BeiGene announces new efficacy analysis comparing Brukinsa vs. Acalabrutinib

BeiGene announced a new matching adjusted indirect comparison of the efficacy of BRUKINSA versus acalabrutinib in relapsed or refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia based on data from the Phase 3 ALPINE and Phase 3 ASCEND trials. The analysis suggests a progression-free survival and complete response advantage for BRUKINSA versus acalabrutinib, as well as potentially improved overall survival. These data will be presented during the 28th Annual International Congress on Hematologic Malignancies in Miami from February 29 – March 3. In this MAIC, individual patient-level data from ALPINE was matched against the aggregate data from ASCEND. An unanchored MAIC was used due to the lack of a common comparator arm between the ALPINE and ASCEND trials. Given the differences in the timing of the studies, with respect to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the analysis adjusted for the impact of COVID-19 in the ALPINE study. In a previously published MAIC of BRUKINSA versus acalabrutinib, there were significant limitations that precluded a robust efficacy comparison, including the exclusion of data from the final analysis of ALPINE, lack of adjustment for the impact of COVID-19 on the outcomes, lack of adjustment for key differences in patient characteristics, the effective sample size, and the exclusion of complete response rate and overall survival from the analysis. The MAIC suggests that investigator-assessed progression-free survival was improved for BRUKINSA versus acalabrutinib in both the unadjusted population, as well as the base case adjusted population.