EC approves extended indication for Amgen's Kyprolis

Head-to-head Phase III trial demonstrated superiority of Kyprolis and dexamethasone over Velcade and dexamethasone in patients with relapsed multiple myeloma.

"In the Phase III head-to-head trial, Kyprolis in combination with dexamethasone doubled the time patients lived without their cancer progressing, as well as the rates of complete response compared to bortezomib and dexamethasone," said Sean E. Harper, executive vice president of Research and Development at Amgen. "Kyprolis-based regimens have now shown superiority over two former standard-of-care treatment options for relapsed multiple myeloma patients, reinforcing Kyprolis' place as a foundational therapy in this patient population."

The EC approved the extended indication for Kyprolis based on data from the Phase III head-to-head ENDEAVOR trial in which patients with multiple myeloma treated with Kyprolis plus dexamethasone (Kd) achieved superior progression-free survival (PFS) of 18.7 months compared to 9.4 months in those receiving bortezomib plus dexamethasone (Vd). Kd also demonstrated improvement over Vd for secondary endpoints, including rates of complete response or better, which were double in patients treated with Kd compared to those treated with Vd. The tolerability profile was similar in the two arms, however patients treated with Kd experienced a significantly lower rate of grade 2 or higher neuropathy events than those treated with Vd, a frequent dose-limiting toxicity in patients receiving bortezomib. The most common adverse reactions that occurred in greater than 20% of patients treated with Kyprolis were anemia, fatigue, diarrhea, thrombocytopenia, nausea, pyrexia, dyspnea, respiratory tract infection, cough and peripheral edema.