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Novartis receives positive CHMP opinion for Kisqali® to help reduce risk of recurrence in people with HR+/HER2- early breast cancer

Source: GlobeNewswire
Novartis receives positive CHMP opinion for Kisqali® to help reduce risk of recurrence in people with HR+/HER2- early breast cancer
  • If approved, patients in Europe with stage II or III HR+/HER2- early breast cancer (EBC) at high risk of recurrence, including those with node-negative disease, will be eligible for adjuvant treatment with Kisqali® (ribociclib) in combination with an aromatase inhibitor1

  • Recommendation is based on the Phase III NATALEE trial, where Kisqali added to endocrine therapy (ET) significantly reduced the risk of recurrence by 25% versus ET alone across a broad population of patients with HR+/HER2- early breast cancer 2

  • People with stage II or III HR+/HER2- EBC face significant risk of recurrence – often as incurable metastatic disease – despite adjuvant ET and regardless of nodal involvement3,4

  • In September, Kisqali was approved by the FDA in this setting5; at ESMO 2024, an updated analysis from NATALEE was presented, showing a deepening invasive disease-free survival benefit6

Basel, October 18, 2024 – Novartis announced today that the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) has adopted a positive opinion and recommended granting marketing authorization for Kisqali® (ribociclib) for the adjuvant treatment of adults with hormone receptor-positive/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative (HR+/HER2-) early breast cancer (EBC), at high risk of disease recurrence, including those with node-negative disease1.

“One-third of people diagnosed with stage II breast cancer and more than half of those diagnosed with stage III will unfortunately experience a return of their cancer in the long term, often as metastatic disease,” said Peter A. Fasching, M.D., Professor of Translational Medicine, University Hospital Erlangen and Comprehensive Cancer Center Erlangen-EMN and NATALEE trial investigator. “If approved, Kisqali could provide an effective and tolerable adjuvant treatment option to mitigate the risk of recurrence in a broader patient population, particularly for patients who currently have limited treatment options, including those with high-risk node-negative disease.”

Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in Europe7. HR+/HER2- is the most common subtype, accounting for approximately 70% of all breast cancers, and more than 40% of these are diagnosed in stage II or III8-10.

The positive CHMP decision is based on robust data from the Phase III NATALEE trial2,11,12. In the trial, Kisqali plus endocrine therapy (ET), compared to ET alone, lowered the risk of cancer recurrence by 25.1% in patients with stage II and III HR+/HER2- EBC (HR=0.749; 95% CI: 0.628, 0.892; P=0.0006) and demonstrated a consistent, clinically meaningful invasive disease-free survival (iDFS) benefit across key pre-specified subgroups2,11. Data from the pivotal trial also showed the safety profile of Kisqali at the 400mg dose was well-tolerated with generally low-grade symptomatic adverse events2,11.

An updated analysis from the NATALEE trial recently presented at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress 2024 adds to the growing body of evidence supporting the potential of Kisqali to consistently reduce risk of recurrence across a broad population6. In the updated analysis, the iDFS benefit continued to deepen beyond the three-year Kisqali treatment period in all patient subgroups, including those with node-negative disease2.

“Today, many people diagnosed with HR+/HER2- early breast cancer in Europe lack options beyond endocrine therapy to help reduce their risk of cancer coming back. If approved, Kisqali could nearly double the number of patients eligible for CDK4/6 inhibitor adjuvant therapy,” said Patrick Horber M.D., President, International, Novartis. “Together with the recent FDA approval and late-breaking NATALEE data presented at ESMO, today’s positive CHMP recommendation further reinforces the differentiated profile of Kisqali as a new treatment option for a broad population of patients, including those with node-negative disease.”

Following the CHMP’s recommendation to approve Kisqali in a broad population of patients diagnosed with HR+/HER2- EBC at high risk of recurrence, the European Commission (EC) will take a final decision within approximately two months.

About NATALEE
NATALEE is a global Phase III multi-center, randomized, open-label trial to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Kisqali® (ribociclib) with ET as an investigational adjuvant treatment versus ET alone in patients with stage II and III HR+/HER2- EBC, being conducted in collaboration with TRIO2,13. The adjuvant ET in both treatment arms was a non-steroidal aromatase inhibitor (NSAI; anastrozole or letrozole) and goserelin if applicable2,13. The primary endpoint of NATALEE is invasive disease-free survival (iDFS) as defined by the Standardized Definitions for Efficacy End Points (STEEP) criteria2,13. A total of 5,101 adult patients with HR+/HER2- EBC across 20 countries were randomized in the trial2,13.

About Kisqali® (ribociclib)
Kisqali® (ribociclib) is a selective cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor, a class of drugs that help slow the progression of cancer by inhibiting two proteins called cyclin-dependent kinase 4 and 6 (CDK4/6). These proteins, when over-activated, can enable cancer cells to grow and divide too quickly. Targeting CDK4/6 with enhanced precision may play a role in ensuring that cancer cells do not continue to replicate uncontrollably.

