THOUSAND OAKS, Calif., June 4, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Amgen (NASDAQ:AMGN) today announced updated results for investigational bemarituzumab in combination with chemotherapy from the Phase 2 FIGHT trial. The trial evaluated bemarituzumab plus chemotherapy (mFOLFOX6) versus chemotherapy alone in patients with FGFR2b-positive, HER2-negative frontline advanced gastric or gastroesophageal junction cancers (GEJ). New data includes median overall survival (OS), a secondary endpoint that was reached with longer follow-up, as well as additional analyses of patient subgroups.  

With a median follow-up of 12.5 months, the addition of bemarituzumab to chemotherapy resulted in a median OS of 19.2 months versus 13.5 months for chemotherapy alone in all randomized patients (n=155, HR: 0.6; 95% CI: 0.38, 0.94). In an exploratory pre-specified subgroup analysis, in patients with >10% of tumor cells overexpressing FGFR2b by immunohistochemistry (IHC), the median OS for bemarituzumab was 25.4 months versus 11.1 months (n=96, HR: 0.41; 95% CI: 0.23, 0.74).

The incidence of all grade adverse events was similar in the bemarituzumab plus chemotherapy and chemotherapy only arm of the study (100% versus 98.7%, respectively). The incidence of corneal adverse events was higher in the bemarituzumab plus chemotherapy arm versus the chemotherapy arm (all grade AEs 67.1% versus 10.4%), with dry eye reported as the most common corneal event (26.3%). The majority of the corneal adverse events were reversible.

The results were presented today in an oral presentation at the 2021 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting taking place virtually from June 4-8, 2021.

"Gastric cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer death globally and 30% of frontline HER2-negative gastric cancer patients have tumors that overexpress FGFR2b," said David M. Reese, M.D., executive vice president of Research and Development at Amgen. "These updated results underscore the benefits that bemarituzumab plus chemotherapy may bring to patients who have been fighting this aggressive disease with chemotherapy alone. We now look forward to advancing bemarituzumab into Phase 3 development."

More than one million new gastric cancer cases are diagnosed annually, and gastric cancer is particularly prevalent in Asia.^1,2 Approximately 80 to 85% of advanced gastric and GEJ cancers are HER2-negative, and approximately 30% of these tumors overexpress FGFR2b.^3,4

"These updated results further validate our work on the role of FGFR2b overexpression in gastroesophageal cancer and demonstrate that treatment with bemarituzumab in combination with chemotherapy can deliver a clinically significant reduction in the risk of disease progression for patients whose tumors overexpress FGFR2b," said Daniel V.T. Catenacci, MD, PhD, medical oncologist and principal investigator at the University of Chicago. 

In April 2021, bemarituzumab was granted Breakthrough Therapy Designation by the U.S. FDA based upon a subset of patients from the FIGHT trial who showed at least 10% of tumor cells overexpressing FGFR2b. Amgen continues to investigate the role of FGFR2b and will continue to work with regulatory agencies on next steps, including Phase 3 development, to bring this potential first-in-class therapy to patients.

About Bemarituzumab
Bemarituzumab (anti-FGFR2b) is a Phase 3 ready, potential first-in-class, investigational targeted antibody that is designed to block specific fibroblast growth factors (FGFs) from binding and activating FGFR2b, inhibiting several downstream pro-tumor signaling pathways and potentially slowing cancer progression. Bemarituzumab is being developed in gastric and GEJ cancer as a targeted therapy for tumors that overexpress FGFR2b. The company is also evaluating the potential for bemarituzumab in other cancers that overexpress FGFR2b.

Zai Lab (Shanghai) Co. Ltd. was granted an exclusive license to develop and commercialize bemarituzumab in Greater China, and Zai Lab collaborated with Five Prime on the Phase 2 FIGHT trial in Greater China.

About FIGHT
The FIGHT trial evaluated bemarituzumab plus chemotherapy (mFOLFOX6) versus chemotherapy alone in patients with FGFR2b-positive, HER2-negative frontline advanced gastric or GEJ cancer. In the study, treatment with bemarituzumab plus chemotherapy demonstrated clinically significant and substantial improvements in the primary endpoint of progression-free survival (PFS) and secondary endpoint of overall survival (OS) in the patient population in which at least 10% of tumor cells overexpressed FGFR2b. Additional analysis showed a positive correlation between benefit and the prevalence of FGFR2b+ tumor cells, affirming both the importance of the FGFR2b target and the activity of bemarituzumab against this target.  The Breakthrough Therapy Designation was granted based upon this subset of patients who showed at least 10% of tumor cells overexpressing FGFR2b.

About Amgen Oncology
At Amgen Oncology, our mission to serve patients drives all that we do. That's why we're relentlessly focused on accelerating the delivery of medicines that have the potential to empower all angles of care and transform lives of people with cancer.  

For the last four decades, we have been dedicated to discovering the firsts that matter in oncology and to finding ways to reduce the burden of cancer. Building on our heritage, Amgen continues to advance the largest pipeline in the Company's history, moving with great speed to advance those innovations for the patients who need them.

At Amgen, we're advancing oncology at the speed of life™.

For more information, follow us on www.twitter.com/amgenoncology.

About Amgen
Amgen is committed to unlocking the potential of biology for patients suffering from serious illnesses by discovering, developing, manufacturing and delivering innovative human therapeutics. This approach begins by using tools like advanced human genetics to unravel the complexities of disease and understand the fundamentals of human biology.

Amgen focuses on areas of high unmet medical need and leverages its expertise to strive for solutions that improve health outcomes and dramatically improve people's lives. A biotechnology pioneer since 1980, Amgen has grown to be one of the world's leading independent biotechnology companies, has reached millions of patients around the world and is developing a pipeline of medicines with breakaway potential.

For more information, visit www.amgen.com and follow us on www.twitter.com/amgen.

Forward-Looking Statements
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CONTACT: Amgen, Thousand Oaks
Megan Fox, 805-447-1423 (media)
Arvind Sood, 805-447-1060 (investors)

References
¹ Bray F, et al. CA Cancer J Clin. 2018;68:394–424.
² Rawla P, et al. Prz Gastroenterol. 2019;14(1):26-38. doi:10.5114/pg.2018.80001.
³ Shitara K et al. NEJM. 2020; 382;25: 2419-30.
⁴ Wainberg ZA, et al. Presented at: ASCO Gastrointestinal Cancer Symposium; January 15-16, 2021; Online Virtual Scientific Program (Abstract LBA160 and oral presentation).

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