On 8 November 2022, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved cemiplimab-rwlc (Libtayo, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc.) in combination with platinum-based chemotherapy for adult patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with no EGFR, ALK, or ROS1 aberrations.
Efficacy was evaluated in Study 16113 (NCT03409614), a randomised, multicentre, multinational, double-blind, active-controlled study in 466 patients with advanced NSCLC who had not received prior systemic treatment. Patients were randomised (2:1) to either cemiplimab-rwlc plus platinum-based chemotherapy every 3 weeks for 4 cycles followed by cemiplimab-rwlc and maintenance chemotherapy or placebo plus platinum-based chemotherapy every 3 weeks for 4 cycles followed by placebo and maintenance chemotherapy.
The main efficacy outcome measure was overall survival (OS). Additional efficacy outcome measures were progression-free survival (PFS) and overall response rate (ORR) as assessed by blinded independent central review (BICR).
Cemiplimab-rwlc plus platinum-based chemotherapy demonstrated a statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvement in OS compared to placebo plus chemotherapy (hazard ratio [HR] of 0.71, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.53, 0.93; two-sided p-value = 0.0140). Median OS was 21.9 months (95% CI 15.5, not evaluable) in the cemiplimab-rwlc plus chemotherapy arm and 13.0 months (95% CI 11.9, 16.1) in the placebo plus chemotherapy arm. Median PFS per BICR was 8.2 months (95% CI 6.4, 9.3) in the cemiplimab-rwlc plus chemotherapy arm and 5.0 months (95% CI 4.3, 6.2) in the placebo plus chemotherapy arm (HR 0.56, 95% CI 0.44, 0.70; p < 0.0001). Confirmed ORR per BICR was 43% (95% CI 38, 49) and 23% (95% CI 16, 30) in the respective treatments.
The most common (≥15%) adverse reactions were alopecia, musculoskeletal pain, nausea, fatigue, peripheral neuropathy, and decreased appetite.
The recommended cemiplimab-rwlc dose is 350 mg i.v. every 3 weeks. Refer to the prescribing information for the agents administered in combination with cemiplimab-rwlc for recommended dosing information, as appropriate.
Full prescribing information for Libtayo is available here.
This review used the Assessment Aid, a voluntary submission from the applicant to facilitate the FDA’s assessment.
Healthcare professionals should report all serious adverse events suspected to be associated with the use of any medicine and device to FDA’s MedWatch Reporting System.
For assistance with single-patient INDs for investigational oncology products, healthcare professionals may contact FDA’s Oncology Center of Excellence Project Facilitate.