Genentech Provides Update on Tecentriq U.S. Indication in Prior-Platinum Treated Metastatic Bladder Cancer

March 8, 2021 |

12 min read

Genentech, a member of the Roche Group, announced that the company is voluntarily withdrawing the U.S. indication for Tecentriq® in prior-platinum treated metastatic urothelial carcinoma.

March 8, 2021 06:00 UTC

SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Genentech, a member of the Roche Group (SIX: RO, ROG; OTCQX: RHHBY), today announced that the company is voluntarily withdrawing the U.S. indication for Tecentriq^® (atezolizumab) in prior-platinum treated metastatic urothelial carcinoma (mUC, bladder cancer). This decision was made in consultation with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as part of an industry-wide review of accelerated approvals with confirmatory trials that have not met their primary endpoint(s) and have yet to gain regular approvals. Genentech will work with the FDA over the coming weeks to complete the withdrawal process. This decision does not affect other approved indications for Tecentriq. Genentech is notifying healthcare professionals about this withdrawal. Patients being treated with Tecentriq for prior-platinum treated mUC should discuss their care with their healthcare provider.

“The Accelerated Approval Program allows people with difficult-to-treat cancers to receive certain new therapies earlier,” said Levi Garraway, M.D., Ph.D., chief medical officer and head of Global Product Development. “While the withdrawal of Tecentriq for prior-platinum treated bladder cancer is disappointing, Tecentriq continues to demonstrate benefits across multiple cancer types and therefore remains a meaningful treatment option for many patients.”

The FDA’s Accelerated Approval Program allows conditional approval of a medicine that fills an unmet medical need for a serious condition, with specific post marketing requirements (PMRs) to confirm the clinical benefit and convert to regular approval.

Tecentriq was granted accelerated approval in 2016 for the treatment of prior-platinum treated mUC based on the results from the IMvigor210 study (Cohort 2). Continued approval for this indication was contingent upon the results of IMvigor211, the original PMR for the prior-platinum mUC indication. This study did not meet its primary endpoint of overall survival in the PD-L1 high patient population. Subsequently, the FDA designated the IMvigor130 study as the PMR which will still continue until the final analysis. However, as the treatment landscape in prior-platinum (second-line) mUC has rapidly evolved with the emergence of new treatment options, Genentech is voluntarily withdrawing this indication in recognition of the principles of the Accelerated Approval Program.

About Tecentriq (atezolizumab)

Tecentriq is a monoclonal antibody designed to bind with a protein called PD-L1. Tecentriq is designed to bind to PD-L1 expressed on tumor cells and tumor-infiltrating immune cells, blocking its interactions with both PD-1 and B7.1 receptors. By inhibiting PD-L1, Tecentriq may enable the re-activation of T cells. Tecentriq may also affect normal cells.

Tecentriq U.S. Indications

Tecentriq is a prescription medicine used to treat adults with:

A type of bladder and urinary tract cancer called urothelial carcinoma.

Tecentriq may be used in patients with urothelial carcinoma if their bladder cancer has spread or cannot be removed by surgery, and if they have any one of the following conditions:

They are not able to take chemotherapy that contains a medicine called cisplatin and their cancer tests positive for “PD-L1” or
They are not able to take chemotherapy that contains any platinum regardless of the levels of “PD-L1” status or
They have tried chemotherapy that contains platinum and it did not work or is no longer working

The approval of Tecentriq in these patients is based on a study that measured the amount of time until patients’ disease worsened. Continued approval for this use may depend on the results of an ongoing study to confirm benefit.

A type of lung cancer called non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Tecentriq may be used alone as the first treatment in patients with lung cancer if:

Their cancer has spread or grown, and
Their cancer tests positive for “high PD-L1” and
Their tumor does not have an abnormal “EGFR” or “ALK” gene.

