Seattle Genetics, Inc., a biotechnology company,  and Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited, a research-based global company, announced that the companies have achieved completion of target patient enrollment in the phase 3 ECHELON-1 clinical trial. ECHELON-1 is a randomized trial evaluating Adcetris (brentuximab vedotin) as part of a frontline combination chemotherapy regimen in patients with previously untreated advanced classical Hodgkin lymphoma (HL).

Adcetris is an antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) directed to CD30, a defining marker of classical HL. Adcetris is currently not approved for the frontline treatment of HL.

Patients in ECHELON-1 were randomized to receive either ABVD (Adriamycin, bleomycin, vinblastine, dacarbazine), a recognized standard of care for frontline HL, or a novel combination consisting of Adcetris+AVD, which removes bleomycin from the regimen. The trial has enrolled approximately 1,300 patients, although it remains open at select sites to complete enrollment of approximately 20 patients in an additional cohort to fulfill an ex-US regulatory commitment related to measurement of drug levels during treatment (pharmacokinetics). This continued enrollment will not affect the expected timing of data readout from the trial in the 2017 to 2018 timeframe, based on anticipated event rates. The ECHELON-1 trial is being conducted under a Special Protocol Assessment (SPA) agreement from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the trial also received European Medicines Agency (EMA) scientific advice.

“In the majority of the world, the standard of care for newly diagnosed Hodgkin lymphoma has not changed in more than three decades, and is based on the globally recognized ABVD regimen of four chemotherapy drugs. With the ECHELON-1 clinical trial, our goal is to redefine the standard of care with a novel Adcetris-based combination treatment regimen that improves patient outcomes with a manageable safety profile,” said Clay Siegall, Ph.D., president and chief executive officer of Seattle Genetics. “We look forward to reporting results from the ECHELON-1 trial to potentially support an Adcetris supplemental Biologics License Application seeking a label expansion for use in this setting.”

“Approximately 25 per cent of newly diagnosed Hodgkin lymphoma patients do not respond to initial therapy or relapse within the first two years. There is a significant need to identify additional potential therapies in this patient population that may provide a more durable response and fewer incidences of relapse,” said Dirk Huebner, MD, Global Clinical Lead, Takeda Oncology.

Data previously presented at the ASH Annual Meeting in 2012 and 2014 from a phase 1 trial evaluating Adcetris plus AVD demonstrated that 24 of 25 patients (96 per cent) achieved a complete remission. Long-term follow-up data demonstrated three-year overall survival was 100 per cent and three-year failure-free survival was 92 per cent. The most common adverse events of any grade occurring in more than 30 per cent of patients were neutropenia, nausea, peripheral sensory neuropathy, fatigue, vomiting, diarrhea, insomnia, bone pain, constipation and hair loss.

The randomized, open-label, phase 3 trial is investigating Adcetris+AVD versus ABVD as frontline therapy in patients with advanced classical HL. The primary endpoint is modified progression free survival per independent review facility assessment using the Cheson 2007 Revised Response Criteria for Malignant Lymphoma. Secondary endpoints include overall survival, complete remission and safety. The multi-center trial is being conducted in North America, Europe, South America, Australia, Asia and Africa. The study has enrolled approximately 1,300 patients who had histologically-confirmed diagnosis of Stage III or IV classical HL and had not been previously treated with systemic chemotherapy or radiotherapy. Data from the trial will be available when a pre-specified number of PFS events have occurred.

Lymphoma is a general term for a group of cancers that originate in the lymphatic system and is the most common type of blood cancer. There are two major categories of lymphoma: HL and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Classical HL is distinguished from other lymphomas by the characteristic presence of CD30-positive Reed-Sternberg cells.


Adcetris is being evaluated broadly in more than 30 ongoing clinical trials, including the phase 3 ALCANZA trial and two additional phase 3 studies, one in frontline classical HL and one in frontline mature T-cell lymphomas, as well as trials in many additional types of CD30-expressing malignancies, including B-cell lymphomas.


Adcetris is an ADC comprising an anti-CD30 monoclonal antibody attached by a protease-cleavable linker to a microtubule disrupting agent, monomethyl auristatin E (MMAE), utilizing Seattle Genetics’ proprietary technology. The ADC employs a linker system that is designed to be stable in the bloodstream but to release MMAE upon internalization into CD30-expressing tumor cells.

Adcetris for intravenous injection has received approval from the FDA for three indications: (1) regular approval for the treatment of patients with classical HL after failure of autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (auto-HSCT) or after failure of at least two prior multi-agent chemotherapy regimens in patients who are not auto-HSCT candidates, (2) regular approval for the treatment of classical HL patients at high risk of relapse or progression as post-auto-HSCT consolidation, and (3) accelerated approval for the treatment of patients with systemic anaplastic large cell lymphoma (sALCL) after failure of at least one prior multi-agent chemotherapy regimen. The sALCL indication is approved under accelerated approval based on overall response rate. Continued approval for the sALCL indication may be contingent upon verification and description of clinical benefit in confirmatory trials. Health Canada granted Adcetris approval with conditions for relapsed or refractory HL and sALCL.

Adcetris was granted conditional marketing authorization by the European Commission in October 2012 for two indications: (1) for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed or refractory CD30-positive HL following autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT), or following at least two prior therapies when ASCT or multi-agent chemotherapy is not a treatment option, and (2) the treatment of adult patients with relapsed or refractory sALCL. Adcetris has received marketing authorization by regulatory authorities in more than 55 countries. See important safety information below.

Seattle Genetics and Takeda are jointly developing Adcetris. Under the terms of the collaboration agreement, Seattle Genetics has US and Canadian commercialization rights and Takeda has rights to commercialize Adcetris in the rest of the world. Seattle Genetics and Takeda are funding joint development costs for Adcetris on a 50:50 basis, except in Japan where Takeda is solely responsible for development costs.