Jazz Pharmaceuticals plc (Nasdaq: JAZZ) today announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of Rylaze (asparaginase erwinia chrysanthemi (recombinant)-rywn) for use as a component of a multi-agent chemotherapeutic regimen for the treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) or lymphoblastic lymphoma (LBL) in pediatric and adult patients one month and older who have developed hypersensitivity to E. coli-derived asparaginase.1 Rylaze is the only recombinant erwinia asparaginase manufactured product that maintains a clinically meaningful level of asparaginase activity throughout the entire duration of treatment, and it was developed by Jazz to address the needs of patients and healthcare providers with an innovative, high-quality erwinia-derived asparaginase with reliable supply.
"We are excited to bring this important new treatment to patients who are in critical need, and we are grateful to FDA for the approval of Rylaze based on its established safety and efficacy profile. We are pleased Rylaze was approved before the trial is complete and are diligently working to advance additional clinical trial data. We are committed to quickly engaging with FDA to evolve the Rylaze product profile with additional dosing options and an IV route of administration," said Bruce Cozadd, chairman and CEO of Jazz Pharmaceuticals. "Thank you to our collaborators within the Children's Oncology Group, the clinical trial investigators, patients and their families, and all of the other stakeholders who helped us achieve this significant milestone."
Rylaze was granted orphan drug designation for the treatment of ALL/LBL by FDA in June 2021. The Biologics Licensing Application (BLA) approval followed review under the Real-Time Oncology Review (RTOR) program, an initiative of FDA's Oncology Center of Excellence designed for efficient delivery of safe and effective cancer treatments to patients.
The company expects Rylaze will be commercially available in mid-July.
"The accelerated development and approval of Rylaze marks an important step in bringing a meaningful new treatment option for many ALL patients – most of whom are children – who cannot tolerate E. coli-derived asparaginase medicine," said Dr. Luke Maese, assistant professor at the University of Utah, Primary Children's Hospital and Huntsman Cancer Institute. "Before the approval of Rylaze, there was a significant need for an effective asparaginase medicine that would allow patients to start and complete their prescribed treatment program with confidence in supply."
Recent data from a Children's Oncology Group retrospective analysis of over 8,000 patients found that patients who did not receive a full course of asparaginase treatment due to associated toxicity had significantly lower survival outcomes – regardless of whether those patients were high risk or standard risk, slow early responders.
About Study JZP458-201
The FDA approval of Rylaze, also known as JZP458, is based on clinical data from an ongoing pivotal Phase 2/3 single-arm, open-label, multicenter, dose confirmation study evaluating pediatric and adult patients with ALL or LBL who have had an allergic reaction to E. coli-derived asparaginases and have not previously received asparaginase erwinia chrysanthemi. The study was designed to assess the safety, tolerability and efficacy of JZP458. The determination of efficacy was measured by serum asparaginase activity (SAA) levels. The Phase 2/3 study is being conducted in two parts. The first part is investigating the intramuscular (IM) route of administration, including a Monday-Wednesday-Friday dosing schedule. The second part remains active to further confirm the dose and schedule for the intravenous (IV) route of administ...
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