Pfizer Reshapes Its Oncology Portfolio Following $43 Billion Acquisition of Seagen

Mar 14, 2024 17:11 CST Updated 17:11

Seagen

Monoclonal Antibody Developer

Pfizer

Pharmaceutical R&D Developer

"Pfizer, the 'ADC giant,' likes this positioning very much."

After the $43 billion acquisition of Seagen, Pfizer now boasts three marketed ADC products: Adcetris (targeting CD30), Padcev (targeting Nectin-4), and Tivdak (targeting tissue factor), over ten therapies in clinical stages, and more than a hundred related patents.

According to Pfizer's optimistic forecast, by 2030, Seagen is expected to contribute up to $10 billion in additional annual revenue. To achieve this goal, Pfizer has established a new oncology division, integrating the oncology business resources and professional talent from both companies.

In 2023,Seagen’s Three Commercial ADCs Achieve Total Sales of $2.744 Billion(Adcetris $1.65 billion, Padcev $1.03 billion, Tivdak $0.064 billion),Compared to 1.353 billion USD in 2022, it has achieved a twofold increase.

Among them, the mainBenefitAdcetris and PadcevSales of vFrontal Growth。

Adcetris asSeagen's first pipeline,First ApprovalOn 2011 years, used for systemic anaplastic large cellSystemic Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma (sALCL). As of the cutoff date,AdcetrisA total of 7 indications were approved, and the sales in 2022The amount is $840 million.

Padcev, as the world's first ADC drug approved for the treatment of locally advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma (mUC), was initially approved in 2019, with sales reaching $450 million in 2022.

Interestingly, the day after Pfizer officially completed the acquisition of Seagen (December 25, 2023), the FDA approved Padcev in combination with K drug for first-line treatment of mUC, five months ahead of schedule.

Such a good omen in the post-epidemic eraPfizer Sees Arrival of "Next Growth Point"

Pfizer's Next Growth Point

In 2023, Pfizer's total annual revenue was $58.5 billion. Excluding the $12.5 billion contribution from COVID-19 products, traditional key products such as apixaban and the Prevnar series in areas like oncology, cardiovascular, and immunology remained the primary sources of income.

However, the sales of Pfizer's revenue pillars in the anti-tumor field—palbociclib (Ibrance), axitinib (Inlyta), and enzalutamide (Xtandi)—all declined year-over-year, and all three are small-molecule drugs.

Seagen's addition has greatly alleviated Pfizer's embarrassing situation of lacking "blockbuster tumor biologics."

At the 2024 Oncology R&D Day on February 29, Pfizer systematically outlined its future oncology strategy. The focus will be on four major common cancers: hematologic malignancies, breast cancer, urologic cancers, and thoracic cancers (including head and neck cancer); with an emphasis on three drug modalities: small molecules, ADCs, and bispecific antibodies.

The goal is to achieve by 2030,Increase the proportion of biologics to 65% (currently 5%), possess 8 key oncology drugs, and double the coverage of cancer patients.

Specifically, Pfizer's impact on Seagen's marketed productsActive Polishing(Expanded Indications), and forIts early pipelineOfContinuously Promote。

At present, this development strategy has begun to bear fruit.

First Glimpse of "Return": Seeking Approval for the Eighth Indication

On March 13, 2024, the phase 3 study ECHELON-3 of Adcetris in combination with lenalidomide + rituximab for the treatment of patients with relapsed/refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (R/R DLBCL) achieved positive results.Compared with the active control group (placebo combined with lenaThalidomide + Rituximab) compared to,The primary endpoint OS was significantly improved, regardless of the CD30 response rate.

ECHELON-3 Study Aims to Explore Combination Regimens for Adcetris in Later-Line Treatment. Therefore, in terms of patient inclusion, patients must have received at least two prior lines of therapy, including relapse after CAR-T and stem cell transplantation.

Although Adcetris is approved for small cancer types, its market performance is acceptable.In 2023, the ADC drugs with sales exceeding Adcetris were only DS-8201 (approximately USD 2.7 billion) and T-DM1 (approximately USD 2.2 billion).

Currently, Pfizer plans to discuss the eighth indication for Adcetris with the FDA based on this trial data.

Except forAdcetris, inIn the field of hematological tumors, Pfizer currently hasMarketed products: BCMA/CD3 bispecific antibody Elrexfio (Erenatuzumab), Bosulif (Bosutinib);Products under research include the CD47 candidate drug Maplirpacept, the next-generation CD30 ADC (PF-08046044), and others.

“The Goose That Lays Golden Eggs”

$43 billion, Pfizer has bought the "goose that lays golden eggs."

Seagen's another key product, Padcev, after securing the world's first "PD-1 + ADC" combination therapy,Not only does this combined therapy demonstrate feasibility, but it also indicates broad application prospects.

Pfizer will further explore the application potential of the Padcev and K drug combination in cisplatin-tolerant and intolerant invasive bladder cancer, with relevant data expected to be released in 2026 and 2027.

Notably, Seagen's引进的荣昌生物HER2 ADC维迪西妥单抗is also undergoing a Phase III clinical trial in combination with K药for untreated HER2-positive bladder cancer patients.

In addition to the marketed products, many of Seagen's "assets under research" are also being actively advanced by Pfizer. This includes Seagen's integrin β-6-directed ADC drug Sigvotatug vedotin, which is currently in Phase 3 clinical trials for non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer populations.

Seagen's PD-L1 ADC PF-08046054 is currently in Phase 1 clinical trials for PD-L1 positive head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) population;

SGN-CEACAM5C, a CEACAM5 ADC co-developed by Seagen and Sanofi, is currently in Phase 1 clinical trials for various solid tumor populations...

After the $43 billion acquisition, Pfizer is steadily building up new growth points in the oncology field by deeply exploring Seagen's rich pipeline assets.

"ADC giant" is a positioning that Pfizer likes very much.

References:

1. Pfizer Official Website

2.clinicaltrials.gov

3. ADC at Pfizer Oncology R&D Day

4. Other Public Information

Cover image source: pixabay

Copyright Statement/Disclaimer

This article is original content created by the PharmTimes team.

This article is for informational exchange purposes only and does not provide any commercial, medical, or investment advice.

The images, videos, fonts, music and other materials in the article are either authorized genuine works purchased by PharmaTimes, or from the WeChat public image library, or taken from the company's official website/network. Some materials are used under the CC0 protocol, and the copyright belongs to the owner. PharmaTimes makes every effort to acknowledge the source.

If you have any questions, please contact us.

Sincerely grateful!

DrugTimes Official Website: www.drugtimes.cn

Contact Information:

Phone: 13651980212

WeChat: 27674131

Email: contact@drugtimes.cn

BCMA ADC Resurrection! "Pack of Wolves" After Delisting, "Utter Chaos" Before Return

Can the World's First Telomerase Inhibitor Be Approved? Why This ODAC Meeting Is Worth Watching

Merck Terminates BTK Inhibitor Development! Unable to Crack the "Autoimmune" Bone, Who Will Verify the Risk of Liver Injury...

Click here to enjoy more exciting content!