
Ibrutinib is a once-daily oral medication that is jointly developed and commercialised by Janssen Biotech, Inc. and Pharmacyclics LLC, an AbbVie company.[2] Ibrutinib blocks the Bruton’s tyrosine kinase (BTK) protein, which is needed by normal and abnormal B-cells, including specific cancer cells, to multiply and spread.[6] By blocking BTK, ibrutinib may help move abnormal B-cells out of their nourishing environments and inhibits their proliferation.[7]
Ibrutinib is approved in more than 100 countries and has been used to treat more than 250,000 patients worldwide.[8] There are more than 50 company-sponsored clinical trials, including 18 Phase 3 studies, over 11 years evaluating the efficacy and safety of ibrutinib.[2],[9] In October 2021, ibrutinib was added to WHO’s Model Lists of Essential Medicines (EML), which refer to those medicines considered to be the most effective and safe to meet the most important needs in a health system.[10]
Ibrutinib was first approved by the European Commission (EC) in 2014, and approved indications to date include:[2]
- Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL): As a single agent or in combination with rituximab or obinutuzumab for the treatment of adult patients with previously untreated CLL, and as a single agent or in combination with bendamustine and rituximab (BR) for the treatment of adult patients with CLL who have received at least one prior therapy.
- Mantle cell lymphoma (MCL): As a single agent for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed or refractory MCL.
- Waldenström’s macroglobulinemia (WM): As a single agent for the treatment of adult patients who have received at least one prior therapy or in first-line treatment for patients unsuitable for chemo-immunotherapy, and in combination with rituximab for the treatment of adult patients.
For a full list of side effects and information on dosage and administration, contraindications and other precautions when using ibrutinib please refer to the Summary of Product Characteristics for further information.
About Mantle Cell Lymphoma
Mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) is an aggressive and incurable blood cancer of the white blood cells.[11] It is considered a rare disease, characterised by high unmet need and a small patient population, impacting approximately 0.5 in 100,000 people in the European Union (EU).[12] MCL is more prevalent in men than women and accounts for 7 to 9 percent of all non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas (NHLs) in Europe.[13] It is predominantly a disease of the elderly, with a median age of 65 years at diagnosis.[12]
While patient outcomes have improved in the last few decades,[4] the disease remains difficult to treat and is still characterised by consecutive episodes of disease progression and the need for therapy.[14] Patients are often prescribed multiple lines of therapy as they relapse or become resistant to treatments.[3],[4]
About the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson
At Janssen, we’re creating a future where disease is a thing of the past. We’re the Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson, working tirelessly to make that future a reality for patients everywhere by fighting sickness with science, improving access with ingenuity, and healing hopelessness with heart. We focus on areas of medicine where we can make the biggest difference: Cardiovascular & Metabolism, Immunology, Infectious Diseases & Vaccines, Neuroscience, Oncology, and Pulmonary Hypertension.
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