Press Release
Press Release
Exelixis Initiates Phase 3 Clinical Trial of Cabozantinib in Patients With Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma
-- Five pivotal trials of cabozantinib now ongoing --
“Patients with advanced HCC who have progressed on sorafenib have few
therapeutic options, and new approaches to managing their disease are
much needed,” said Ghassan K. Abou-Alfa, M.D., Associate Attending at
CELESTIAL is a randomized, double blind, placebo controlled study of cabozantinib in patients with advanced HCC that is being conducted at up to 200 sites globally in up to 30 countries. The trial is expected to enroll 760 patients with advanced HCC who have received prior sorafenib. Patients will be randomized 2:1 to receive 60 mg of cabozantinib daily or placebo.
The primary endpoint for the trial is OS, and the secondary endpoints include objective response rate (ORR) and progression-free survival (PFS). Exploratory endpoints include patient-reported outcomes, biomarkers, and safety.
Based on available clinical trial data, the primary endpoint assumes a median OS of 8.2 months for the placebo arm. A total of 621 events provide the study with 90% power to detect a 32% increase in OS (HR = 0.76). Interim analyses are planned once 50% and 75% of events have been observed, respectively.
“The initiation of the CELESTIAL trial is an important milestone as we
work to expand the cabozantinib franchise into additional indications
with substantial unmet medical needs,” said
About Cabozantinib
Cabozantinib inhibits the activity of tyrosine kinases including RET,
MET and VEGFR2. These receptor tyrosine kinases are involved in both
normal cellular function and in pathologic processes such as
oncogenesis, metastasis, tumor angiogenesis, and maintenance of the
tumor microenvironment. COMETRIQ® (cabozantinib) is currently approved
by the
COMETRIQ® Important Safety Information, including Boxed Warning
WARNING: PERFORATIONS AND FISTULAS, and HEMORRHAGE
- Serious and sometimes fatal gastrointestinal perforations and fistulas occur in COMETRIQ-treated patients.
- Severe and sometimes fatal hemorrhage occurs in COMETRIQ-treated patients.
- COMETRIQ treatment results in an increase in thrombotic events, such as heart attacks.
- Wound complications have been reported with COMETRIQ.
- COMETRIQ treatment results in an increase in hypertension.
- Osteonecrosis of the jaw has been observed in COMETRIQ-treated patients.
- Palmar-Plantar Erythrodysesthesia (PPE) Syndrome occurs in patients treated with COMETRIQ.
- The kidneys can be adversely affected by COMETRIQ. Proteinuria and nephrotic syndrome have been reported in patients receiving COMETRIQ.
- Reversible Posterior Leukoencephalopathy Syndrome has been observed with COMETRIQ.
- COMETRIQ is not recommended for use in patients with moderate or severe hepatic impairment.
- COMETRIQ can cause fetal harm when administered to a pregnant woman.
Adverse Reactions – The most commonly reported adverse drug reactions (≥25%) are diarrhea, stomatitis, palmar-plantar erythrodysesthesia syndrome (PPES), decreased weight, decreased appetite, nausea, fatigue, oral pain, hair color changes, dysgeusia, hypertension, abdominal pain, and constipation. The most common laboratory abnormalities (≥25%) are increased AST, increased ALT, lymphopenia, increased alkaline phosphatase, hypocalcemia, neutropenia, thrombocytopenia, hypophosphatemia, and hyperbilirubinemia.
Drug Interactions – COMETRIQ is a CYP3A4 substrate. Co-administration of strong CYP3A4 inhibitors can increase cabozantinib exposure. Chronic co-administration of strong CYP3A4 inducers can reduce cabozantinib exposure.
For full prescribing information, including Boxed Warning, please visit www.COMETRIQ.com.
About
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements, including,
without limitation, statements related to: the continued development and
clinical, therapeutic and commercial potential of, and opportunities
for, cabozantinib; the belief that the phase 2 data investigating
cabozantinib in patients with advanced HCC are worthy of more study; the
belief that cabozantinib’s target profile, which includes inhibition of
both MET and VEGFR, is highly relevant in HCC; Exelixis’ plans to expand
the cabozantinib franchise and the importance of the CELESTIAL trial to
such plans; the belief that the data from the CELESTIAL trial will
provide important insight into the role that cabozantinib may play in
improving the care of patients with HCC; and the design, plans and goals
for the CELESTIAL trial, and the potential success thereof. Words such
as “options,” “new,” “investigating,” “target,” “may,” “conducted,”
“expected,” “will,” “endpoint,” “assumes,” “provide,” “important,”
“milestone,” “expand,” “unmet,” “designed,” “believe,” “insight,”
“role,” “improving,” “potential,” and similar expressions are intended
to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements
are based upon
Source:
Exelixis, Inc.
Charles Butler, 650-837-7277
Vice President,
Investor
Relations and
Corporate Communications
cbutler@exelixis.com