Novartis received approval from the European Commission for Tasigna (nilotinib) as a treatment for adult patients with newly diagnosed Philadelphia chromosome-positive chronic myeloid leukemia (Ph+ CML) in chronic phase.

The approval from the European Commission followed a positive opinion from the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP). It is based on findings from a pivotal phase III trial demonstrating superiority to the standard of care Glivec (imatinib) in achieving molecular and cytogenetic response and delaying cancer progression. These data were first published in the June 17 issue of The New England Journal of Medicine and were confirmed by 18-month median follow-up data presented at the 46th American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) annual meeting held in June.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Swissmedic and Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare have also approved Tasigna in this first-line indication. Regulatory submissions are under review in other countries worldwide.

"We are pleased that Tasigna is now approved for newly diagnosed Ph+ CML patients in chronic phase in the member states of the European Union," said Hervé Hoppenot, president, Novartis Oncology. "With this expanded indication, newly diagnosed patients can benefit from a Bcr-Abl tyrosine kinase inhibitor that, according to pivotal data, surpassed the standard of care Glivec, in key measures of efficacy, including delaying disease progression at 12 months."

In laboratory studies, Tasigna has been shown to be a potent and selective inhibitor of the Bcr-Abl protein that causes production of cancer cells in Ph+ CML. It has also been shown to be active against a broad spectrum of Bcr-Abl mutations associated with resistance to Glivec.

In its pivotal head-to-head trial, Tasigna surpassed Glivec in key measures of treatment efficacy, as has been reported. Tasigna eliminated Bcr-Abl faster and more deeply than Glivec and resulted in lower rates of cancer progression after 12 months of therapy. Major molecular response (MMR), a measure of deep reduction in Bcr-Abl, is considered to be a critical therapeutic milestone associated with good long-term outcomes for patients with Ph+ CML in chronic phase. Treatment with Tasigna led to higher rates of both MMR and complete cytogenetic response (CCyR) (undetectable levels of the Philadelphia chromosome that is the hallmark of this cancer) compared with Glivec.

After a median of 18 months of follow-up treatment, two patients on the Tasigna 300 mg twice daily arm progressed to either accelerated phase or blast crisis while 17 patients on the Glivec arm progressed to either accelerated phase or blast crisis. In the study, Tasigna and Glivec were generally well tolerated. Fewer patients discontinued due to adverse events from the Tasigna 300 mg twice daily arm of the study compared to the Glivec 400 mg once daily arm.

The randomized, open-label, multicenter trial, called ENESTnd (Evaluating Nilotinib Efficacy and Safety in Clinical Trials of Newly Diagnosed Ph+ CML Patients), compared the efficacy and safety of Tasigna versus Glivec in adult patients with newly diagnosed Ph+ CML in chronic phase. It is the largest global randomized comparison of two oral therapies ever conducted in newly diagnosed Ph+ CML patients in chronic phase.

This year, Novartis also began a collaboration with molecular diagnostics company Cepheid to develop a new FDA cleared/approved Bcr-Abl test, which adheres to the International Scale. The goal of the collaboration is to help doctors more reliably monitor Ph+ CML patients. Cepheid and Novartis also will develop a next generation test, which is expected to enable even more sensitive testing, indicating the depth of a patient's response to tyrosine kinase inhibitors, including Tasigna and Glivec. Currently, there are no FDA cleared/approved tests to monitor for Bcr-Abl.

Tasigna is indicated for the treatment of adult patients with newly diagnosed Philadelphia chromosome-positive chronic myelogenous leukaemia (CML) in the chronic phase.

Tasigna has also been approved in over 90 countries for the treatment of chronic phase and accelerated phase Ph+ CML in adult patients resistant or intolerant to at least one prior therapy, including Glivec. The effectiveness of Tasigna for this indication is based on confirmed haematologic and unconfirmed cytogenetic response rates. There are no controlled trials demonstrating a clinical benefit, such as improvement in disease-related symptoms or increased survival.

Glivec is approved in more than 110 countries, including the US, EU and Japan, for the treatment of all phases of Ph+ CML. Glivec is also approved in the US, EU and other countries for the treatment of patients with Kit (CD117)-positive gastrointestinal tumors (GIST), which cannot be surgically removed and/or have already spread to other parts of the body (metastasized). In the US and EU, Glivec is now approved for the post-surgery treatment of adult patients following complete surgical removal of Kit (CD117)-positive gastrointestinal stromal tumours. In the EU, Glivec is also approved for the treatment of adult patients with newly diagnosed Ph+ acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (Ph+ ALL) in combination with chemotherapy and as a single agent for patients with relapsed or refractory Ph+ ALL. Glivec is also approved for the treatment of adult patients with unresectable, recurrent and/or metastatic dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans (DFSP) who are not eligible for surgery. Glivec is also approved for the treatment of patients with myelodysplastic/myeloproliferative diseases (MDS/MPD). Glivec is also approved for hypereosinophilic syndrome and/or chronic eosinophilic leukaemia (HES/CEL).

The effectiveness of Glivec is based on overall haematological and cytogenetic response rates and progression-free survival in CML, on haematological and cytogenetic response rates in Ph+ ALL, MDS/MPD, on haematological response rates in systemic mastocytosis (SM), HES/CEL, on objective response rates and progression-free survival in unresectable and/or metastatic GIST, on recurrence free survival in adjuvant GIST and on objective response rates in DFSP. Increased survival in controlled trials has been demonstrated only in newly diagnosed chronic phase CML and GIST.