Recommended as Treatment for Relapsed or Refractory Hodgkin Lymphoma and Systemic ALCL
Seattle Genetics, Inc. (Nasdaq:SGEN) today announced that its collaborator, Millennium: The Takeda Oncology Company, a wholly owned subsidiary of Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited, has received a positive recommendation from the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) for the conditional marketing authorization of ADCETRIS (brentuximab vedotin) for two indications: (1) the treatment of adult patients with relapsed or refractory CD30-positive Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) following autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT) or following at least two prior therapies when ASCT or multi-agent chemotherapy is not a treatment option, and (2) for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed or refractory systemic anaplastic large cell lymphoma (sALCL). ADCETRIS is an antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) directed to CD30.
"The positive opinion from CHMP and broad label recommendation is a key step in the European regulatory process for ADCETRIS and brings us closer to our goal of making this important new therapy globally available to patients with relapsed Hodgkin lymphoma or systemic ALCL," said Clay B. Siegall, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of Seattle Genetics. "If approved in the European Union, ADCETRIS will represent the first new therapeutic advance for relapsed Hodgkin lymphoma patients in several decades and further validates the potential of ADCs in the treatment of cancer."
The European Commission, which has the authority to approve medicines for use in the European Union, generally follows the recommendations of the CHMP and typically renders a final decision within three months of the CHMP opinion. If the CHMP recommendation is formally adopted by the European Commission, ADCETRIS would be approved for marketing in all 27 member states of the European Union.
European Commission approval will trigger two milestone payments, one for each indication, totaling $25 million to Seattle Genetics under the collaboration agreement between Seattle Genetics and Millennium: The Takeda Oncology Company. Seattle Genetics is also entitled to tiered double-digit royalties with percentages starting in the mid-teens and escalating to the mid-twenties based on net sales of ADCETRIS within Millennium's territories, subject to offsets for royalties paid by Millennium to third parties.
About ADCETRIS
ADCETRIS (brentuximab vedotin) is an ADC comprising an anti-CD30 monoclonal antibody attached by a protease-cleavable linker to a microtubule disrupting agent, monomethyl auristatin E (MMAE), utilizing Seattle Genetics' proprietary technology. The ADC employs a linker system that is designed to be stable in the bloodstream but to release MMAE upon internalization into CD30-expressing tumor cells.
ADCETRIS received accelerated approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in August 2011 for relapsed HL and sALCL.
Seattle Genetics and Millennium are jointly developing ADCETRIS. Under the terms of the collaboration agreement, Seattle Genetics has U.S. and Canadian commercialization rights and the Takeda Group has rights to commercialize ADCETRIS in the rest of the world. Seattle Genetics and the Takeda Group are funding joint development costs for ADCETRIS on a 50:50 basis, except in Japan where the Takeda Group will be solely responsible for development costs.
About Seattle Genetics
Seattle Genetics is a biotechnology company focused on the development and commercialization of monoclonal antibody-based therapies for the treatment of cancer. The FDA granted accelerated approval of ADCETRIS in August 2011 for two indications. ADCETRIS is being developed in collaboration with Millennium: The Takeda Oncology Company. In addition, Seattle Genetics has three other clinical-stage ADC programs: SGN-75, ASG-5ME and ASG-22ME. Seattle Genetics has collaborations for its ADC technology with a number of leading biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies, including Abbott, Bayer, Celldex Therapeutics, Daiichi Sankyo, Genentech, GlaxoSmithKline, Millennium, Pfizer and Progenics, as well as ADC co-development agreements with Agensys, an affiliate of Astellas, and Genmab. More information can be found at www.seattlegenetics.com.
Certain of the statements made in this press release are forward looking, such as those, among others, relating to the potential for approval in the European Union and the milestone payment triggered upon approval by the European Commission. Actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected or implied in these forward-looking statements. Factors that may cause such a difference include risks that data from the pivotal clinical trials will not support marketing approval for the submitted indications by the European Commission despite the positive opinion of CHMP. More information about the risks and uncertainties faced by Seattle Genetics is contained in the company's 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2012 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Seattle Genetics disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
Contacts:
Seattle Genetics, Inc.
Peggy Pinkston, 425-527-4160
ppinkston@seagen.com
