TAZ-DR-RD-243 Key Points Table.PNG (35.39 kB)

Tazemetostat: First Approval

online resource

posted on 2020-03-12, 18:28 authored by Sheridan M. Hoy

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Disclosure: The preparation of this review was not supported by any external funding.

Conflict of interest: During the peer review process the manufacturer of the agent under review was offered an opportunity to comment on the article. Changes resulting from any comments received were made by the authors on the basis of scientific completeness and accuracy. Sheridan Hoy is a salaried employee of Adis International Ltd/Springer Nature, is responsible for the article content and declares no relevant conflicts of interest.

Additional information about this Adis Drug Review can be found here.

Abstract

Tazemetostat (Tazverik™), a first-in-class, small molecule enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2) inhibitor, received accelerated approval in January 2020 in the USA for the treatment of adults and adolescents aged ≥ 16 years with locally advanced or metastatic epithelioid sarcoma not eligible for complete resection. Developed by Epizyme, in collaboration with Eisai, it is the first therapy to be approved specifically for the treatment of epithelioid sarcoma in the USA. The recommended dosage regimen is 800 mg twice daily, administered orally with or without food, until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Tazemetostat is also undergoing clinical development in various countries worldwide for use in several other tumour types, including diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and mesothelioma, with the US FDA accepting a New Drug Application and granting priority review for its use in the treatment of follicular lymphoma. This article summarizes the milestones in the development of tazemetostat leading to this first approval for the treatment of adults and adolescents aged ≥ 16 years with locally advanced or metastatic epithelioid sarcoma not eligible for complete resection.