Exelixis: FDA OKs CABOMETYX for Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Exelixis, Inc. (NASDAQ:EXEL) today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved CABOMETYX^® (cabozantinib) tablets for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) who have been previously treated with sorafenib. HCC is the most common form of liver cancer and the fastest-rising cause of cancer-related death in the U.S.¹

“This new indication for CABOMETYX is an important treatment advance for patients with this aggressive form of liver cancer, a community in need of new therapeutic options,” said Michael M. Morrissey, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of Exelixis. “This approval is an important milestone as we continue to explore how CABOMETYX may benefit people with difficult-to-treat-cancers beyond renal cell carcinoma. We would like to thank the patients and clinicians who participated in CELESTIAL and to acknowledge the team at the FDA for their continued collaboration during the review of our application.”

The FDA’s approval of CABOMETYX was based on results from the CELESTIAL phase 3 pivotal trial of CABOMETYX for patients with advanced HCC who received prior sorafenib. CABOMETYX demonstrated a statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvement in overall survival (OS) versus placebo. On November 15, 2018, Exelixis’ partner Ipsen received approval from the European Commission for CABOMETYX tablets as a monotherapy for HCC in adults who have previously been treated with sorafenib.

“Patients with this form of advanced liver cancer have few treatment options, particularly once their disease progresses following treatment with sorafenib,” said Ghassan K. Abou-Alfa, M.D., Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York and lead investigator on CELESTIAL. “Physicians are eager for new options for these patients, and the results of the CELESTIAL trial demonstrate that CABOMETYX has the efficacy and safety profile to become an important new therapy in our efforts to slow disease progression and improve treatment outcomes.”

https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190114005830/en/Exelixis-Announces-U.S.-FDA-Approval-CABOMETYX%C2%AE-cabozantinib