Skip to main content

Late-Breaking Results from PALOMA-2 Study of Subcutaneous Amivantamab in Combination with Lazertinib Show Clinically Meaningful Antitumor Response and Improved Safety Profile in Patients with EGFR-Mutated Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

CHICAGO (June 3, 2024) – Johnson & Johnson announced today new data from the Phase 2 PALOMA-2 study evaluating subcutaneous (SC) amivantamab combined with lazertinib as a first-line treatment in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) exon 19 deletion (ex19del) or L858R mutations. These data, which were featured in a late-breaking poster presentation at the 2024 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting (Abstract #LBA8612), showed a comparable response rate in patients treated with SC amivantamab and lazertinib compared to those treated with the intravenous (IV) formulation in the MARIPOSA study, which established the combination of amivantamab and lazertinib as superior to osimertinib. SC amivantamab was associated with significantly lower rates of infusion-related reactions (IRRs) and shorter treatment time compared with the IV formulation.1

“These encouraging data show similar response rates in patients treated with the subcutaneous administration of amivantamab compared with the IV formulation,” said Professor Nicolas Girard, Head of Medical Oncology, Institut Curie, and Professor of Thoracic Oncology and Respiratory Medicine at the Paris Saclay University, France, and study author.* “With favorable tolerability based on fewer infusion-related reactions, this formulation has the potential to address a current unmet need in the treatment of EGFR-mutant lung cancer.”

In the PALOMA-2 study, Cohorts 1 and 6 enrolled patients with treatment-naïve, EGFR ex19del or L858R-mutated advanced NSCLC, a patient population similar to the MARIPOSA study population. In Cohort 1 prophylactic anticoagulation use was recommended, and in Cohort 6 it was required. As of January 6, 2024, 68 and 58 patients were enrolled in Cohorts 1 and 6, respectively. At a median follow-up of 8.6 months, across all patients, SC amivantamab combined with lazertinib demonstrated an overall response rate (ORR) of 77 percent (95 percent Confidence Interval [CI], 68-84) as assessed by the investigator per RECIST v1.1.** (primary endpoint) and 79 percent (95 percent CI, 70-86) as assessed by blinded independent central review. A similar ORR of 86 percent (95 percent CI, 83-89) was observed with IV amivantamab in combination with lazertinib, as determined by a blinded independent central review in the Phase 3 MARIPOSA study. Average administration time was approximately five minutes versus the IV administration of 2-4 hours. Median duration of response was not estimable in both cohorts.1

The pooled analysis from Cohort 1 and Cohort 6 showed the safety profile for SC amivantamab was consistent with previous reports, with no new safety signals identified. The most common treatment-emergent adverse events (AEs) (≥ 20 percent) across all patients were paronychia (71 percent), rash (61 percent) and hypoalbuminemia (48 percent). IRRs were reported in 15 percent of patients across the two cohorts. Discontinuation of all medicines due to treatment-related AEs occurred in approximately nine percent of all patients. Prophylactic anticoagulation was administered to 71 percent of patients in Cohort 1 and 100 percent of those in Cohort 6. Venous thromboembolic events (VTEs) were reported in 18 and seven percent of patients in Cohorts 1 and 6, respectively, with no dose reductions or discontinuations reported due to VTEs. These findings suggest prophylactic anticoagulation can be safely implemented and reduce the incidence of VTEs with the combination of amivantamab plus lazertinib.1

“The safety and tolerability data from the PALOMA-2 study highlight the potential of subcutaneous amivantamab as an important therapy in the first-line treatment of patients with EGFR-mutant lung cancer,” said Kiran Patel, M.D., Vice President, Clinical Development, Solid Tumors, Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine. “As we advance our robust pipeline and portfolio for patients with lung cancer, we remain dedicated to developing safe and effective therapies that offer distinct benefits in the treatment of this disease.”

