The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) in Japan has approved Sarclisa, in combination with bortezomib, lenalidomide, and dexamethasone (VRd), for the treatment of adult patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma (NDMM) based on data from the IMROZ phase 3 study.
Olivier Nataf, Global Head, Oncology, Sanofi, said: “In recent years, new multiple myeloma cases have increased steadily in Japan and other Asian-Pacific nations, creating a need for new treatment approaches, particularly in the front-line setting.
“While Sarclisa-based combinations have been approved for relapsed or refractory patients in Japan, this approval represents the first indication for certain newly diagnosed patients. We are pleased to offer physicians an important new option for their patients earlier in the treatment journey, building upon our continued commitment to advancing innovative oncology treatments in difficult-to-treat hematologic malignancies around the world.”
In Japan, Sarclisa was launched in August 2020 and has been approved for four different treatment regimens (in combination with pomalidomide and dexamethasone, as monotherapy, in combination with carfilzomib and dexamethasone, or in combination with dexamethasone for the treatment of patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma).
In addition, Sarclisa has front-line approvals in the EU and the US. In the Asia Pacific region, Sarclisa combination regimens were also recently approved by the National Medical Products Administration in China, specifically Sarclisa-VRd in NDMM patients who are not eligible for autologous stem cell transplant, as well as Sarclisa in combination with pomalidomide and dexamethasone (Pd) for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed or refractory MM who have received at least one prior line of therapy, including lenalidomide and a proteasome inhibitor.