Tecentriq may be used with the medicines bevacizumab, paclitaxel, and carboplatin as the first treatment in patients with lung cancer if:

Their cancer has spread or grown and
Is a type of lung cancer called “non-squamous NSCLC” and
Their tumor does not have an abnormal “EGFR” or “ALK” gene

Tecentriq may be used with the medicines paclitaxel protein-bound and carboplatin as the first treatment in patients with lung cancer if:

Their cancer has spread or grown and
Is a type of lung cancer called “non-squamous NSCLC” and
Their tumor does not have an abnormal “EGFR” or “ALK” gene

Tecentriq may be used alone in patients with lung cancer if:

Their cancer has spread or grown and
They have tried chemotherapy that contains platinum, and it did not work or is no longer working
If a patient’s tumor has an abnormal EGFR or ALK gene, they should have also tried an FDA-approved therapy for tumors with these abnormal genes, and it did not work or is no longer working.

A type of breast cancer called triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC).

Tecentriq may be used with the medicine paclitaxel protein-bound in patients with TNBC when their breast cancer:

Has spread or cannot be removed by surgery and
Their cancer tests positive for “PD-L1”

Tecentriq is not for use with the medicine paclitaxel (a different medicine than paclitaxel protein-bound) in patients with TNBC when their breast cancer has spread or cannot be removed by surgery.

A type of lung cancer called small cell lung cancer (SCLC).

Tecentriq may be used with the chemotherapy medicines carboplatin and etoposide as the first treatment in patients with SCLC when their lung cancer:

is a type called “extensive-stage small cell lung cancer,” which means that it has spread or grown.

A type of liver cancer called hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Tecentriq may be used with the medicine bevacizumab in patients with HCC if:

Their cancer has spread or cannot be removed by surgery, and
They have not received other medicines by mouth or injection through their vein (IV) to treat their cancer.

A type of skin cancer called melanoma.

Tecentriq may be used with the medicines cobimetinib and vemurafenib when in patients with melanoma when their skin cancer:

has spread to other parts of the body or cannot be removed by surgery, and
has a certain type of abnormal “BRAF” gene.

Healthcare providers will perform a test to make sure this Tecentriq combination is right for the patient.

It is not known if Tecentriq is safe and effective in children.

Important Safety Information

The most important information about Tecentriq is:

Tecentriq can cause the immune system to attack normal organs and tissues and can affect the way they work. These problems can sometimes become serious or life-threatening and can lead to death. Patients can have more than one of these problems at the same time. These problems may happen anytime during treatment or even after treatment has ended.

Patients should call or see their healthcare provider right away if they get any symptoms of the following problems or these symptoms get worse.

Lung problems

Cough
Shortness of breath
Chest pain

Intestinal problems

Diarrhea (loose stools) or more bowel movements than usual
Blood or mucus in stools or dark, tarry, sticky stools
Severe stomach area (abdomen) pain or tenderness

Liver problems

Yellowing of the skin or the whites of the eyes
Severe nausea or vomiting
Pain on the right side of the stomach area (abdomen)
Drowsiness, dark urine (tea-colored)
Bleeding or bruising more easily than normal and feeling less hungry than usual

Hormone gland problems

Headaches that will not go away or unusual headaches
Eye sensitivity to light
Eye problems
Rapid heartbeat
Increased sweating
Extreme tiredness
Weight gain or weight loss
Feeling more hungry or thirsty than usual
Urinating more often than usual
Hair loss
Feeling cold
Constipation
The voice gets deeper
Dizziness or fainting

Kidney problems

Urinating less than usual
Blood in the urine
Swelling of your ankles
Loss of appetite

Skin problems

Rash
Itching
Skin blistering or peeling
Painful sores or ulcers in mouth or nose, throat, or genital area
Fever or flu-like symptoms
Swollen lymph nodes

Problems can also happen in other organs.

These are not all of the signs and symptoms of immune system problems that can happen with Tecentriq. Patients should call or see their healthcare provider right away for any new or worse signs or symptoms, including:

Chest pain, irregular heartbeat, shortness of breath, or swelling of ankles
Confusion, sleepiness, memory problems, changes in mood or behavior, stiff neck, balance problems, tingling or numbness of the arms or legs
Double vision, blurry vision, sensitivity to light, eye pain, changes in eyesight
Persistent or severe muscle pain or weakness, muscle cramps
Low red blood cells, bruising

Infusion reactions that can sometimes be severe or life-threatening. Signs and symptoms of infusion reactions may include:

Chills or shaking
Itching or rash
Flushing
Shortness of breath or wheezing
Dizziness
Feeling like passing out
Fever
Back or neck pain

Complications, including graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), in people who have received a bone marrow (stem cell) transplant that uses donor stem cells (allogeneic).

