ANKTIVA Solution for injection Ref.[109663] Active ingredients: Nogapendekin alfa

Nogapendekin alfa inbakicept-pmln is an IL-15 receptor agonist. IL-15 signals through a heterotrimeric receptor that is composed of the common gamma chain (γc) subunit, the beta chain (βc) subunit, and the IL-15-specific alpha subunit, IL-15 receptor α. IL-15 is trans-presented by the IL-15 receptor α to the shared IL-2/IL-15 receptor (βc and γc) on the surface of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells and NK cells.

Binding of nogapendekin alfa inbakicept-pmln to its receptor results in proliferation and activation of NK, CD8+, and memory T cells without proliferation of immuno-suppressive Treg cells. In vivo, intravesicular nogapendekin alfa inbakicept-pmln alone or in combination with BCG showed anti-tumor activity when compared to BCG alone, in a carcinogen-induced model of bladder cancer in immunocompetent rats.

The exposure-response relationship and time course of pharmacodynamic response for the safety and effectiveness of nogapendekin alfa inbakicept-pmln have not been fully characterized.

Systemic exposure of nogapendekin alfa inbakicept-pmln was less than 100 pg/mL following the approved recommended dosage in all patients. This was below the lower limit of quantitation in all patients.

Carcinogenicity and genotoxicity studies have not been conducted with nogapendekin alfa inbakicept-pmln.

Fertility studies with nogapendekin alfa inbakicept-pmln have not been conducted.

The efficacy of ANKTIVA was evaluated in QUILT-3.032 (NCT03022825), a single-arm, multicenter trial in 77 adults with BCG-unresponsive, high-risk, NMIBC with CIS with or without Ta/T1 papillary disease following transurethral resection.

BCG unresponsive high-risk NMIBC CIS was defined as persistent or recurrent CIS alone or with Ta/T1 disease within 12 months of completion of adequate BCG therapy. Adequate BCG therapy was defined as administration of at least 5 of 6 doses of an initial induction course plus either of at least 2 of 3 doses of maintenance therapy or at least 2 of 6 doses of a second induction course. Prior to treatment, all patients with Ta or T1 disease had undergone transurethral resection of bladder tumor (TURBT) to remove all resectable disease. Residual CIS not amenable to complete resection, fulguration, or cauterization was permitted. The trial excluded patients with history of or evidence of muscle invasive (i.e., T2, T3, T4), locally advanced, metastatic, and/or extra-vesical (i.e., urethra, ureter, or renal pelvis) bladder cancer.

Patients received 400 mcg ANKTIVA with BCG weekly for 6 consecutive weeks during the induction treatment period and then once a week every 3 weeks at 4, 7, 10, 13, and 19 months for patients with no or low grade disease. Patients with persistent CIS or high grade Ta disease at 3 months were eligible to receive a second induction course. Patients with ongoing CR at 25 months were eligible to receive additional instillations once a week every 3 weeks at months 25, 31, and 37. Assessment of tumor status was performed every 3 months for up to two years. Assessment for ongoing response beyond month 24 was per local community standards. Random or cystoscopy directed biopsies were required within the first 6 months after treatment initiation. The major efficacy outcome measures were complete response (CR) at any time (as defined by negative results for cystoscopy [with TURBT/biopsies as applicable] and urine cytology) and duration of response.

The median age of patients was 73 years (range, 50–91 years); 86% were male; race was White (90%), Black (6%), Asian (1%), American Indian or Alaska Native (1%), or Unknown (1%); and patients had baseline ECOG performance status of 0 (83%) or 1 (17%).

Tumor characteristics at study entry were CIS without Ta/T1 papillary disease (69%), CIS with Ta papillary disease (21%) or CIS with T1 +/- Ta papillary disease (10%). Baseline high-risk NMIBC disease status was 43% refractory and 57% relapsed. The median number of prior BCG doses received was 12 doses (range: 8–45 doses); 13% received partial-dose prior BCG. Baseline cystoscopy imaging modality was white light (57%), blue light or narrow band imaging (40%), and unknown (3%).

Efficacy results are summarized in Table 3. Thirty-one percent (n=24) of patients received a second induction course.

Table 3. Efficacy Results in QUILT-3.032:

⁺ Denotes ongoing response

^a Based on 48 patients that achieved a complete response at any time; reflects period from the time complete response was achieved.