The month ahead: April’s upcoming events

April holds the promise of longer days, more sunshine – and the start of the big oncology conferences. The end of the month will see the AACR meeting, and before this abstract titles will be released for ASCO, the largest cancer congress of the year.

Alongside the usual investor confabs, Johnson and Johnson will kick off earnings season, while Bristol Myers Squibb’s Opdivo/Yervoy combo is awaiting an FDA approval decision in first-line liver cancer. The drugs just got the nod for this use in China.

A US green light also looks likely after the supporting CheckMate-9DW trial found an overall survival benefit with Opdivo plus Yervoy, versus Lenvima or Nexavar, despite control outperforming historical survival numbers. Still, Yervoy’s toxicity will be a consideration for doctors. AstraZeneca’s Imfinzi plus Imjudo, and Roche’s Tecentriq plus Avastin, are already approved in front-line liver cancer.

A couple of other FDA decisions expected in March could also come in April: for AbbVie's c-Met-targeting ADC telisotuzumab vedotin in relapsed, c-Met overexpressing, EGFR wildtype, nonsquamous NSCLC, based on the Luminosity study; and Johnson & Johnson/Genmab's subcutaneous Darzalex Faspro in a first-line transplant-ineligible multiple myeloma quad containing Velcade, Revlimid & dexamethasone, based on the Cepheus trial.

AACR

Abstract titles for AACR were released last week; the failed Skyscraper-01 study of Roche's anti-TIGIT MAb tiragolumab looks set to be the star of the show, although one big new trend, dual payload ADCs, will also feature heavily, and there will be the usual focus on preclinical assets, with various novel targets coming under the spotlight. Data details remain under wraps until 25 April.

The American Urological Association meeting, at the end of April, will encompass bladder cancer, an area of increasing activity, with AstraZeneca’s Imfinzi recently FDA approved in perioperative muscle-invasive disease, and J&J awaiting  US approval decision for its Taris-originated gemcitabine-eluting device TAR-200 in the non-muscle invasive form.

Another bladder cancer player, ImmunityBio, will have an investor day in April featuring the company’s founder Patrick Soon-Shiong. The Car-T specialist Autolus will also hold an R&D day in April; although this will focus on obecabtagene autoleucel data in lupus, updates will also be given on oncology programmes including AUTO8 and AUTO6NG.

April’s upcoming events

Source: OncologyPipeline.