Pharmaceutical Business review

Bristol Myers Squibb and bluebird bio submit BLA for Idecabtagene Vicleucel to FDA

A Bristol-Myers Squibb site in England. (Credit: Rept0n1x/Wikipedia.org)

The submission is based on results from the pivotal Phase 2 KarMMa study. The KarMMa study evaluated the efficacy and safety of ide-cel in heavily pre-treated patients with relapsed and refractory multiple myeloma. Topline data from KarMMa, reported in December 2019, indicated the study met its primary endpoint of overall response rate, and the key secondary endpoint of complete response rate in this patient population treated with ide-cel. The safety results were consistent with those observed in the supportive Phase 1 CRB-401 study, which evaluated the preliminary safety and efficacy of ide-cel. Comprehensive results of the KarMMa study will be presented at a future medical meeting.

BCMA is a protein that is nearly universally expressed on cancer cells in multiple myeloma, making it an important potential target for the treatment of this aggressive blood cancer. Ide-cel is the first CAR T cell therapy submitted for regulatory approval to target this antigen and for multiple myeloma.

Ide-cel was granted Breakthrough Therapy Designation (BTD) by the FDA and PRIority MEdicines (PRIME) designation by the European Medicines Agency for relapsed and refractory multiple myeloma.

Source: Company Press Release