Array,Pierre Fabre Report COLUMBUS Phase 3 Study Of Encorafenib Plus Binimetinib

(RTTNews) - Array BioPharma (ARRY) and Pierre Fabre announced top-line results from Part 1 of the Phase 3 COLUMBUS (Combined LGX818 Used with MEK162 in BRAF Mutant Unresectable Skin Cancer) study evaluating LGX818 (encorafenib), a BRAF inhibitor, and MEK162 (binimetinib), a MEK inhibitor, in patients with BRAF-mutant advanced, unresectable or metastatic melanoma. The study met its primary endpoint, significantly improving progression free survival or PFS compared with vemurafenib, a BRAF inhibitor, alone.

In the analysis of the primary endpoint, the median PFS for patients treated with the combination of encorafenib plus binimetinib ("combination") was 14.9 months versus 7.3 months for patients treated with vemurafenib; HR (0.54), [95% CI 0.41-0.71], p<0.001. The combination was generally well-tolerated and reported adverse events were overall consistent with previous combination encorafenib plus binimetinib clinical trial results in BRAF-mutant melanoma patients.

"The preliminary results from Part 1 of COLUMBUS suggest that the combination of encorafenib plus binimetinib represents a potentially unique therapy for the BRAF-mutant melanoma population," said Keith T. Flaherty, M.D., Director of the Termeer Center for Targeted Therapy, Massachusetts General Hospital and Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School. "In addition to the robust activity observed in Part 1, the combination appeared to be generally well-tolerated."