Pharmaceutical Business review

Spectrum inks deal with FDA on special protocol assessment for SPI-2012 registrational trial

This trial will evaluate the safety and efficacy of SPI-2012 as a treatment for chemotherapy-induced neutropenia in patients with breast cancer, and will serve as the basis for the Biologics License Application (BLA) filing.

Spectrum Pharmaceuticals chairman and CEO Rajesh Shrotriya said: "We are excited to have reached agreement with the FDA on the SPI-2012 SPA, which is the highest priority program at Spectrum.

"SPI-2012 is a novel proprietary biologic that has been shown in a Phase 2 clinical trial to be more potent than pegfilgrastim, and consists of a novel, recombinant G-CSF conjugated, using a technology that enhances the half-life of this therapeutic protein. Our team has been ready to start this registrational Phase 3 trial, and plans to aggressively drive study enrollment.

"Spectrum has built a strong clinical team and commercial infrastructure with expertise in the treatment of neutropenia. If approved, we believe this drug will enable us to compete in a blockbuster market and change the face of our Company."

In accordance with the SPA, this registrational, Phase 3 trial, or ADVANCE study (RAnDomized Trial of SPI-2012 Versus Pegfilgrastim in the Management of Chemotherapy Induced Neutropenia in Breast CANCEr Patients Receiving Docetaxel and Cyclophosphamide) will be a multicenter, randomized, active controlled trial that will enroll 580 newly diagnosed early-stage breast cancer patients, who will receive adjuvant or neoadjuvant chemotherapy every 21 days.

Adjuvant chemotherapy is treatment given after primary surgical therapy to kill any remaining cancer cells and increase the chance of long-term disease-free survival; neoadjuvant chemotherapy is the administration of cytotoxic agents before surgical resection in early-stage breast cancer to shrink the tumor and potentially allow for breast-conserving surgery.

SPI-2012 will be administered subcutaneously as a fixed dose equivalent to 3.6 mg of GCSF, which was selected based on the robust pharmacological and pharmacodynamic data from Phase 2. The primary study endpoint is the Duration of Severe Neutropenia (Absolute Neutrophil Counts [ANC] < 0.5×109/L) in Cycle 1 of chemotherapy, based on central laboratory assessment of ANC over the 21 day cycle. Secondary endpoints include the Incidence of Neutropenic Complications, Incidence of Febrile Neutropenia, Relative Dose Intensity, and safety.