FDA approves supplemental application for Vectibix (panitumumab) in wild-type RAS metastatic colorectal cancer- Amgen

The FDA has approved the supplemental Biologics License Application (sBLA) for Vectibix (panitumumab), from Amgen, for patients with wild-type RAS (defined as wild-type in both KRAS and NRAS as determined by an FDA-approved test for this use) metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) as first-line therapy in combination with FOLFOX and as monotherapy following disease progression after prior treatment with fluoropyrimidine, oxaliplatin, and irinotecan-containing chemotherapy.

As part of this new indication, the FDA approved the first multigene, next-generation sequencing-based test to identify the RAS mutation status of a patient's tumor. Next-generation sequencing is a novel diagnostics test technique that makes a more personalized medicine approach possible. This companion diagnostic helps physicians identify patients that are more likely to benefit from treatment with Vectibix.

Comment: The full approval for Vectibix as a treatment for patients with wild-type KRAS mCRC was based on results from the Phase III PRIME and ASPECCT trials. The approval of a refined indication for the treatment of patients with wild-type RAS mCRC was based on a retrospective analysis from the PRIME study and prospective, pre-defined analyses from the Phase III '0007 study. The '0007 study evaluated the efficacy of Vectibix plus best supportive care (BSC) versus BSC alone in patients with chemorefractory, wild-type KRAS mCRC. Data from a key secondary endpoint showed that patients with wild-type RAS (exons 2, 3, and 4 of KRAS and NRAS) mCRC treated with Vectibix plus BSC resulted in a statistically significant improvement in overall survival (OS) of 10 months compared to 6.9 months for patients treated with BSC alone (HR=0.70; 95 percent CI: 0.53, 0.93, p=0.0135). The safety profile of Vectibix in patients with wild-type RAS mCRC is consistent with that seen previously in patients with wild-type KRAS mCRC.