Benzinga | Jun 1, 2021 07:04AM EDT

BridgeBio Affiliate QED Therapeutics And Helsinn Group Announce FDA Approval Of TRUSELTIQ For Patients With Cholangiocarcinoma

* Pivotal study demonstrated a clinically meaningful rate of tumor shrinkage (overall response rate) and duration of response in patients with previously-treated advanced cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) harboring an FGFR2 fusion or rearrangement

* BridgeBio, through its affiliate QED ("BridgeBio"), and Helsinn will co-commercialize TRUSELTIQ in the U.S.

* TRUSELTIQ is BridgeBio's first FDA approved therapeutic in oncology and second approved therapeutic this year

BridgeBio Pharma, Inc. (NASDAQ:BBIO), through its affiliate QED Therapeutics, Inc., and Helsinn Group today announced that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved TRUSELTIQ(tm) (infigratinib) under the accelerated approval program for the treatment of patients with previously-treated locally advanced or metastatic cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) harboring an FGFR2 fusion or rearrangement. TRUSELTIQ is an orally administered, ATP-competitive, tyrosine kinase inhibitor of FGFR. In the pivotal trial of patients with advanced, unresectable CCA, an aggressive malignancy with poor prognosis, TRUSELTIQ led to cases of tumor shrinkage. CCA is known to affect approximately 20,000 people in the United States and European Union each year and has a median five-year survival rate of only 9%.1

"This is an important milestone for patients diagnosed with FGFR2-fusion-driven cholangiocarcinoma who have recurred after first-line therapy and are in need of targeted options for further treatment," said Susan Moran, M.D., M.S.C.E., Chief Medical Officer for QED. "Based on the efficacy seen to date, our team believes infigratinib possesses promise for a range of FGFR-driven conditions, including other cancers. We will continue to evaluate its safety and efficacy in these areas of unmet need."

The approval of TRUSELTIQ is based on a Phase 2 clinical study in which 108 patients who had undergone at least one prior treatment for advanced CCA received 125 mg of TRUSELTIQ daily for 21 days of 28-day cycles. Of these patients, 107 (99%) had Stage IV CCA. All patients had received at least 1 prior line of systemic therapy. The study's primary endpoint demonstrated a confirmed objective response rate (ORR) of 23% (95% CI 16-32%). The study also showed a median duration of response (DOR) of 5.0 months (95% CI 3.7--9.3 months). Common adverse reactions and laboratory abnormalities (of >30%) were increased creatinine, increased phosphate, decreased phosphate, nail toxicity, stomatitis, increased alkaline phosphatase, decreased hemoglobin, increased alanine aminotransferase, dry eye, fatigue, increased lipase, decreased lymphocytes, increased calcium, decreased sodium, alopecia, increased triglycerides, increased aspartate aminotransferase, decreased platelets, increased urate, palmar-plantar erythrodysesthesia syndrome, arthralgia, and dysgeusia. Please see below for additional important safety information for TRUSELTIQ.

The above data were presented at the 2021 American Society of Clinical Oncology Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium by the lead investigator, Milind Javle, M.D., Professor of Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.

"While targeted treatments have extended survival for many types of cancer, people diagnosed with cholangiocarcinoma have previously been presented with extremely limited treatment options coupled with low statistical survival data," said Dr. Javle. "In this study, TRUSELTIQ showed promise as a targeted treatment option for patients with FGFR2-fusion-driven cholangiocarcinoma with a well-tolerated safety profile in line with previous observations in this patient population."

"The approval of TRUSELTIQ provides a new and exciting treatment option for patients with CCA harboring an FGFR2 fusion," said Stacie Lindsey, Chief Executive Officer of the Cholangiocarcinoma Foundation. "We appreciate the fact that there is a robust patient support program, ForgingBridges, to help patients access care and support them throughout their treatment journey."

Additional marketing applications for infigratinib are currently under review in Australia and Canada under Project Orbis, an initiative of the FDA's Oncology Center of Excellence that allows for concurrent submission and review of oncology drugs among participating international regulatory agencies.

BridgeBio and Helsinn Group's affiliate, Helsinn Therapeutics (U.S.), Inc., will be jointly responsible for commercialization activities in the U.S. and will share U.S. profits and losses on an equal basis. Helsinn Group will have exclusive commercialization rights on infigratinib outside of the U.S., excluding China, Hong Kong and Macau. BridgeBio will be eligible for tiered royalties as a percentage of adjusted net sales, and payments totaling up to approximately $2.45 billion USD in the aggregate. Helsinn Group will fund the majority of ongoing and future research and development related to infigratinib in oncology. BridgeBio and Helsinn Group entered into a global collaboration and licensing agreement in March 2021. BridgeBio previously entered a strategic collaboration with LianBio for development and commercialization of infigratinib in oncology indications in China, Hong Kong and Macau.

Paul Rittman, Chief Executive Officer of Helsinn Therapeutics, said, "Today's FDA approval of TRUSELTIQ for patients with previously-treated locally advanced or metastatic CCA harboring an FGFR2 fusion or rearrangement provides a new therapy option for patients with a very low rate of survival. This new therapy has the potential to make a life changing impact on patients with few treatment options, and Helsinn Therapeutics looks forward to working with BridgeBio to make it widely accessible to health care providers and patients in the US."

ForgingBridges | TRUSELTIQ is a comprehensive patient support program designed specifically to provide education, access and affordability resources for patients during their TRUSELTIQ journey. For more information, visit: TRUSELTIQ.com/forgingbridges-overview.

Visit TRUSELTIQ.com for more information, including full Prescribing Information.