Yescarta® Now Approved in Japan for Initial Treatment of Relapsed/Refractory Large B-Cell Lymphoma

Based on Landmark ZUMA-7 Study, Patients with LBCL Treated with Yescarta in Second-Line Achieved Four-Fold Greater Improvement in Event-Free Survival of 8.3 Months vs. Two Months for Standard of Care (SOC)

In ZUMA-7, Patients Treated with Yescarta Were 2.5 Times More Likely than SOC to be Alive at Two Years Without Disease Progression or Need for Additional Treatments

Kite Pharma, Inc., a Gilead Company, (hereafter, Kite) (NASDAQ: GILD) and Daiichi Sankyo Co., Ltd. (hereafter, Daiichi Sankyo) (TSE: 4568) today jointly announced that the Japan Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) has approved Yescarta (axicabtagene ciloleucel), a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy, for the initial treatment of patients with relapsed/refractory large B-cell lymphoma ( R/R LBCL): diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, primary mediastinal large B-cell lymphoma, transformed follicular lymphoma, and high-grade B-cell lymphoma. Yescarta should be used only in patients who have not received prior transfusion of CAR T-cells targeted at CD19 antigen.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221222005384/en/

The Standard of Care (SOC) to treat LBCL patients has historically been a multi-step process that starts with chemoimmunotherapy, followed by high-dose chemotherapy (HDT) and then ends with a stem cell transplant (ASCT). Although approximately 60% of newly diagnosed LBCL patients will respond to the initial treatment with chemotherapy, 40% will relapse or will not respond and need second-line treatment. Yescarta is now approved for the initial treatment of R/R LBCL patients in Japan.

"We are very proud of this additional Yescarta approval in Japan," said Christi Shaw, CEO of Kite. "As Japan has the second-largest number of people diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma globally, this approval marks an important step in bringing this innovative therapy earlier to more patients."

"We are glad to have achieved this important milestone in order to provide an innovative treatment option to more patients with large B-cell lymphoma in Japan," said Wataru Takasaki, PhD, Executive Officer, Head of R&D Division in Japan, Daiichi Sankyo. "It also further demonstrates the expertise of our Daiichi Sankyo R&D organization as we had successfully expanded the indication for this CAR-T modality."

The approval of Yescarta for the initial treatment of R/R LBCL patients in Japan is based on clinical data, including the results of the global pivotal trial conducted by Kite (ZUMA-7). ZUMA-7 is the largest and longest trial of a CAR T-cell therapy versus SOC in this patient population. Results from the study demonstrated that at a median follow-up of two years, Yescarta-treated patients had a four-fold greater improvement in the primary endpoint of event-free survival (EFS; hazard ratio 0.40; 95% CI: 0.31-0.51, P

This indication was first approved by the U.S. FDA in April 2022 followed by the European Commission in October 2022 .

On December 7, 2022, Daiichi Sankyo and Kite jointly announced that the Marketing Authorization for Yescarta will be transferred to Gilead Sciences K.K., the Japan subsidiary of Gilead Sciences, Inc., in 2023. The Kite Cell Therapy Business Unit at Gilead Sciences K.K. will manage the sales and promotion activities of the product in Japan after the Marketing Authorization transfer.

Kite's manufacturing facility in El Segundo, California, U.S., has been approved by Japanese regulatory authorities to commence manufacturing Yescarta for the Japan market in 2023.

About Zuma-7

ZUMA-7 is an ongoing, randomized, open-label, global, multicenter (US, Australia, Canada, Europe, Israel) Phase 3 study of 359 patients at 77 centers, evaluating the safety and efficacy of a single-infusion of Yescarta versus current SOC for second-line therapy (platinum-based salvage combination chemotherapy regimen followed by high-dose chemotherapy and autologous stem cell transplant in those who respond to salvage chemotherapy) in adult patients with relapsed or refractory LBCL within 12 months of first-line therapy. The primary endpoint is event free survival (EFS). Key secondary endpoints include objective response rate (ORR) and overall survival (OS). Additional secondary endpoints include patient reported outcomes and safety.

