Enfortumab vedotin to be reviewed by Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare for patients with locally advanced or metastatic urothelial cancer that has progressed after anti-cancer medication

TOKYO, March 11, 2021 - Astellas Pharma Inc. (TSE: 4503, President and CEO: Kenji Yasukawa, Ph.D., "Astellas") today announced the submission of a New Drug Application (NDA) to Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) for enfortumab vedotin for the treatment of patients with locally advanced or metastatic urothelial cancer that has progressed after anti-cancer medication. If approved, enfortumab vedotin would be the first antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) available in Japan for people living with this form of urothelial cancer. 

The submission is based on two global clinical trials with sites in Japan. The Phase 3 EV-301 trial evaluated enfortumab vedotin versus chemotherapy in adult patients with locally advanced or metastatic urothelial cancer who were previously treated with platinum-based chemotherapy and a PD-1/L1 inhibitor. The Phase 2 EV-201 trial evaluated enfortumab vedotin in patients with locally advanced or metastatic urothelial cancer who have been previously treated with a PD-1/L1 inhibitor, including those who have also been treated with a platinum-containing chemotherapy (cohort 1) and those who have not received a platinum-containing chemotherapy and who are ineligible for cisplatin (cohort 2). 1,2 

Enfortumab vedotin met the primary endpoints of overall survival (EV-301) and confirmed objective response rate per blinded independent central review (EV-201). 3,4,5

“More than 24,000 people in Japan are diagnosed with urothelial cancer each year. For those whose cancer progresses despite treatment with chemotherapy and immunotherapy, there is no standard treatment option currently,” said Andrew Krivoshik, M.D., Ph.D., Senior Vice President and Oncology Therapeutic Area Head, Astellas. “Based on data from two global clinical trials, and following the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare’s review, enfortumab vedotin may offer a new option for these patients.”

 

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