Business Wire

JANSSEN

9.2.2021 12:17:06 CET | Business Wire | Press release

Share
Janssen Presents Results from Phase 3 ACIS Study in Patients with Metastatic Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer Treated with Apalutamide▼ and Abiraterone Acetate Combination

FOR EMEA-BASED PHARMACEUTICAL TRADE AND MEDICAL MEDIA ONLY

NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION IN THE UK, BENELUX

The Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson today presented results from the randomised, placebo-controlled double-blind Phase 3 ACIS study, which met the primary endpoint of radiographic progression-free survival (rPFS) with a 31 percent reduction in the risk of radiographic progression or death in patients with chemotherapy-naïve metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) receiving androgen deprivation therapy (ADT). Patients in the trial received either a combination of apalutamide and abiraterone acetate plus prednisone (combination arm) or placebo and abiraterone acetate plus prednisone (control arm).1 Results will be featured in an oral presentation at the American Society of Clinical Oncology’s Genitourinary (ASCO GU) Cancers Symposium, taking place virtually February 11-13, 2021 (Abstract #9; Rapid Abstract Session: Prostate Cancer, February 11 06:45 AM-8:00 PM CET).

The primary efficacy analysis showed median rPFS was extended by six months in patients treated in the combination arm compared with patients in the control arm (22.6 vs 16.6 months; hazard ratio [HR] 0.69 [95% CI, 0.58-0.83]; p<0.0001). The HR for radiographic progression or death as assessed by blinded independent central review (BICR) was 0.864 [95% CI, 0.718–1.040]. According to an updated analysis performed at a median follow-up time of 54.8 months, a 30 percent reduction in the risk of radiographic progression or death was shown in the combination arm compared with the control arm (median time to rPFS 24 vs 16.6 months: HR 0.70 [95% CI, 0.60-0.83]). No statistically significant difference was demonstrated for secondary endpoints including overall survival (OS), time to initiation of cytotoxic chemotherapy, chronic opioid use, and pain progression between treatment arms.

The safety profile was consistent with prior studies of apalutamide, with no new safety signals observed. Grade 3/4 treatment emergent adverse events (TEAEs) were reported in 63.3 percent in the combination arm versus 56.2 percent in the control arm.1 Grade 3/4 TAEs that occurred more frequently in the combination versus control arm included fatigue (4.7 percent vs 3.9 percent), hypertension (20.6 versus 12.5 percent), fall (3.3 percent versus 0.6 percent), skin rash (4.5 percent vs. 0.4 percent), cardiac disorders (9 percent vs 5.7 percent), fractures and osteoporosis (4.1 percent vs 1.4 percent), and seizures (0.2 percent vs 0).1 Quality-of-life was comparable between treatment arms per Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy–Prostate – (FACT-P Total).

##ENDS##

About the ACIS Study 1

ACIS is a Phase 3 randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicentre clinical study evaluating the efficacy and safety of apalutamide and abiraterone acetate plus prednisone compared to placebo and abiraterone acetate plus prednisone in 982 patients with chemotherapy-naïve mCRPC disease who received ADT.1 Patients were randomised to receive either apalutamide and abiraterone acetate plus prednisone, or placebo and abiraterone acetate plus prednisone. The primary endpoint of the study was rPFS. Secondary endpoints of the study included OS, time to chronic opioid use, time to initiation of cytotoxic chemotherapy, and time to pain progression.1

About Metastatic Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer

Metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) characterises cancer that no longer responds to ADT and has spread to other parts of the body. The most common metastatic sites are bones, followed by lymph nodes, lungs, and liver.2 Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men in Europe, representing 25 percent of all male new cancer cases diagnosed.3 More than one million men around the world are diagnosed with prostate cancer each year.4

About apalutamide

Apalutamide is an orally administered, selective androgen receptor (AR) inhibitor approved in Europe and is indicated

  • in adult men for the treatment of non-metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (nmCRPC) who are at high risk of developing metastatic disease and
  • in adult men for the treatment of metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer (mHSPC), also known as metastatic castration-sensitive prostate cancer (mCSPC), in combination with androgen deprivation therapy (ADT).5

This medicinal product is subject to additional monitoring. This will allow quick identification of new safety information. Healthcare professionals are asked to report any suspected adverse reactions.