About the PALOMA-2 Study
PALOMA-2 (NCT05498428) is an open-label Phase 2 study evaluating the efficacy, safety, and pharmacokinetics (PK) of first-line SC amivantamab (administered via manual injection) combined with lazertinib and/or chemotherapy in patients with EGFR-mutated advanced or metastatic NSCLC. Sixty-eight and 58 patients were enrolled in Cohorts 1 and 6, respectively. Prophylactic anticoagulation for the first four months of treatment was recommended in Cohort 1 and mandatory in Cohort 6. The primary endpoint was objective response rate (ORR) as assessed by the investigator per RECIST v1.1.2

About RYBREVANT®
RYBREVANT® (amivantamab-vmjw), a fully-human bispecific antibody targeting EGFR and MET with immune cell-directing activity, is approved in the U.S., Europe, and in other markets around the world as monotherapy for the treatment of adult patients with locally advanced or metastatic NSCLC with EGFR exon 20 insertion mutations, as detected by an FDA-approved test, whose disease has progressed on or after platinum-based chemotherapy.3 In the subcutaneous formulation, amivantamab is co-formulated with recombinant human hyaluronidase PH20 (rHuPH20), Halozyme’s ENHANZE® drug delivery technology.

RYBREVANT® is also approved in the U.S. in combination with chemotherapy (carboplatin and pemetrexed) for the first-line treatment of adult patients with locally advanced or metastatic NSCLC with EGFR exon 20 insertion mutations, as detected by an FDA-approved test. In October 2023, a type II extension of indication application was submitted to the European Medicines Agency (EMA) seeking approval of RYBREVANT® for this indication.

In December 2023, Johnson & Johnson submitted a supplmental Biologics License Application (sBLA) together with a New Drug Application (NDA) to the U.S. FDA for RYBREVANT® in combination with lazertinib for the first-line treatment of adult patients with locally advanced or metastatic NSCLC with EGFR exon 19 deletions or L858R substitution mutations, as detected by an FDA-approved test. This submission is based on the Phase 3 MARIPOSA study and was granted Priority Review in February 2024. A marketing authorization application (MAA) and type II extension of indication application were also submitted to the EMA seeking approval of lazertinib in combination with RYBREVANT® based on the MARIPOSA study.

In November 2023, Johnson & Johnson submitted an sBLA to the U.S. FDA for RYBREVANT® in combination with chemotherapy for the treatment of patients with EGFR-mutated NSCLC who progressed on or after osimertinib based on the MARIPOSA-2 study. A type II extension of indication application was also submitted to the EMA seeking approval of RYBREVANT® for this indication.

The NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology (NCCN Guidelines®) for NSCLC§ prefer next-generation sequencing–based strategies over polymerase chain reaction–based approaches for the detection of EGFR exon 20 insertion variants. The NCCN Guidelines include:

RYBREVANT® is being studied in multiple clinical trials in NSCLC, including:

For more information, visit: https://www.RYBREVANT.com.

About Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
Worldwide, lung cancer is one of the most common cancers, with NSCLC making up 80 to 85 percent of all lung cancer cases.15,16 The main subtypes of NSCLC are adenocarcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and large cell carcinoma.17 Among the most common driver mutations in NSCLC are alterations in EGFR, which is a receptor tyrosine kinase controlling cell growth and division.18 EGFR mutations are present in 10 to 15 percent of Western patients with NSCLC with adenocarcinoma histology and occur in 40 to 50 percent of Asian patients.17,18,19,20,21,22 EGFR ex19del or EGFR L858R mutations are the most common EGFR mutations.23 The five year survival rate for all people with advanced NSCLC and EGFR mutations treated with EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) is less than 20 percent.24,25 EGFR exon 20 insertion mutations are the third most prevalent activating EGFR mutation.26 Patients with EGFR exon 20 insertion mutations have a real-world five-year overall survival (OS) of eight percent in the frontline setting, which is worse than patients with EGFR ex19del or L858R mutations, who have a real-world five-year OS of 19 percent.27

About Johnson & Johnson
At Johnson & Johnson, we believe health is everything. Our strength in healthcare innovation empowers us to build a world where complex diseases are prevented, treated, and cured, where treatments are smarter and less invasive, and solutions are personal. Through our expertise in Innovative Medicine and MedTech, we are uniquely positioned to innovate across the full spectrum of healthcare solutions today to deliver the breakthroughs of tomorrow, and profoundly impact health for humanity. Learn more at https://www.jnj.com/ or at www.janssen.com/johnson-johnson-innovative-medicine. Follow us at @JanssenUS and @JNJInnovMed. Janssen Research & Development, LLC, and Janssen Biotech, Inc., are Johnson & Johnson companies.