Kisqali was approved as a treatment for early breast cancer by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in September 20245. Regulatory reviews for Kisqali as an EBC treatment are ongoing worldwide, including in the EU and China.

Kisqali has been approved as a treatment for metastatic breast cancer (MBC) patients in 99 countries worldwide, including by the U.S. FDA and the European Commission14,15. In the U.S., Kisqali is indicated for the treatment of adults with HR+/HER2- advanced or MBC in combination with an AI as initial ET or fulvestrant as initial ET or following disease progression on ET in post-menopausal women or in men14. In the EU, Kisqali is approved for the treatment of women with HR+/HER2- advanced or MBC in combination with either an AI or fulvestrant as initial ET or following disease progression15. In pre- or peri-menopausal women, the ET should be combined with a luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone agonist14,15.

In MBC, Kisqali has consistently demonstrated statistically significant overall survival benefit across three Phase III trials16-26. The NCCN Guidelines® for breast cancer recommend ribociclib (Kisqali) as the only Category 1 preferred CDK4/6 inhibitor for first-line treatment of people living with HR+/HER2- when combined with an AI, making Kisqali the preferred first-line treatment of choice for US prescribers in HR+/HER2- MBC27. Additionally, Kisqali has the highest rating of any CDK4/6 inhibitor on the ESMO Magnitude of Clinical Benefit Scale, achieving a score of five out of five for first-line pre-menopausal patients with HR+/HER2- advanced breast cancer28. Further, Kisqali in combination with either letrozole or fulvestrant has uniquely, among other CDK4/6 inhibitors, received a score of four out of five for post-menopausal patients with HR+/HER2- advanced breast cancer treated in the first line29.

Kisqali was developed by Novartis under a research collaboration with Astex Pharmaceuticals.

Please see full Prescribing Information for Kisqali, available at www.Kisqali.com

About Novartis in Breast Cancer
For more than 30 years, Novartis has been at the forefront of driving scientific advancements for people touched by breast cancer and improving clinical practice in collaboration with the global community. With one of the most comprehensive breast cancer portfolios and pipeline, Novartis leads the industry in discovery of new therapies and combinations in HR+/HER2- breast cancer, the most common form of the disease.

Disclaimer
This media update contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements can generally be identified by words such as “potential,” “can,” “will,” “plan,” “may,” “could,” “would,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “look forward,” “believe,” “committed,” “investigational,” “pipeline,” “launch,” or similar terms, or by express or implied discussions regarding potential marketing approvals, new indications or labeling for the investigational or approved products described in this media update, or regarding potential future revenues from such products. You should not place undue reliance on these statements. Such forward-looking statements are based on our current beliefs and expectations regarding future events and are subject to significant known and unknown risks and uncertainties. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements. There can be no guarantee that the investigational or approved products described in this media update will be submitted or approved for sale or for any additional indications or labeling in any market, or at any particular time. Nor can there be any guarantee that such products will be commercially successful in the future. In particular, our expectations regarding such products could be affected by, among other things, the uncertainties inherent in research and development, including clinical trial results and additional analysis of existing clinical data; regulatory actions or delays or government regulation generally; global trends toward health care cost containment, including government, payor and general public pricing and reimbursement pressures and requirements for increased pricing transparency; our ability to obtain or maintain proprietary intellectual property protection; the particular prescribing preferences of physicians and patients; general political, economic and business conditions, including the effects of and efforts to mitigate pandemic diseases; safety, quality, data integrity or manufacturing issues; potential or actual data security and data privacy breaches, or disruptions of our information technology systems, and other risks and factors referred to in Novartis AG’s current Form 20-F on file with the US Securities and Exchange Commission. Novartis is providing the information in this media update as of this date and does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this media update as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

About Novartis
Novartis is an innovative medicines company. Every day, we work to reimagine medicine to improve and extend people’s lives so that patients, healthcare professionals and societies are empowered in the face of serious disease. Our medicines reach more than 250 million people worldwide.

Reimagine medicine with us: Visit us at https://www.novartis.com and connect with us on LinkedIn, Facebook, X/Twitter and Instagram.

