Seattle Genetics Announces Data from Investigator Trial of ADCETRIS™ in Relapsed Cutaneous T-Cell Lymphoma

BOTHELL, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Seattle Genetics, Inc. (Nasdaq: SGEN - News) today announced that interim results from an investigator-sponsored phase II clinical trial of ADCETRIS (brentuximab vedotin) in patients with relapsed cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) were presented at the Society for Investigative Dermatology annual meeting being held May 9-12, 2012 in Raleigh, NC. ADCETRIS is an antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) directed to CD30. ADCETRIS has not been approved for use in CTCL.

The trial enrolled CTCL patients with mycosis fungoides (MF) or Sezary syndrome. At the time of data analysis, 17 patients had been enrolled, including 16 with MF and one with Sezary syndrome. Patients had received a median of six prior therapies, including a median of four prior systemic therapies. The primary endpoint of the trial is clinical response rate. Secondary endpoints include correlation of clinical response with CD30 expression levels, duration of response, progression-free survival and safety. The study is led by principal investigator Dr. Youn H. Kim, Professor, Department of Dermatology, and Director, Multidisciplinary Cutaneous Lymphoma Program at Stanford University School of Medicine in Stanford, CA. Key findings include:

This is the second data set reported with ADCETRIS in CTCL patients. At the T-Cell Lymphoma Forum in January 2012, interim data were presented from a phase II investigator-sponsored trial in CD30-positive CTCL patients, including lymphomatoid papulosis, primary cutaneous anaplastic large cell lymphoma (pcALCL) or MF. In the trial, which is being conducted by Dr. Madeleine Duvic at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 11 of 17 evaluable patients (65 percent) achieved an objective response, including seven complete remissions (CRs) and four partial remissions (PRs). The most common adverse events were Grade 1, including diarrhea, chest tightness, alopecia, nausea, elevated liver enzymes and peripheral neuropathy.

Seattle Genetics and Millennium: The Takeda Oncology Company recently initiated a randomized phase III clinical trial of ADCETRIS for relapsed CD30-positive CTCL patients. The trial will assess ADCETRIS versus investigators choice of methotrexate or bexarotene in patients with CD30-positive CTCL, including those with pcALCL or MF. The primary endpoint of the study is overall response rate lasting at least 4 months. Approximately 124 patients will be enrolled in the pivotal trial. The phase III trial is being conducted under a Special Protocol Assessment agreement from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The study also received European Medicines Agency scientific advice.

About CTCL

Lymphoma is a general term for a group of cancers that originate in the lymphatic system. There are two major categories of lymphoma: Hodgkin lymphoma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Cutaneous lymphomas are a category of non-Hodgkin lymphomas that primarily involve the skin. According to the Cutaneous Lymphoma Foundation, CTCL is the most common type of cutaneous lymphoma and typically presents with red, scaly patches or thickened plaques of skin that often mimic eczema or chronic dermatitis. Progression from limited skin involvement is variable and may be accompanied by tumor formation, ulceration and exfoliation, complicated by itching and infections. Advanced stages are defined by involvement of lymph nodes, peripheral blood and internal organs. According to published literature, up to 50 percent of CTCL patients lesions express CD30.

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 (brentuximab vedotin) received accelerated approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for two indications: (1) the treatment of patients with Hodgkin lymphoma after failure of autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT) or after failure of at least two prior multi-agent chemotherapy regimens in patients who are not ASCT candidates, and (2) the treatment of patients with systemic anaplastic large cell lymphoma (sALCL) after failure of at least one prior multi-agent chemotherapy regimen. The indications for ADCETRIS are based on response rate. There are no data available demonstrating improvement in patient-reported outcomes or survival with ADCETRIS.

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Seattle Genetics Announces Data from Investigator Trial of ADCETRIS™ in Relapsed Cutaneous T-Cell Lymphoma