About YESCARTA ®

Yescarta (axicabtagene ciloleucel) is a CAR T-cell therapy directed against CD19 (a cell membrane protein), which harnesses a patient's own immune system to fight cancer. Axicabtagene ciloleucel is made by removing a patient's T cells from their blood and engineering them in the lab to express chimeric antigen receptors so that they can recognize and destroy cancer cells when they are infused back to the patient's body. The CAR T-cell therapy is manufactured specifically for each patient and administered only once. Axicabtagene ciloleucel received Orphan Drug Designation from the Japan MHLW in 2018 for the treatment of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, primary mediastinal B-cell lymphoma, transformed follicular lymphoma and high-grade B-cell lymphoma. Yescarta was approved in Japan for the treatment of patients with relapsed or refractory large B-cell lymphomas, a type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, in January 2021.

Please see full U.S. Prescribing Information , including BOXED WARNING and Medication Guide.

Yescarta ® is a CD19-directed genetically modified autologous T cell immunotherapy indicated for the treatment of:

  • Adult patients with large B-cell lymphoma that is refractory to first-line chemoimmunotherapy or that relapses within 12 months of first-line chemoimmunotherapy. (1.1)
  • Adult patients with relapsed or refractory large B-cell lymphoma after two or more lines of systemic therapy, including diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) not otherwise specified, primary mediastinal large B-cell lymphoma, high grade B-cell lymphoma, and DLBCL arising from follicular lymphoma.

Limitations of Use : Yescarta is not indicated for the treatment of patients with primary central nervous system lymphoma. (1.1)

  • Adult patients with relapsed or refractory follicular lymphoma (FL) after two or more lines of systemic therapy. This indication is approved under accelerated approval based on response rate. Continued approval for this indication may be contingent upon verification and description of clinical benefit in confirmatory trial(s). (1.2)

For the full European Prescribing Information, please visit: : https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/medicines/human/EPAR/yescarta .

About Daiichi Sankyo

Daiichi Sankyo is dedicated to creating new modalities and innovative medicines by leveraging our world-class science and technology for our purpose "to contribute to the enrichment of quality of life around the world." In addition to our current portfolio of medicines for cancer and cardiovascular disease, Daiichi Sankyo is primarily focused on developing novel therapies for people with cancer as well as other diseases with high unmet medical needs. With more than 100 years of scientific expertise and a presence in more than 20 countries, Daiichi Sankyo and its 16,000 employees around the world draw upon a rich legacy of innovation to realize our 2030 Vision to become an "Innovative Global Healthcare Company Contributing to the Sustainable Development of Society." For more information, please visit: www.daiichisankyo.com .

About Kite

Kite, a Gilead Company, is a global biopharmaceutical company based in Santa Monica, California, focused on cell therapy to treat and potentially cure cancer. As the global cell therapy leader, Kite has treated more patients with CAR T-cell therapy than any other company. Kite has the largest in-house cell therapy manufacturing network in the world, spanning process development, vector manufacturing, clinical trial production and commercial product manufacturing. For more information on Kite, please visit www.kitepharma.com .

About Gilead Sciences

Gilead Sciences, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company that has pursued and achieved breakthroughs in medicine for more than three decades, with the goal of creating a healthier world for all people. The company is committed to advancing innovative medicines to prevent and treat life-threatening diseases, including HIV, viral hepatitis and cancer. Gilead operates in more than 35 countries worldwide, with headquarters in Foster City, California. Gilead Sciences acquired Kite in 2017.

Gilead Forward-Looking Statements

This press release includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 that are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors, including the ability of the companies to consummate the transactions contemplated under and as a result of the revised arrangement in a timely manner or at all, including the transfer of the Marketing Authorization for Yescarta in Japan to Gilead Sciences K.K. and the manufacture and supply of Yescarta in Japan; the risk that Gilead and Kite may not realize the anticipated benefits of the revised arrangement with Daiichi Sankyo; difficulties or unanticipated expenses in connection with implementing the revised arrangement; the potential effect on Gilead and Kite's earnings; and any assumptions underlying any of the foregoing. These and other risks, uncertainties and other factors are described in detail in Gilead's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2022, as filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. These risks, uncertainties and other factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those referred to in the forward-looking statements. All statements other than statements of historical fact are statements that could be deemed forward-looking statements. The reader is cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties, and is cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements are based on information currently available to Gilead and Kite, and Gilead and Kite assume no obligation and disclaim any intent to update any such forward-looking statements.

