Pfizer-Genmab gets full USFDA approval for Tivdak to treat recurrent or metastatic cervical cancer

"Recurrent or metastatic cervical cancer is a particularly devastating and mostly incurable disease, and patients are in need of survival-extending treatment options,” said Chris Boshoff, M.D., Ph.D., Chief Oncology Officer, Executive Vice President at Pfizer. “The full approval by the FDA reinforces the important role of TIVDAK for these patients, as the first antibody-drug conjugate with statistically significant prolonged overall survival data.”

The approval is based on results from the global, randomized, Phase 3 innovaTV 301 clinical trial (NCT04697628), which met its primary endpoint, demonstrating overall survival (OS) benefit in adult patients with previously treated recurrent or metastatic cervical cancer treated with TIVDAK compared to chemotherapy. Secondary endpoints of progression-free survival (PFS) and confirmed objective response rate (ORR) were also met. In October 2023, results from the innovaTV 301 study were presented during the Presidential session at the European Society of Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress.

The innovaTV 301 study demonstrated a 30% reduction in the risk of death compared to chemotherapy (hazard ratio [HR]: 0.70 [95% CI: 0.54-0.89], two-sided p=0.0038)i. Median OS for patients treated with TIVDAK was 11.5 months [95% CI: 9.8-14.9] versus chemotherapy 9.5 months [95% CI: 7.9-10.7].

“The full FDA approval of TIVDAK represents a significant achievement for women with recurrent and metastatic cervical cancer, reinforcing TIVDAK as a treatment option that has proven to extend survival in patients whose disease has advanced after initial treatments,” said Jan van de Winkel, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of Genmab. “This milestone underscores the importance of our ongoing clinical development program to assess the full potential of tisotumab vedotin as a treatment option in other indications.”

The U.S. Prescribing Information for TIVDAK includes a BOXED WARNING for Ocular Toxicity as well as the following Warnings and Precautions: peripheral neuropathy, hemorrhage, pneumonitis, severe cutaneous adverse reactions, and embryo-fetal toxicity. 

The safety profile of TIVDAK in innovaTV 301 was consistent with its known safety profile as presented in the U.S. prescribing information. No new safety issues were identified. 

“As a treating physician, it is encouraging to see overall survival data among these patients and a manageable safety profile with tisotumab vedotin,” said Brian Slomovitz, M.D., Director of Gynecologic Oncology and Co-Chair of the Cancer Research Committee at Mount Sinai Medical Center, Miami Beach. “Treatment options for patients with advanced or recurrent cervical cancer are limited. The five-year survival rate for patients who have metastatic disease at diagnosis is less than 20% in the U.S. There is a high unmet need for more treatment options that have demonstrated survival benefit in the contemporary treatment landscape. The approval of tisotumab vedotin brings us a step closer to fulfilling that need.”

The sBLA application received a Priority Review Designation, which is granted by the FDA to medicines that may offer significant advances in treatment or may provide a treatment where no adequate therapy exists. TIVDAK was originally granted accelerated approval in the U.S. by the FDA in September 2021, based on tumor response and durability of response from the innovaTV 204 pivotal Phase 2 single-arm clinical trial evaluating TIVDAK in patients with previously treated recurrent or metastatic cervical cancer. The FDA’s approval of the sBLA converts the accelerated approval for TIVDAK to full approval in the U.S.

“This marks a great day for patients, especially adults battling advanced cervical cancer,” said Tamika Felder, cervical cancer patient advocate, and Founder and Chief Visionary Officer, Cervivor, Inc. “This full approval opens up new treatment paths for this patient community who have long faced limited options.”