South San Francisco, CA -- March 7, 2021 -- Genentech, a member of the Roche Group (SIX: RO, ROG; OTCQX: RHHBY), today announced that the company is voluntarily withdrawing the U.S. indication for Tecentriq® (atezolizumab) in prior-platinum treated metastatic urothelial carcinoma (mUC, bladder cancer). This decision was made in consultation with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as part of an industry-wide review of accelerated approvals with confirmatory trials that have not met their primary endpoint(s) and have yet to gain regular approvals. Genentech will work with the FDA over the coming weeks to complete the withdrawal process. This decision does not affect other approved indications for Tecentriq. Genentech is notifying healthcare professionals about this withdrawal. Patients being treated with Tecentriq for prior-platinum treated mUC should discuss their care with their healthcare provider.

“The Accelerated Approval Program allows people with difficult-to-treat cancers to receive certain new therapies earlier," said Levi Garraway, M.D., Ph.D., chief medical officer and head of Global Product Development. “While the withdrawal of Tecentriq for prior-platinum treated bladder cancer is disappointing, Tecentriq continues to demonstrate benefits across multiple cancer types and therefore remains a meaningful treatment option for many patients."

The FDA's Accelerated Approval Program allows conditional approval of a medicine that fills an unmet medical need for a serious condition, with specific post marketing requirements (PMRs) to confirm the clinical benefit and convert to regular approval.

Tecentriq was granted accelerated approval in 2016 for the treatment of prior-platinum treated mUC based on the results from the IMvigor210 study (Cohort 2). Continued approval for this indication was contingent upon the results of IMvigor211, the original PMR for the prior-platinum mUC indication. This study did not meet its primary endpoint of overall survival in the PD-L1 high patient population. Subsequently, the FDA designated the IMvigor130 study as the PMR which will still continue until the final analysis. However, as the treatment landscape in prior-platinum (second-line) mUC has rapidly evolved with the emergence of new treatment options, Genentech is voluntarily withdrawing this indication in recognition of the principles of the Accelerated Approval Program.

About Tecentriq (atezolizumab)

Tecentriq is a monoclonal antibody designed to bind with a protein called PD-L1. Tecentriq is designed to bind to PD-L1 expressed on tumor cells and tumor-infiltrating immune cells, blocking its interactions with both PD-1 and B7.1 receptors. By inhibiting PD-L1, Tecentriq may enable the re-activation of T cells. Tecentriq may also affect normal cells.

Tecentriq U.S. Indications

Tecentriq is a prescription medicine used to treat adults with:

A type of bladder and urinary tract cancer called urothelial carcinoma.

Tecentriq may be used in patients with urothelial carcinoma if their bladder cancer has spread or cannot be removed by surgery, and if they have any one of the following conditions:

• They are not able to take chemotherapy that contains a medicine called cisplatin and their cancer tests positive for “PD-L1” or
• They are not able to take chemotherapy that contains any platinum regardless of the levels of “PD-L1” status or
• They have tried chemotherapy that contains platinum and it did not work or is no longer working

The approval of Tecentriq in these patients is based on a study that measured the amount of time until patients’ disease worsened. Continued approval for this use may depend on the results of an ongoing study to confirm benefit.

A type of lung cancer called non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Tecentriq may be used alone as the first treatment in patients with lung cancer if:

• Their cancer has spread or grown, and
• Their cancer tests positive for “high PD-L1” and
• Their tumor does not have an abnormal “EGFR” or “ALK” gene.

Tecentriq may be used with the medicines bevacizumab, paclitaxel, and carboplatin as the first treatment in patients with lung cancer if:

• Their cancer has spread or grown and
• Is a type of lung cancer called “non-squamous NSCLC” and
• Their tumor does not have an abnormal “EGFR” or “ALK” gene

Tecentriq may be used with the medicines paclitaxel protein-bound and carboplatin as the first treatment in patients with lung cancer if:

• Their cancer has spread or grown and
• Is a type of lung cancer called “non-squamous NSCLC” and
• Their tumor does not have an abnormal “EGFR” or “ALK” gene

Tecentriq may be used alone in patients with lung cancer if:

• Their cancer has spread or grown and
• They have tried chemotherapy that contains platinum, and it did not work or is no longer working

If a patient’s tumor has an abnormal EGFR or ALK gene, they should have also tried an FDA-approved therapy for tumors with these abnormal genes, and it did not work or is no longer working.

A type of breast cancer called triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC).

Tecentriq may be used with the medicine paclitaxel protein-bound in patients with TNBC when their breast cancer:

• Has spread or cannot be removed by surgery and
• Their cancer tests positive for “PD-L1”

The approval of Tecentriq in these patients is based on a study that measured the amount of time until patients’ disease worsened. Continued approval for this use may depend on the results of an ongoing study to confirm benefit.

Tecentriq is not for use with the medicine paclitaxel (a different medicine than paclitaxel protein-bound) in patients with TNBC when their breast cancer has spread or cannot be removed by surgery.

A type of lung cancer called small cell lung cancer (SCLC).

Tecentriq may be used with the chemotherapy medicines carboplatin and etoposide as the first treatment in patients with SCLC when their lung cancer:

• is a type called “extensive-stage small cell lung cancer,” which means that it has spread or grown.

A type of liver cancer called hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Tecentriq may be used with the medicine bevacizumab in patients with HCC if:

• Their cancer has spread or cannot be removed by surgery, and
• They have not received other medicines by mouth or injection through their vein (IV) to treat their cancer.
  A type of skin cancer called melanoma.

Tecentriq may be used with the medicines cobimetinib and vemurafenib when in patients with melanoma when their skin cancer:

• has spread to other parts of the body or cannot be removed by surgery, and
• has a certain type of abnormal “BRAF” gene.

Healthcare providers will perform a test to make sure this Tecentriq combination is right for the patient.

It is not known if Tecentriq is safe and effective in children.

About Genentech in cancer immunotherapy

Genentech has been developing medicines to redefine treatment in oncology for more than 35 years, and today, realizing the full potential of cancer immunotherapy is a major area of focus. With more than 20 immunotherapy molecules in development, Genentech is investigating the potential benefits of immunotherapy alone, and in combination with various chemotherapies, targeted therapies and other immunotherapies with the goal of providing each person with a treatment tailored to harness their own unique immune system.

In addition to Genentech’s approved PD-L1 checkpoint inhibitor, the company’s broad cancer immunotherapy pipeline includes other checkpoint inhibitors, individualized neoantigen therapies and T cell bispecific antibodies. For more information visit http://www.gene.com/cancer-immunotherapy.

About Genentech

Founded more than 40 years ago, Genentech is a leading biotechnology company that discovers, develops, manufactures and commercializes medicines to treat patients with serious and life-threatening medical conditions. The company, a member of the Roche Group, has headquarters in South San Francisco, California. For additional information about the company, please visit http://www.gene.com.

Source: Genentech

Posted: March 2021