FDA Approves New Option for Certain People with Advanced Bladder Cancer

April 17th, 2017

On April 17, the FDA granted accelerated approval to TECENTRIQ^® (atezolizumab) for the treatment of people with locally advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma (mUC) who are not eligible for cisplatin chemotherapy. TECENTRIQ was previously approved for people with locally advanced or mUC who have disease progression during or following any platinum-containing chemotherapy, or within 12 months of receiving chemotherapy before surgery (neoadjuvant) or after surgery (adjuvant). It is not known if TECENTRIQ is safe and effective in children.

The indication for TECENTRIQ is approved under accelerated approval based on tumor response rate and duration of response. Continued approval for this indication may be contingent upon verification and description of clinical benefit in confirmatory trials.

News in brief

• First and only cancer immunotherapy approved as initial treatment for people with advanced bladder cancer not eligible to receive cisplatin chemotherapy
• Up to half of all people with advanced bladder cancer are unable to receive cisplatin chemotherapy as an initial treatment
• Accelerated approval allows conditional approval of a medicine that fills an unmet medical need for a serious condition, based on early evidence suggesting clinical benefit

Important Safety Information

What is the most important information about TECENTRIQ?

TECENTRIQ can cause your immune system to attack normal organs and tissues in any area of your body and can affect the way they work. These problems can sometimes become severe or life-threatening and can lead to death. You can have more than one of these problems at the same time. These problems may happen anytime during your treatment or even after your treatment has ended.

Call or see your healthcare provider right away if you develop any new or worse signs or symptoms, including:

Lung problems

• cough
• shortness of breath
• chest pain

Intestinal problems

• diarrhea (loose stools) or more frequent bowel movements than usual
• stools that are black, tarry, sticky, or have blood or mucus
• severe stomach-area (abdomen) pain or tenderness

Liver problems

• yellowing of your skin or the whites of your eyes
• severe nausea or vomiting
• pain on the right side of your stomach area (abdomen)
• dark urine (tea colored)
• bleeding or bruising more easily than normal

Hormone gland problems

• headaches that will not go away or unusual headaches
• eye sensitivity to light
• eye problems
• rapid heartbeat
• increased sweating
• extreme tiredness
• weight gain or weight loss
• feeling more hungry or thirsty than usual
• urinating more often than usual
• hair loss
• feeling cold
• constipation
• your voice gets deeper
• dizziness or fainting
• changes in mood or behavior, such as decreased sex drive, irritability, or forgetfulness

Kidney problems

• decrease in your amount of urine
• blood in your urine
• swelling of your ankles
• loss of appetite

Skin problems

• rash
• itching
• skin blistering or peeling
• painful sores or ulcers in mouth or nose, throat, or genital area
• fever or flu-like symptoms
• swollen lymph nodes

Problems can also happen in other organs.

These are not all of the signs and symptoms of immune system problems that can happen with TECENTRIQ. Call or see your healthcare provider right away for any new or worse signs or symptoms, including:

• Chest pain, irregular heartbeat, shortness of breath, or swelling of ankles
• Confusion, sleepiness, memory problems, changes in mood or behavior, stiff neck, balance problems, tingling or numbness of the arms or legs
• Double vision, blurry vision, sensitivity to light, eye pain, changes in eyesight
• Persistent or severe muscle pain or weakness, muscle cramps
• Low red blood cells, bruising

Infusion reactions that can sometimes be severe or life-threatening. Signs and symptoms of infusion reactions may include:

• chills or shaking
• itching or rash
• flushing
• shortness of breath or wheezing
• dizziness
• feeling like passing out
• fever
• back or neck pain

Complications, including graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), in people who have received a bone marrow (stem cell) transplant that uses donor stem cells (allogeneic). These complications can be serious and can lead to death. These complications may happen if you underwent transplantation either before or after being treated with TECENTRIQ. Your healthcare provider will monitor you for these complications.

Getting medical treatment right away may help keep these problems from becoming more serious. Your healthcare provider will check you for these problems during your treatment with TECENTRIQ. Your healthcare provider may treat you with corticosteroid or hormone replacement medicines. Your healthcare provider may also need to delay or completely stop treatment with TECENTRIQ if you have severe side effects.

Before you receive TECENTRIQ, tell your healthcare provider about all of your medical conditions, including if you:

• have immune system problems such as Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, or lupus
• have received an organ transplant
• have received or plan to receive a stem cell transplant that uses donor stem cells (allogeneic)
• have received radiation treatment to your chest area
• have a condition that affects your nervous system, such as myasthenia gravis or Guillain-Barré syndrome
• are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. TECENTRIQ can harm your unborn baby. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you become pregnant or think you may be pregnant during treatment with TECENTRIQ. Females who are able to become pregnant:
• Your healthcare provider should do a pregnancy test before you start treatment with TECENTRIQ.
• You should use an effective method of birth control during your treatment and for at least 5 months after the last dose of TECENTRIQ.
• are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. It is not known if TECENTRIQ passes into your breast milk. Do not breastfeed during treatment and for at least 5 months after the last dose of TECENTRIQ.

Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.

The most common side effects of TECENTRIQ when used alone include:

• feeling tired or weak
• decreased appetite
• nausea
• cough
• shortness of breath

The most common side effects of TECENTRIQ when used in lung cancer with other anti-cancer medicines include:

• feeling tired or weak
• nausea
• hair loss
• constipation
• diarrhea
• decreased appetite

The most common side effects of TECENTRIQ when used in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with bevacizumab include:

• high blood pressure
• feeling tired or weak
• too much protein in the urine

The most common side effects of TECENTRIQ when used in melanoma with cobimetinib and vemurafenib include:

• skin rash
• joint, muscle, or bone pain
• feeling tired or weak
• liver injury
• fever
• nausea
• itching
• swelling of legs or arms
• mouth swelling (sometimes with sores)
• low thyroid hormone levels
• sunburn or sun sensitivity

TECENTRIQ may cause fertility problems in females, which may affect the ability to have children. Talk to your healthcare provider if you have concerns about fertility.

These are not all the possible side effects of TECENTRIQ. Ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist for more information about the benefits and side effects of TECENTRIQ.

You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch. You may also report side effects to Genentech at 1-888-835-2555.

Please see full Prescribing Information and Medication Guide for additional Important Safety Information.