References

  1. European Medicines Agency (EMA). Meeting highlights from the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) 14-17 October 2024. October 18, 2024. Accessed October 18, 2024.
    https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/news/meeting-highlights-committee-medicinal-products-human-use-chmp14-17-october-2024
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  3. Pan H, Gray R, Braybrooke J, et al. 20-Year Risks of Breast-Cancer Recurrence after Stopping Endocrine Therapy at 5 Years. N Engl J Med. 2017;377(19):1836-1846. doi:10.1056/NEJMoa1701830
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  6. Fasching PA. Adjuvant Ribociclib (RIB) Plus Nonsteroidal Aromatase Inhibitor (NSAI) in Patients (Pts) With HR+/HER2− Early Breast Cancer (EBC): 4-Year Outcomes From the NATALEE Trial. LBA13. Proffered Paper presented at the European Society for Medical Oncology Congress (ESMO); September 16, 2024; Barcelona, Spain
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  11. Hortobagyi G, Stroyakovskiy D, Yardley DA, et al. Ribociclib (RIB) + nonsteroidal aromatase inhibitor (NSAI) as adjuvant treatment in patients with HR+/HER2- early breast cancer: final invasive disease-free survival (iDFS) analysis from the NATALEE trial. Presented at San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium (SABCS); December 8, 2023; San Antonio, USA
  12. Slamon D, Stroyakovskiy D, Yardley D, et al. Ribociclib and endocrine therapy as adjuvant treatment in patients with HR+/HER2− early breast cancer: primary results from the Phase III NATALEE trial. Presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting (ASCO); June 2, 2023; Chicago, USA.
  13. Clinicaltrials.gov. NCT03701334. A Trial to Evaluate Efficacy and Safety of Ribociclib With Endocrine Therapy as Adjuvant Treatment in Patients With HR+/ HER2- Early Breast Cancer (NATALEE). Updated October 10, 2024. Accessed October 14, 2024. https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT03701334.
  14. Kisqali. US FDA. Prescribing Information. Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation; 2024. Updated September 2024. Accessed October 15, 2024. https://www.novartis.com/us-en/sites/novartis_us/files/kisqali.pdf
  15. Kisqali. EMA. Summary of product characteristics (SmPC). Novartis Europharm Limited; 2024. Updated August 21, 2024. Accessed October 15, 2024. https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/documents/product-information/kisqali-epar-product-information_en.pdf
  16. Yardley DA, et al. Pooled exploratory analysis of survival in patients (pts) with HR+/HER2- advanced breast cancer (ABC) and visceral metastases (mets) treated with ribociclib (RIB) + endocrine therapy (ET) in the MONALEESA (ML) trials. Poster presented at the European Society of Medical Oncology Congress (ESMO); September 9-13, 2022; Paris, France
  17. Neven P, et al. Updated overall survival (OS) results from the first-line (1L) population in the Phase III MONALEESA-3 trial of postmenopausal patients with HR+/HER2- advanced breast cancer (ABC) treated with ribociclib (RIB) + fulvestrant (FUL). Mini oral presented at the European Society for Medical Oncology Breast Cancer Congress; May 4, 2022; Paris, France
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  19. Hortobagyi GN, et al. Overall survival (OS) results from the phase III MONALEESA (ML)-2 trial of postmenopausal patients with hormone receptor positive/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 negative (HR+/HER2−) advanced breast cancer (ABC) treated with endocrine therapy (ET) ± ribociclib. LBA 17. Proffered paper presented at the European Society of Medical Oncology Congress (ESMO); September 16-21, 2021; Lugano, Switzerland
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  22. Slamon D, et al. Overall survival (OS) results of the Phase III MONALEESA-3 trial of postmenopausal patients (pts) with hormone receptor-positive (HR+), human epidermal growth factor 2-negative (HER2-) advanced breast cancer (ABC) treated with fulvestrant (FUL) ± ribociclib (RIB). LBA7_PR. Presented at the European Society of Medical Oncology Congress (ESMO); September 29, 2019; Barcelona, Spain
  23. Slamon D, et al. Updated overall survival (OS) results from the Phase III MONALEESA-3 trial of postmenopausal patients (pts) with HR+/HER2− advanced breast cancer (ABC) treated with fulvestrant (FUL) ± ribociclib (RIB). Presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting (ASCO); June 5, 2021; Chicago, USA
  24. Tripathy D, et al. Updated overall survival (OS) results from the phase III MONALEESA-7 trial of pre- or perimenopausal patients with HR+/HER2− advanced breast cancer (ABC) treated with endocrine therapy (ET) ± ribociclib. Presented at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium (SABCS); December 9, 2020; Texas, USA
  25. Yardley DA, et al. Overall survival (OS) in patients (pts) with advanced breast cancer (ABC) with visceral metastases (mets), including those with liver mets, treated with ribociclib (RIB) plus endocrine therapy (ET) in the MONALEESA (ML) -3 and -7 trials. Presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting (ASCO); May 29-31, 2020; Chicago, USA
  26. O’Shaughnessy J, et al. Overall survival subgroup analysis by metastatic site from the Phase III MONALEESA-2 study of first-line ribociclib + letrozole in postmenopausal patients with HR+/HER2− advanced breast cancer. Presented at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium (SABCS); December 7-10, 2021; Texas, USA
  27. NCCN Guidelines. NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology (NCCN Guidelines®) – Breast Cancer Version 4.2024. Updated July 3, 2024. Accessed October 15, 2024. https://www.nccn.org/professionals/physician_gls/pdf/breast.pdf  
  28. European Society for Medical Oncology. Magnitude of Clinical Benefit Scale Scorecard. Updated August 14, 2023. Accessed October 15, 2024. https://www.esmo.org/guidelines/esmo-mcbs/esmo-mcbs-scorecards/scorecard-158-1
  29. European Society for Medical Oncology. Magnitude of Clinical Benefit Scale Scorecard. Updated April 25, 2024. Accessed October 15, 2025. https://www.esmo.org/guidelines/esmo-mcbs/esmo-mcbs-scorecards/scorecard-9-1

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