About abiraterone acetate

Abiraterone acetate, an orally administered androgen biosynthesis inhibitor, in combination with prednisone or prednisolone is approved in Europe for

  • the treatment of newly diagnosed high risk metastatic hormone sensitive prostate cancer (mHSPC) in adult men in combination with androgen deprivation therapy (ADT);
  • the treatment of metastatic castration resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) in adult men who are asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic after failure of ADT in whom chemotherapy is not yet clinically indicated, and
  • the treatment of mCRPC in adult men whose disease has progressed on or after a docetaxel-based chemotherapy regimen.6

Additionally, abiraterone acetate was approved for the treatment of high-risk metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer (mHSPC) by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on February 8, 2018.7,8 Since its first approval in Europe in 2011, abiraterone acetate has been approved in combination with prednisone or prednisolone, in more than 105 countries and has been prescribed to more than 700,000 patients worldwide.9

About The Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson

At Janssen, we’re creating a future where disease is a thing of the past. We’re the Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson, working tirelessly to make that future a reality for patients everywhere by fighting sickness with science, improving access with ingenuity, and healing hopelessness with heart. We focus on areas of medicine where we can make the biggest difference: Cardiovascular & Metabolism, Immunology, Infectious Diseases & Vaccines, Neuroscience, Oncology, and Pulmonary Hypertension.

Learn more at www.janssen.com/emea . Follow us at www.twitter.com/janssenEMEA for our latest news. Janssen Research & Development, LLC is part of the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson.

Date of preparation: February 2021

Job code: CP-209565

###

Cautions Concerning Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains "forward-looking statements" as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 regarding potential benefits and further benefits of apalutamide. The reader is cautioned not to rely on these forward-looking statements. These statements are based on current expectations of future events. If underlying assumptions prove inaccurate or known or unknown risks or uncertainties materialise, actual results could vary materially from the expectations and projections of Janssen Research & Development, LLC, any of the other Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies and/or Johnson & Johnson. Risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: challenges and uncertainties inherent in product research and development, including the uncertainty of clinical success and of obtaining regulatory approvals; uncertainty of commercial success; manufacturing difficulties and delays; competition, including technological advances, new products and patents attained by competitors; challenges to patents; product efficacy or safety concerns resulting in product recalls or regulatory action; changes in behaviour and spending patterns of purchasers of health care products and services; changes to applicable laws and regulations, including global health care reforms; and trends toward health care cost containment. A further list and descriptions of these risks, uncertainties and other factors can be found in Johnson & Johnson's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 30, 2019, including in the sections captioned “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” and “Item 1A. Risk Factors,” and in the company’s most recently filed Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, and the company’s subsequent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Copies of these filings are available online at www.sec.gov , www.jnj.com or on request from Johnson & Johnson. None of the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies nor Johnson & Johnson undertakes to update any forward-looking statement as a result of new information or future events or developments.

References


1 Rathkopf. Dana E. Final Results From ACIS, a Randomized, Placebo (PBO)-Controlled Double-Blind Phase 3 Study of Apalutamide (APA) and Abiraterone Acetate Plus Prednisone (AAP) Versus AAP in Patients (Pts) With Chemo-Naive Metastatic Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer (mCRPC). Abstract #9.

2 Cancer.org. Understanding advanced cancer, metastatic cancer, and bone metastasis. https://www.cancer.org/treatment/understanding-your-diagnosis/advanced-cancer/what-is.html . Last accessed February 2021.

3 HEAL. Men Prostate cancer. Available https://www.env-health.org/IMG/pdf/prostate_testical.pdf Last accessed February 2021.

4 World Health Organization. "Globocan 2012: Prostate Cancer: Incidence, Mortality and Prevalence Worldwide, 2012." http://gco.iarc.fr/today/data/pdf/fact-sheets/cancers/cancer-fact-sheets-19.pdf . Accessed February 2021.

5 European Medicines Agency. ERLEADA. Available at: https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/documents/product-information/erleada-epar-product-information_en.pdf . Last accessed February 2021.

6 European Medicines Agency. ZYTIGA. Available at: https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/documents/product-information/zytiga-epar-product-information_en.pdf , Last accessed February 2021.

7 ZYTIGA® U.S. Prescribing Information, October 2020.

8 Johnson & Johnson. Press Release. ZYTIGA® (abiraterone acetate) Plus Prednisone Approved for Treatment of Earlier Form of Metastatic Prostate Cancer. Available at: https://www.jnj.com/media-center/press-releases/zytiga-abiraterone-acetate-plus-prednisone-approved-for-treatment-of-earlier-form-of-metastatic-prostate-cancer . Last accessed January 2021

9 Data on file

About Business Wire

Business Wire
Business Wire
101 California Street, 20th Floor
CA 94111 San Francisco

http://businesswire.com

Subscribe to releases from Business Wire

Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.

