Tazverik: A TREATMENT THAT MAY SHRINK TUMORS

On June 18, 2020, the Food and Drug Administration granted accelerated approval to tazemetostat (TAZVERIK), the first-in-class EZH2 inhibitor. The (FDA) approval of tazemetostat was based on the results of a clinical trial (NCT02601950) enrolling 62 patients with metastatic or locally advanced epithelioid sarcoma. Patients received 800 mg of tazemetostat twice a day until the disease progressed or the patients reached an unacceptable level of toxicity. Tumor response assessments were performed every eight weeks during the clinical trial. The trial measured how many subjects experienced a complete or partial shrinkage of their tumors during treatment (overall response rate). The overall response rate was 15%, with 1.6% of patients having a complete response and 13% having a partial response. Of the nine subjects that had a response, six (67%) subjects had a response lasting six months or longer.

Currently, Tazverik is approved to treat adults and children aged 16 years and older with epithelioid sarcoma that has spread or grown and cannot be removed by surgery. Adults with follicular lymphoma when the disease has come back or did not respond to treatment, whose tumors have an abnormal EZH2 gene, and who have been treated with at least two prior medicines. Healthcare provider will perform a test to make sure TAZVERIK is right for you and adults with follicular lymphoma, when the disease has come back or did not respond to treatment, who have no other satisfactory treatment options.

Recently, Ipsen, the french drug maker, acquired the developer of Tazverik, Epizyme. With this acquisition, it is expected that Tazverik will reach more patients globally.