Seattle Genetics and BMS Announce Clinical Collaboration to Evaluate Combination of Adcetris and Opdivo in Hematologic Malignancies

Seattle Genetics and Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS) have announced that the companies have entered into a clinical trial collaboration agreement to evaluate the investigational combination of Seattle Genetics’ antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) Adcetris (brentuximab vedotin) and BMS’s immunotherapy Opdivo (nivolumab) in two planned Phase I/II clinical trials. The first trial will evaluate the combination of Adcetris and Opdivo as a potential treatment option for patients with relapsed or refractory Hodgkin lymphoma (HL), and the second trial will focus on patients with relapsed or refractory B-cell and T-cell non-Hodgkin lymphomas (NHL), including diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL).

Adcetris is an ADC directed to CD30, a defining marker of classical HL, which combines the targeting ability of a monoclonal antibody with the potency of a cell-killing agent. Opdivo is a human programmed death receptor-1 (PD-1) blocking antibody that binds to the PD-1 receptor expressed on activated T-cells.

“This collaboration will expand our broad Adcetris clinical development program towards our goal of improving outcomes for patients with Hodgkin lymphoma and other CD30-expressing malignancies,” said Clay B. Siegall, President and CEO of Seattle Genetics. “Ultimately, our vision is to advance the treatment of cancer by exploring more targeted treatment approaches that result in enhanced activity, reduced toxicities and improved long-term results for patients. We look forward to working with BMS to define the activity and tolerability of adding Opdivo to Adcetris, and informing this potential treatment strategy in hematologic malignancies.”

“BMS continues to strengthen its broad development program for Opdivo through collaborations that explore novel combination regimens in areas of serious unmet need,” said Michael Giordano, senior vice president, Head of Development, Oncology, BMS. “We are pleased to collaborate with Seattle Genetics on clinical research focused on hematologic malignancies.”

The studies are expected to begin in 2015, with Seattle Genetics conducting the HL trial and BMS conducting the NHL trial. Additional details of the collaboration were not disclosed.

Adcetris is approved in relapsed HL and systemic anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL), but is not currently approved for the treatment of relapsed, transplant eligible HL or for the treatment of other types of NHL. Opdivo is currently not approved for the treatment of lymphoma.