Genmab, AbbVie's Epkinly Cuts Lymphoma Risk by 51% in Phase 3, Shares Jump 14%

Genmab and AbbVie said Monday that their bispecific antibody Epkinly combined with standard chemotherapy reduced the risk of disease progression or death by 51% versus chemo alone in a Phase 3 trial of newly diagnosed diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. Genmab shares jumped as much as 14%. The result exceeded investor expectations of roughly a 40% relative risk reduction and topped data from Roche's Polivy, analysts said. Epkinly is on track to become the first drug of its kind approved in first-line DLBCL, the most common lymphoma. The trial enrolled 900 intermediate- or high-risk patients randomized to receive R-CHOP plus Epkinly or placebo. Genmab splits rights with AbbVie and reported $312 million in first-half global net sales. The companies will discuss the data with regulators. Analysts forecast peak sales of up to $3 billion annually, though Roche's Lunsumio and AstraZeneca's Calquence loom as competitors.