U.S. Prescribing Information for Yescarta including BOXED WARNING , is available at www.kitepharma.com and www.gilead.com .

Kite, the Kite logo, Yescarta, and GILEAD are trademarks of Gilead Sciences, Inc. or its related companies.

Jacquie Ross, Investors
investor_relations@gilead.com

Anna Padula, Kite Media
apadula@kitepharma.com

Koji Ogiwara
Daiichi Sankyo Co., Ltd.
ogiwara.koji.ay@daiichisankyo.co.jp

News Provided by Business Wire via QuoteMedia

GILD
The Conversation (0)
CHMP Adopts Positive Opinion Recommending Hepcludex®  for Full Marketing Authorization for the Treatment of Hepatitis Delta Virus

CHMP Adopts Positive Opinion Recommending Hepcludex® for Full Marketing Authorization for the Treatment of Hepatitis Delta Virus

-- If Granted by the European Commission, Hepcludex will Become the Only Approved Treatment for HDV in the EU --

Gilead Sciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: GILD) today announced that the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) has adopted a positive opinion for Hepcludex ® (bulevirtide) for the treatment of adults with chronic HDV and compensated liver disease, and recommended granting full Marketing Authorisation (MA) that is no longer subject to specific obligations. Bulevirtide was initially granted conditional marketing authorisation in July 2020 to provide people living with HDV urgent access to treatment. The CHMP recommendation for full Marketing Authorisation of bulevirtide follows the submission of the Phase 3 MYR301 Week 48 study data, which reinforces the efficacy and safety profile of bulevirtide for the treatment of HDV.

News Provided by Business Wire via QuoteMedia

Keep reading...Show less
Gilead Remains Steadfast in Support for Hepatitis C Elimination Efforts

Gilead Remains Steadfast in Support for Hepatitis C Elimination Efforts

The recent national conversation on hepatitis C (HCV) is an encouraging step towards viral hepatitis elimination in the U.S. With its long history of leadership in viral hepatitis, Gilead continues to support efforts that focus on HCV elimination. Gilead is proud that its medicines have treated over four million individuals living with HCV globally. Today, some 2.4 million people are living with HCV in the U.S., even though ~95% of those treated with direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) are cured. Prices of HCV medicines have dropped significantly, and many acknowledge that price is not a barrier for most payers and patients. Curative HCV drug therapies are just one part of an elimination strategy that needs to dedicate considerable resources and attention to screening and linkage to care so that all patients in need of HCV treatment can access it in a timely manner and achieve a cure

News Provided by ACCESSWIRE via QuoteMedia

Keep reading...Show less
Gilead Sciences Announces First Quarter 2023 Financial Results

Gilead Sciences Announces First Quarter 2023 Financial Results

Product Sales Excluding Veklury Increased 15% Year-Over-Year to $5.7 billion

Biktarvy Sales Increased 24% Year-Over-Year to $2.7 billion

News Provided by Business Wire via QuoteMedia

Keep reading...Show less
Gilead Sciences Releases Inaugural ESG Impact Report

Gilead Sciences Releases Inaugural ESG Impact Report

Gilead Sciences recently released its inaugural Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Impact Report. This is an evolution of our traditional Year in Review, and uses the ESG framework to highlight the successes and achievements of the prior year

Though the report itself is new, our commitment to practicing ESG is not: We've been guided by Environmental, Social and Governance principles for more than 35 years.

