Carvykti takes off

Six months ago it looked like Johnson & Johnson’s BCMA-targeting therapies Tecvayli and Carvykti were drawing level in terms of sales, but now Carvykti has accelerated away, third-quarter earnings figures revealed on Tuesday. 

The Car-T therapy was boosted by April’s FDA approval in second-line multiple myeloma, based on Cartitude-4, as well as recent overall survival data from the same study, and continued expansion in manufacturing capacity, J&J said during a conference call. Meanwhile, Tecvayli sales were flat quarter on quarter; the company blamed use of longer dosing intervals, but said it still saw plenty of growth potential for this product.

Tecvayli vs Carvykti sales

Source: company financial releases.

The group highlighted its efforts to combine Tecvayli, which has accelerated approval in fifth-line or later multiple myeloma, with its anti-CD38 antibody Darzalex. Phase 3 trials of this combo are ongoing in second-line (Majestec-3) and first-line disease (Majestec-7).

Data from a safety run-in cohort of Majestec-7 recently showed an overall response rate of 92% in patients receiving Tecvayli plus Darzalex plus Revlimid.

Talvey

J&J has another T-cell engager vying for a piece of the multiple myeloma market: the GPRC5D-directed Talvey, also with fifth-line accelerated approval.

The company doesn’t split out sales for this project at present, but will do so from the first quarter of 2025, it said on Tuesday.

In late-line disease Talvey, with an overall response rate of 73%, looks to have an edge over Tecvayli’s 62% ORR. J&J also noted a lower rate of severe infections with Talvey.

Again, a Darzalex combo could allow a move into earlier lines of therapy: the above Majestec-7 trial also tests Talvey plus Darzalex plus Revlimid, while Monumental-3 is evaluating Talvey plus Darzalex, with and without Pomalyst, in second-line disease.

J&J is also testing Tecvayli plus Talvey, alongside other combos, in Monumental-6 in the relapsed setting.

Abecma

While J&J’s own products vie for supremacy, the group additionally faces competition from Bristol Myers Squibb and 2seventy bio’s BCMA-targeting Car-T Abecma – although, so far, Carvykti has come out on top.

Abecma received expanded approval in April, in third-line disease, and its makers expect a sales boost in the second half – 2seventy recently forecast 30% US sales growth from the $54m seen in the second quarter.

Bristol is due to report third-quarter results on 31 October, and the status of the shifting multiple myeloma landscape should then become a little clearer.