SAN MATEO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--BeiGene, Ltd. (NASDAQ: BGNE; HKEX: 06160; SSE: 688235), a global oncology company, today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Fast Track Designation to BGB-16673, an orally available investigational Bruton’s tyrosine kinase (BTK) targeting chimeric degradation activation compound (CDAC), for adult patients with relapsed or refractory (R/R) chronic lymphocytic leukemia or small lymphocytic lymphoma (CLL/SLL) who have been previously treated with at least two prior lines of therapy, including BTK inhibitor (BTKi) and B-cell lymphoma 2 (BCL2) inhibitor.
The FDA’s Fast track designation is aimed to facilitate the development and expedite the review of drugs to treat serious conditions and fill an unmet medical need. The purpose is to get important new drugs to patients earlier.
“When disease progression for patients on BTK inhibitors occurs, there is a need for BTK-targeting agents with a different mode of action given the centrality of this pathway in CLL/SLL. BTK-protein degradation with our BTK CDAC (BGB-16673) may address this unmet need,” said Mehrdad Mobasher, M.D., M.P.H., Chief Medical Officer, Hematology. “The FDA’s Fast Track Designation supports our goal of efficiently developing BGB-16673 for these patients, the first investigational drug from our CDAC platform. We believe BGB-16673 strengthens our hematology leadership and complements BRUKINSA (zanubrutinib), the backbone for our investigational hematology pipeline. BGB-16673 is the most advanced BTK degrader in the clinic and is well-suited to become an important therapy for patients progressing after BTKi who have limited options.”
The designation was requested based on the potential for BGB-16673 to address an unmet medical need for patients CLL/SLL whose disease has progressed. Data from ongoing first-in-human Phase 1/2 (NCT05006716) presented at the European Hematology Association 2024 Hybrid Congress in June highlighted the tolerable safety and promising efficacy in heavily pretreated patients with R/R CLL/SLL. More than 300 patients have been treated to date in 15 countries across the BGB-16673 global clinical development program.
About Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia
A life-threatening cancer of adults, chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is a type of mature B-cell malignancy in which abnormal leukemic B lymphocytes (a type of white blood cells) arise from the bone marrow and flood peripheral blood, bone marrow, and lymphoid tissues.1,2 CLL is the most common type of leukemia in adults, accounting for about one-third of new cases of leukemia.2,3 Approximately 20,700 new cases of CLL will be diagnosed in the U.S. in 2024.3
About BGB-16673
BGB-16673 is an orally available Bruton’s tyrosine kinase (BTK) targeting chimeric degradation activation compound (CDAC) designed to induce degradation of wildtype and multiple mutant forms of BTK, including those that commonly confer resistance to BTK inhibitors in patients who experience progressive disease.
About BeiGene
BeiGene is a global oncology company that is discovering and developing innovative treatments that are more affordable and accessible to cancer patients worldwide. With a broad portfolio, we are expediting development of our diverse pipeline of novel therapeutics through our internal capabilities and collaborations. We are committed to radically improving access to medicines for far more patients who need them. Our growing global team of more than 10,000 colleagues spans five continents. To learn more about BeiGene, please visit www.beigene.com and follow us on LinkedIn, X (formerly known as Twitter), Facebook and Instagram.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and other federal securities laws, including statements regarding the ability of BGB-16673 to fulfill an unmet medical need; BeiGene’s ability to efficiently develop BGB-16673; whether BGB-16673 becomes an important therapy for patients progressing after BTKi who have limited options; and BeiGene’s plans, commitments, aspirations, and goals under the heading “About BeiGene.” Actual results may differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements as a result of various important factors, including BeiGene’s ability to demonstrate the efficacy and safety of its drug candidates; the clinical results for its drug candidates, which may not support further development or marketing approval; actions of regulatory agencies, which may affect the initiation, timing, and progress of clinical trials and marketing approval; BeiGene’s ability to achieve commercial success for its marketed medicines and drug candidates, if approved; BeiGene’s ability to obtain and maintain protection of intellectual property for its medicines and technology; BeiGene’s reliance on third parties to conduct drug development, manufacturing, commercialization, and other services; BeiGene’s limited experience in obtaining regulatory approvals and commercializing pharmaceutical products; BeiGene’s ability to obtain additional funding for operations and to complete the development of its drug candidates and achieve and maintain profitability; and those risks more fully discussed in the section entitled “Risk Factors” in BeiGene’s most recent quarterly report on Form 10-Q, as well as discussions of potential risks, uncertainties, and other important factors in BeiGene’s subsequent filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. All information in this press release is as of the date of this press release, and BeiGene undertakes no duty to update such information unless required by law.
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1 National Cancer Institute. Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Treatment (PDQ)–Patient Version. Accessed November 2023. https://www.cancer.gov/types/leukemia/hp/cll-treatment-pdq.
2 American Cancer Society. What is Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia? Updated May 10, 2018. Accessed November 2023. https://www.cancer.org/cancer/types/chronic-lymphocytic-leukemia/about/what-is-cll.html.
3 American Cancer Society. Key Statistics for Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia. Updated July 1, 2024. Accessed August 2024. https://www.cancer.org/cancer/types/chronic-lymphocytic-leukemia/about/key-statistics.html.
