Atara Biotherapeutics Announces U.S. FDA Acceptance and Priority Review of the Biologics License Application for Tabelecleucel (Tab-cel®) for the Treatment of Epstein-Barr Virus Positive Post-Transplant Lymphoproliferative Disease
July 17 2024 - 8:00AM
Business Wire
Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) Target
Action Date of January 15, 2025
If Approved, Tab-cel Would Be First Approved
Therapy in U.S. for EBV+ PTLD
BLA Acceptance Triggers $20 Million Milestone
Payment from Pierre Fabre Laboratories, with Additional $60 Million
Milestone if Approved by FDA
Atara Biotherapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATRA), a leader in T-cell
immunotherapy, leveraging its novel allogeneic Epstein-Barr virus
(EBV) T-cell platform to develop transformative therapies for
patients with cancer and autoimmune diseases, today announced that
the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted the filing
of its Biologics License Application (BLA) for tabelecleucel
(tab-cel®) indicated as monotherapy for treatment of adult and
pediatric patients two years of age and older with Epstein-Barr
virus positive post-transplant lymphoproliferative disease (EBV+
PTLD) who have received at least one prior therapy. For solid organ
transplant patients, prior therapy includes chemotherapy unless
chemotherapy is inappropriate. There are no FDA approved therapies
in this treatment setting.
The BLA has been granted Priority Review with a Prescription
Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) target action date of January 15,
2025.
“The acceptance of the tab-cel BLA is a significant milestone
towards making this first-of-its-kind treatment available to
patients in the U.S.,” said Pascal Touchon, President and Chief
Executive Officer of Atara. “The FDA’s granting of priority review
highlights the high unmet need in EBV+ PTLD, which is a devastating
disease with limited treatment options and a poor overall survival
rate. We continue to work closely with the Pierre Fabre
Laboratories team to help prepare for the potential launch in the
U.S. in early 2025, along with the potential label expansion
multicohort Phase 2 EBVision trial.”
Tab-cel is an allogeneic, EBV-specific T-cell immunotherapy
designed to target and eliminate EBV-infected cells. The BLA is
supported by pivotal and supportive data covering more than 430
patients treated with tab-cel across multiple life-threatening
diseases including the latest pivotal ALLELE study data that
demonstrated a statistically significant 48.8% Objective Response
Rate (ORR) (p<0.0001) and favorable safety profile consistent
with previous analyses.
Tab-cel has been granted Breakthrough Therapy Designation for
the treatment of rituximab-refractory EBV-associated
lymphoproliferative disease by the U.S. FDA and has orphan drug
designation.
In December 2023, Atara announced the closing of the expanded
global partnership with Pierre Fabre Laboratories for the U.S. and
remaining global commercial markets for tab-cel, building on an
initial partnership covering Europe, Middle East, Africa, and other
select emerging markets. With the acceptance of the tab-cel BLA,
Atara will receive a $20 million milestone payment from Pierre
Fabre, with the potential to receive a $60 million milestone
payment from Pierre Fabre contingent upon FDA approval of the
tab-cel BLA. In addition, Pierre Fabre is reimbursing Atara for
expected tab-cel global development costs through the BLA transfer
and purchasing tab-cel inventory through the manufacturing transfer
date. Atara is also eligible to receive sales milestones and
double-digit tiered royalties on net sales of tab-cel in the U.S.
and remaining global commercial markets referenced above.
Tab-cel was granted marketing authorization under the brand name
Ebvallo™ in December 2022 by the European Commission. Marketing
authorization was also granted by the Medicines and Healthcare
Products Regulatory Agency in the United Kingdom in May 2023 and by
Swissmedic in Switzerland in May 2024. In all three territories,
Ebvallo is indicated as monotherapy for the treatment of adult and
pediatric patients two years of age and older with relapsed or
refractory EBV+ PTLD who have received at least one prior therapy.
For solid organ transplant patients, prior therapy includes
chemotherapy unless chemotherapy is inappropriate. Ebvallo was
awarded the 2024 Prix Galien International Award for “Best Product
for Orphan/Rare Diseases.”
About Atara Biotherapeutics, Inc.
Atara is harnessing the natural power of the immune system to
develop off-the-shelf cell therapies for difficult-to-treat cancers
and autoimmune conditions that can be rapidly delivered to patients
from inventory. With cutting-edge science and differentiated
approach, Atara is the first company in the world to receive
regulatory approval of an allogeneic T-cell immunotherapy. Our
advanced and versatile T-cell platform does not require T-cell
receptor or HLA gene editing and forms the basis of a diverse
portfolio of investigational therapies that target EBV, the root
cause of certain diseases, in addition to next-generation
AlloCAR-Ts designed for best-in-class opportunities across a broad
range of hematological malignancies and B-cell driven autoimmune
diseases. Atara is headquartered in Southern California. For more
information, visit atarabio.com and follow @Atarabio on X and
LinkedIn.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains or may imply "forward-looking
statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act
of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. For
example, forward-looking statements include statements regarding:
(i) the development, timing and progress of tab-cel®, including the
BLA filed for tab-cel®; (ii) the potential characteristics and
benefits of tab-cel®, the indication(s) for which tab-cel could
potentially obtain FDA approval for; (iii) the global partnership
with Pierre Fabre Laboratories involving tab-cel®; and (iv) Atara’s
planned transition of substantially all activities relating to
tab-cel at the time of the BLA transfer to Pierre Fabre and the
timing thereof. Because such statements deal with future events and
are based on Atara’s current expectations, they are subject to
various risks and uncertainties and actual results, performance or
achievements of Atara could differ materially from those described
in or implied by the statements in this press release. These
forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties,
including, without limitation, risks and uncertainties associated
with the costly and time-consuming pharmaceutical product
development process and the uncertainty of clinical success; the
COVID-19 pandemic and the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East,
which may significantly impact (i) our business, research, clinical
development plans and operations, including our operations in
Southern California and Denver and at our clinical trial sites, as
well as the business or operations of our third-party manufacturer,
contract research organizations or other third parties with whom we
conduct business, (ii) our ability to access capital, and (iii) the
value of our common stock; the sufficiency of Atara’s cash
resources and need for additional capital; and other risks and
uncertainties affecting Atara and its development programs,
including those discussed in Atara’s filings with the Securities
and Exchange Commission, including in the “Risk Factors” and
“Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and
Results of Operations” sections of the Company’s most recently
filed periodic reports on Form 10-K and Form 10-Q and subsequent
filings and in the documents incorporated by reference therein.
Except as otherwise required by law, Atara disclaims any intention
or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements,
which speak only as of the date hereof, whether as a result of new
information, future events or circumstances or otherwise.
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version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240717492765/en/
Investor and Media Relations Jason Awe, Ph.D. Head of
Corporate Communications & Investor Relations (805) 217-2287
jawe@atarabio.com
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