Benzinga | Jun 28, 2021 09:48AM EDT

Gilead's Yescarta Touts Positive Data In Second-Line Large B-Cell Lymphoma Patients

* Gilead Sciences Inc's (NASDAQ:GILD) unit Kite Pharma has announced top-line results from the primary analysis of ZUMA-7 of Yescarta (axicabtagene ciloleucel) compared to standard of care (SOC) in second-line relapsed or refractory large B-cell lymphoma (LBCL).

* Yescarta boosted event-free survival (EFS) over a standard of care regimen of physicians'-choice therapy followed by high-dose chemo plus a stem cell transplant.

* At a two-year check-in, patients dosed with Yescarta posted a 60% relative increase in EFS over the standard of care.

* The study also hit its secondary objective response rate endpoint, but overall survival data were still too immature to judge, Kite said.

* The safety results from the study, which enrolled 359 patients across 77 treatment centers, were consistent with prior trials.

* 6% of patients experienced grade 3 or higher cytokine release syndrome.

* Kite plans to submit the data for regulatory approval in the US and EU later this year and present updated data at an upcoming medical meeting.

* Price Action: GILD shares are up 0.87% at $68.47 during the market session on the last check Monday.