These complications can be serious and can lead to death. These complications may happen if a patient underwent transplantation either before or after being treated with Tecentriq. A patient’s healthcare provider will monitor them for these complications.

Getting medical treatment right away may help keep these problems from becoming more serious. A healthcare provider will check patients for these problems during their treatment with Tecentriq. A healthcare provider may treat patients with corticosteroid or hormone replacement medicines. A healthcare provider may delay or completely stop treatment with Tecentriq if patients have severe side effects.

Before receiving Tecentriq, patients should tell their healthcare provider about all of their medical conditions, including if they:

Have immune system problems (such as Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, or lupus)
Have had an organ transplant
Have received or plan to receive a stem cell transplant that uses donor stem cells (allogeneic)
Have received radiation treatment to their chest area
Have a condition that affects the nervous system (such as myasthenia gravis or Guillain-Barre syndrome)
Are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. Tecentriq can harm an unborn baby.
- Patients should tell their healthcare provider right away if they become pregnant or think they may be pregnant during treatment with Tecentriq.
- Females who are able to become pregnant:
  - Should have a healthcare provider do a pregnancy test before they start treatment with Tecentriq and
  - Should use an effective method of birth control during their treatment and for at least 5 months after the last dose of Tecentriq
Are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. It is not known if Tecentriq passes into breast milk. Patients should not breastfeed during treatment and for at least 5 months after the last dose of Tecentriq

Patients should tell their healthcare provider about all the medicines they take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.

The most common side effects of Tecentriq when used alone include:

Feeling tired or weak
Nausea
Cough
Shortness of breath
Decreased appetite

The most common side effects of Tecentriq when used in lung cancer with other anti-cancer medicines include:

Feeling tired or weak
Nausea
Hair loss
Constipation
Diarrhea
Decreased appetite

The most common side effects of Tecentriq when used in TNBC with paclitaxel protein-bound include:

A decrease in hemoglobin (anemia)
Decreased white blood cells
Hair loss
Tingling or numbness in hands and feet
Feeling tired
Nausea
Diarrhea
Constipation
Cough
Headache
Vomiting
Decreased appetite

The most common side effects of Tecentriq when used in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with bevacizumab include:

High blood pressure
Feeling tired or weak
Too much protein in the urine

The most common side effects of Tecentriq when used in melanoma with cobimetinib and vemurafenib include:

Skin rash
Joint, muscle, or bone pain
Feeling tired or weak
Liver injury
Fever
Nausea
Itching
Swelling of legs or arms
Mouth swelling (sometimes with sores)
Low thyroid hormone levels
Sunburn or sun sensitivity

Tecentriq may cause fertility problems in females, which may affect their ability to have children. Patients should talk to their healthcare provider if they have concerns about fertility.

These are not all the possible side effects of Tecentriq. Patients should ask their healthcare provider or pharmacist for more information. Patients should call their doctor for medical advice about side effects of Tecentriq.

Report side effects to the FDA at (800) FDA-1088 or http://www.fda.gov/medwatch. Report side effects to Genentech at (888) 835-2555.

Please visit http://www.Tecentriq.com for the Full Tecentriq Prescribing Information for additional Important Safety Information.

About Genentech in cancer immunotherapy

Genentech has been developing medicines to redefine treatment in oncology for more than 35 years, and today, realizing the full potential of cancer immunotherapy is a major area of focus. With more than 20 immunotherapy molecules in development, Genentech is investigating the potential benefits of immunotherapy alone, and in combination with various chemotherapies, targeted therapies and other immunotherapies with the goal of providing each person with a treatment tailored to harness their own unique immune system.

In addition to Genentech’s approved PD-L1 checkpoint inhibitor, the company’s broad cancer immunotherapy pipeline includes other checkpoint inhibitors, individualized neoantigen therapies and T cell bispecific antibodies. For more information visit http://www.gene.com/cancer-immunotherapy.

About Genentech

Founded more than 40 years ago, Genentech is a leading biotechnology company that discovers, develops, manufactures and commercializes medicines to treat patients with serious and life-threatening medical conditions. The company, a member of the Roche Group, has headquarters in South San Francisco, California. For additional information about the company, please visit http://www.gene.com.