Cautions Concerning Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains “forward-looking statements” as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 regarding product development and the potential benefits and treatment impact of RYBREVANT® (amivantamab-vmjw) and lazertinib. The reader is cautioned not to rely on these forward-looking statements. These statements are based on current expectations of future events. If underlying assumptions prove inaccurate or known or unknown risks or uncertainties materialize, actual results could vary materially from the expectations and projections Janssen Research & Development, LLC, Janssen Biotech, Inc. and/or Johnson & Johnson. Risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: challenges and uncertainties inherent in product research and development, including the uncertainty of clinical success and of obtaining regulatory approvals; uncertainty of commercial success; manufacturing difficulties and delays; competition, including technological advances, new products and patents attained by competitors; challenges to patents; product efficacy or safety concerns resulting in product recalls or regulatory action; changes in behavior and spending patterns of purchasers of health care products and services; changes to applicable laws and regulations, including global health care reforms; and trends toward health care cost containment. A further list and descriptions of these risks, uncertainties and other factors can be found in Johnson & Johnson’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023, including in the sections captioned “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” and “Item 1A. Risk Factors,” and in Johnson & Johnson’s subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Copies of these filings are available online at www.sec.gov, www.jnj.com or on request from Johnson & Johnson. None of Janssen Research & Development, LLC, Janssen Biotech, Inc. nor Johnson & Johnson undertakes to update any forward-looking statement as a result of new information or future events or developments.

###

*Prof. Nicolas Girard has served as a consultant to Johnson & Johnson; he has not been paid for any media work.

**RECIST (v1.1) refers to Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors, which is a standard way to measure how well solid tumors respond to treatment and is based on whether tumors shrink, stay the same or get bigger.

†See the NCCN Guidelines for detailed recommendations, including other treatment options.

‡The NCCN Guidelines for NSCLC provide recommendations for certain individual biomarkers that should be tested and recommend testing techniques but do not endorse any specific commercially available biomarker assays or commercial laboratories.

§The NCCN Content does not constitute medical advice and should not be used in place of seeking professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment by licensed practitioners. NCCN makes no warranties of any kind whatsoever regarding their content, use or application and disclaims any responsibility for their application or use in any way.

1Lim S, et al. Subcutaneous amivantamab and lazertinib as first-line treatment in patients with advanced EGFR-mutated, non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC): Interim results from the phase 2 PALOMA-2 study. 2024 American Society for Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting. June 3, 2024.

2ClinicalTrials.gov. A Study of Amivantamab in Participants With Advanced or Metastatic Solid Tumors Including Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR)-Mutated Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (PALOMA-2). https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05498428. Accessed June 2024.

3RYBREVANT® Prescribing Information. Horsham, PA: Janssen Biotech, Inc.

4Referenced with permission from the NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology (NCCN Guidelines®) for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer V.1.2024© National Comprehensive Cancer Network, Inc. All rights reserved. To view the most recent and complete version of the guideline, go online to NCCN.org. Accessed March 2024.

5ClinicalTrials.gov. A Study of Amivantamab Subcutaneous (SC) Administration for the Treatment of Advanced Solid Malignancies (PALOMA). Available at: https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT04606381. Accessed June 2024.

6ClinicalTrials.gov. A Study of Lazertinib With Subcutaneous Amivantamab Compared With Intravenous Amivantamab in Participants With Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR)-Mutated Advanced or Metastatic Non-small Cell Lung Cancer (PALOMA-3). https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05388669. Accessed June 2024.

7ClinicalTrials.gov. A Study of Combination Amivantamab and Carboplatin-Pemetrexed Therapy, Compared With Carboplatin-Pemetrexed, in Participants With Advanced or Metastatic Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Characterized by Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) Exon 20 Insertions (PAPILLON). Available at: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04538664. Accessed June 2024.

8ClinicalTrials.gov. A Study of Amivantamab and Lazertinib in Combination With Platinum-Based Chemotherapy Compared With Platinum-Based Chemotherapy in Patients With Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR)-Mutated Locally Advanced or Metastatic Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer After Osimertinib Failure (MARIPOSA-2). Available at: https://classic.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/study/NCT04988295. Accessed June 2024.

