With this BLA, Genentech is seeking approval for polatuzumab vedotin in combination with bendamustine and rituximab (BR) to treat patients with relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL).
The FDA grants priority review to applications for products that are expected to provide significant improvements in the treatment, diagnosis, or prevention of serious conditions. The agency aims to take action on a priority review application within 6 months, rather than the standard 10 months.
The FDA is expected to make a decision on this BLA by Aug. 19, 2019.
The BLA is supported by a phase 1b/2 trial (NCT02257567) of patients with relapsed or refractory follicular lymphoma or DLBCL who received polatuzumab vedotin in combination with BR or obinutuzumab.
The trial’s phase 2 stage included 80 DLBCL patients who were randomized to receive BR or BR plus polatuzumab vedotin, according to Genentech.
The complete response rate was 40% in the polatuzumab vedotin arm and 18% in the BR arm. The median duration of response was 10.3 months and 4.1 months, respectively (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.44).
The median progression-free survival was 7.6 months in the polatuzumab vedotin arm and 2.0 months in the BR arm (HR = 0.34).
Among patients who were ineligible for a transplant, the median overall survival (an exploratory endpoint) was 12.4 months in the polatuzumab vedotin arm and 4.7 months in the BR arm (HR = 0.42).
Patients who received polatuzumab vedotin had higher rates of grade 3-4 cytopenias, compared with patients who received BR alone. Rates of infection and transfusion were similar between the arms.