News Provided by ACCESSWIRE via QuoteMedia

Keep reading...Show less
abigail echo-hawk

CORRECTION: Contakt World Becomes Data Partner for Health Equity Tracker Project to Improve the Collection of De-Identified Racial & Ethnic Minority Data Using Smart Health RM, Engagency, and Future Services

Enables Contakt World mission to improve health equity and reduce disparities in the fight against Covid-19 and all diseases via award-winning SaaS platform

This document corrects and updates the final paragraph in the body of this news release. No other changes were required in this release.

News Provided by Newsfile via QuoteMedia

Keep reading...Show less
Genes and chromosomes with "2024" overlay.

Biotech Market Update: Q1 2024 in Review

The first quarter of 2024 witnessed a surge in initial public offerings (IPOs) and mergers and acquisitions (M&A) within the biotech industry, signaling continued interest from investors.

AstraZeneca’s acquisition of start-up Amolyt on March 14, and its longtime biotech partner Fusion Pharmaceuticals for US$2.4 billion on March 19 marked the third acquisition of a radiopharmaceutical developer in recent months. As of writing, there have been 14 M&A deals struck in 2024, according to data from Biopharma Dive.

Investment bank Jefferies released data in early March revealing that the sector was on track to earn its highest quarterly total in three years, reflecting the cautiously optimistic outlook at this year's JPM24 conference.

Keep reading...Show less

AMGEN TO PRESENT TEZSPIRE® PHASE 2A COPD DATA AT ATS 2024

Planning Underway for Phase 3 Development of Tezepelumab in COPD

Amgen (NASDAQ:AMGN) today provided an update regarding the results of the Phase 2a COURSE trial for TEZSPIRE ® (tezepelumab-ekko) in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which were accepted for presentation in the Clinical Trials Symposium at The American Thoracic Society (ATS) 2024 International Conference on Monday, May 20 from 9:15-11:15 a.m. PDT .

News Provided by PR Newswire via QuoteMedia

Keep reading...Show less
Close up 3D rendering of DNA strands.

Biotech Stocks: 5 Biggest Companies in 2024

What are the top biotech companies? The following five stocks have market capitalizations worth billions of dollars and operate in countries all around the globe.

Plus, these big-name biotech players have pipelines stuffed with potentially disruptive products — and enough revenue to recover should some of those products fail.

This means that investors can experience the excitement of biotech investing while minimizing risk. Although returns are never guaranteed, company size can insulate investors from volatility.

Keep reading...Show less
SIRONA BIOCHEM Corporate Update April 2024

SIRONA BIOCHEM Corporate Update April 2024

Sirona Biochem Corp . (TSX-V: SBM) (FSE: ZSB) (OTC: SRBCF) (" Sirona " or the " Company ") provides the following update:

Dear shareholders,

News Provided by GlobeNewswire via QuoteMedia

Keep reading...Show less
Sirona Biochem Announces Close of Private Placement

Sirona Biochem Announces Close of Private Placement

Vancouver, British Columbia – April 4, 2024 Sirona Biochem Corp . (TSX-V: SBM) (Frankfurt: ZSB) (" Sirona ") has closed its private placement (Private Placement") for gross proceeds of $132,500 CAD. The Private Placement consists of 1,325,000 units, (the "Units") at a price of $0.10 per Unit. Each Unit consists of one common share and one transferable share purchase warrant, each whole warrant exercisable into one additional common share of the Company for a period of 2 years from the date of issue at a price of $0.15 per Share in year one and $0.25 per Share in year two. All securities issued under the Private Placement are subject to statutory hold periods expiring on August 4, 2024.

News Provided by GlobeNewswire via QuoteMedia

Keep reading...Show less
Need injecting into red and white cell.

How to Invest in Biotechnology (Updated 2024)

Investors interested in the life science sector are well aware of the importance of biotechnology.

From finding cures for diseases to feeding future generations, many areas of day-to-day life are influenced by players in the biotechnology space, and expert projections show the industry's future looks bright.

But how can investors gain exposure to biotechnology? Here’s a brief overview of how to invest in the expanding biotechnology market, from stocks to watch to exchange-traded funds (ETFs).

Keep reading...Show less

Latest Press Releases

Related News

×