Genentech's Gazyva (obinutuzumab) has shown positive results in a Phase 3 trial for lupus nephritis, a severe autoimmune kidney disease. The REGENCY study demonstrated that a higher proportion of patients treated with Gazyva and standard therapy achieved a complete renal response at 76 weeks compared to those receiving standard therapy alone.
The standard therapies used in the trial included the immunosuppressant mycophenolate mofetil and the corticosteroid glucocorticoid. Lupus nephritis, a manifestation of systemic lupus erythematosus, affects approximately 1.7 million people worldwide, with up to a third progressing to end-stage kidney disease within a decade.
Robust Renal Response
The trial also showed statistically significant and clinically meaningful results in secondary endpoints at 76 weeks, including the proportion of patients achieving complete renal response with successful reduction of corticosteroid use, and an improvement in proteinuria response. While some secondary endpoints did not reach statistical significance, numerically greater responses were observed for Gazyva in several endpoints, according to the company.
Levi Garraway, Genentech's CMO and head of global product development, emphasized the potential impact of these findings. "Since dialysis or transplants are often required for patients with advanced kidney disease, these findings could represent an important step forward for people living with this devastating disease," Garraway stated.
Regulatory Path and Future Indications
Genentech is currently sharing the data with the FDA and other health regulatory agencies, aiming to make Gazyva available to patients as soon as possible. The drug had previously received breakthrough therapy designation from the FDA in 2019 for this indication.
Gazyva, already approved for certain types of lymphoma, is also being investigated in other areas, including in children and adolescents with lupus nephritis, people with membranous nephropathy, childhood-onset idiopathic nephrotic syndrome, and systemic lupus erythematosus. In Roche’s half-year report, Gazyva generated approximately $523.7 million (445 million CHF), a 15% increase from the same period last year.