9ClinicalTrials.gov. A Study of Amivantamab and Lazertinib Combination Therapy Versus Osimertinib in Locally Advanced or Metastatic Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (MARIPOSA). Available at: https://classic.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04487080. Accessed June 2024.

10ClinicalTrials.gov. A Study of Amivantamab, a Human Bispecific EGFR and cMet Antibody, in Participants With Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (CHRYSALIS). https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02609776. Accessed June 2024.

11ClinicalTrials.gov. A Study of Lazertinib as Monotherapy or in Combination With Amivantamab in Participants With Advanced Non-small Cell Lung Cancer (CHRYSALIS-2). https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04077463. Accessed June 2024.

12ClinicalTrials.gov. A Study of Amivantamab and Capmatinib Combination Therapy in Unresectable Metastatic Non-small Cell Lung Cancer (METalmark). https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05488314. Accessed June 2024.

13ClinicalTrials.gov. A Study of Combination Therapy With Amivantamab and Cetrelimab in Participants With Metastatic Non-small Cell Lung Cancer (PolyDamas). https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05908734?term=polydamas&rank=1. Accessed June 2024.

14ClinicalTrials.gov. Premedication to Reduce Amivantamab Associated Infusion Related Reactions (SKIPPirr). https://classic.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05663866. Accessed June 2024.

15The World Health Organization. Cancer.https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/cancer.

Accessed June 2024.

16American Cancer Society. What is Lung Cancer? https://www.cancer.org/content/cancer/en/cancer/lung-cancer/about/what-is.html. Accessed June 2024.

17Oxnard JR, et al. Natural history and molecular characteristics of lung cancers harboring EGFR exon 20 insertions. J Thorac Oncol. 2013 Feb;8(2):179-84. doi: 10.1097/JTO.0b013e3182779d18.

18Bauml JM, et al. Underdiagnosis of EGFR Exon 20 Insertion Mutation Variants: Estimates from NGS-based Real World Datasets. Abstract presented at: World Conference on Lung Cancer Annual Meeting; January 29, 2021; Singapore.

19Pennell NA, et al. A phase II trial of adjuvant erlotinib in patients with resected epidermal growth factor receptor-mutant non-small cell lung cancer. J Clin Oncol. 37:97-104.

20Burnett H, et al. Epidemiological and clinical burden of EGFR exon 20 insertion in advanced non-small cell lung cancer: a systematic literature review. Abstract presented at: World Conference on Lung Cancer Annual Meeting; January 29, 2021; Singapore.

21Zhang YL, et al. The prevalence of EGFR mutation in patients with non-small cell lung cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Oncotarget. 2016;7(48):78985-78993.

22Midha A, et al. EGFR mutation incidence in non-small-cell lung cancer of adenocarcinoma histology: a systematic review and global map by ethnicity. Am J Cancer Res. 2015;5(9):2892-2911.

23American Lung Association. EGFR and Lung Cancer. https://www.lung.org/lung-health-diseases/lung-disease-lookup/lung-cancer/symptoms-diagnosis/biomarker-testing/egfr. Accessed June 2024.

24Howlader N, et al. SEER Cancer Statistics Review, 1975-2016, National Cancer Institute. Bethesda, MD, https://seer.cancer.gov/csr/1975_2016/, based on November 2018 SEER data submission, posted to the SEER web site.

25Lin JJ, et al. Five-Year Survival in EGFR-Mutant Metastatic Lung Adenocarcinoma Treated with EGFR-TKIs. J Thorac Oncol. 2016 Apr;11(4):556-65.

26Arcila, M. et al. EGFR exon 20 insertion mutations in lung adenocarcinomas: prevalence, molecular heterogeneity, and clinicopathologic characteristics. Mol Cancer Ther. 2013 Feb; 12(2):220-9.

27Girard N, et al. Comparative clinical outcomes for patients with NSCLC harboring EGFR exon 20 insertion mutations and common EGFR mutations. Abstract presented at: World Conference on Lung Cancer Annual Meeting; January 29, 2021; Singapore.

Source: Johnson & Johnson

Posted: June 2024

More news resources

Subscribe to our newsletter

Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.