Latest releases from Business Wire

Owkin to License K Pro AI Scientist and Multimodal Oncology and Immunology Datato Boehringer Ingelheim2.9.2026 14:00:00 CEST | Press release

Owkin, the agentic AI company striving to transform drug discovery and development for biopharma, today announced a license agreement with Boehringer Ingelheim for K Pro, Owkin’s AI Scientist, together with multimodal patient data, aiming to speed up the discovery process across multiple indications in oncology and immunology. This agreement builds upon an initial pilot undertaken by Owkin with Boehringer in 2025. In that pilot Owkin delivered deep spatial insights into the tumor microenvironment of a gene target through its MOSAIC dataset. Under the new agreement, Owkin will license multimodal oncology data to Boehringer and will generate new multimodal data in immunology. Owkin licenses, sources and generates multimodal patient data in collaboration with its global patient data network. Boehringer Ingelheim’s teams will access and analyze this data through K Pro, which provides a single environment to interrogate data and run reproducible analyses. K Pro’s reasoning capabilities supp

Biocytogen Enters into Non-Exclusive Licensing Agreement with Qilu Pharmaceutical for a Fully Human VHH Antibody to Support Innovative Drug Development in Neuroscience2.9.2026 14:00:00 CEST | Press release

Biocytogen Pharmaceuticals (Beijing) Co., Ltd. (“Biocytogen”, SSE: 688796; HKEX: 02315) today announced that it has entered into a non-exclusive licensing agreement with Qilu Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (“Qilu Pharmaceutical”) for a fully human VHH antibody molecule. Under the agreement, Biocytogen will grant Qilu Pharmaceutical non-exclusive rights to a fully human VHH antibody molecule to support its research and development of innovative therapeutics in the neuroscience field. The licensed VHH antibody molecule was generated from Biocytogen’s proprietary RenNano® platform. The RenNano® platform is designed to discover fully human VHH antibody molecules with favorable specificity, binding affinity, and developability, and can generate molecular building blocks for the design and development of VHH antibodies, bispecific/multispecific antibodies, antibody-drug conjugates, and other innovative modalities. Through this license, Qilu Pharmaceutical may advance the research and development o

Croma-Pharma Introduces Electronic Instructions for Use Across the saypha® Portfolio2.9.2026 13:37:00 CEST | Press release

Healthcare professionals in eligible markets can now access the Instructions for Use for the saypha® portfolio digitally by scanning a QR code on the product packaging Croma-Pharma has introduced electronic Instructions for Use (eIFU) across its saypha® portfolio in markets where applicable regulations permit electronic Instructions for Use to replace printed versions. The transition expands digital access to essential product information for healthcare professionals while reducing the use of printed documentation. Healthcare professionals can access the current approved Instructions for Use by scanning the QR code on the saypha® folding box. The eIFU platform provides direct digital access to the latest approved Instructions for Use. "Innovation extends beyond product development. It also includes how we provide healthcare professionals with access to essential product information," said Andreas Prinz, Chief Executive Officer of Croma-Pharma. "The introduction of electronic Instructio

Moving Forward in Oman: Orascom, Samih Sawiris and Muriya Keep Building2.9.2026 13:13:00 CEST | Press release

Orascom and Muriya press ahead across Hawana Salalah, Jebel Sifah and the US$90M+ As Sodah Island, signalling long-term conviction in Oman’s future, in step with Vision 2040. Across Oman, Orascom Development and its Sultanate platform, Muriya, are moving forward. While parts of the region grow cautious, Muriya has paused nothing, building and delivering across all three destinations: Hawana Salalah, Jebel Sifah and As Sodah Island. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260902781576/en/ Moving Forward in Oman: Orascom, Samih Sawiris and Muriya Keep Building (Photo: AETOSWire) The same steadiness runs through everything Samih Sawiris and Orascom have built, from El Gouna to Andermatt to Mamula Island: identifying extraordinary places and developing them for the long term. “Oman has everything we look for as a long-term developer: stability, natural beauty, and a clear direction for its future. Our continued investment

Aukera Closes €460 Million Structured Credit Facility Led by EIG to Support European Energy Infrastructure Portfolio2.9.2026 13:00:00 CEST | Press release

Aukera, the pan-European battery storage and renewable energy platform backed by AtlasInvest, Reggeborgh and SFPIM (Belgium's sovereign wealth fund), announced the closing of its €460 million structured credit facility, for which EIG, a leading institutional investor in the global energy and infrastructure sectors, served as the lead investor. With the financing in place, Aukera moves into its next phase of growth, combining capital, expertise and delivery capability to build a significant European energy infrastructure platform that develops, finances, constructs and operates assets at scale. The original facility included an initial €200 million commitment and an accordion feature of up to €250 million. The amended facility converts that accordion into a firmly committed €260 million Series 2 tranche, increasing total committed capital to €460 million. The additional capital will support the continued advancement of Aukera's portfolio of renewable energy generation, battery storage a

In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.

Visit our pressroom
World GlobeA line styled icon from Orion Icon Library.HiddenA line styled icon from Orion Icon Library.Eye