Guardant Health Receives FDA Approval for Guardant360® CDx as Companion Diagnostic for Daiichi Sankyo and AstraZeneca’s ENHERTU® for Treatment of NSCLC Patients With Activating HER2 Mutations

Rhea-AI Summary

Guardant Health has received FDA approval for its Guardant360 CDx liquid biopsy test as a companion diagnostic for patients with unresectable or metastatic HER2-mutant non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). This test identifies patients who may benefit from the antibody drug conjugate ENHERTU. The Guardant360 CDx assay will enable oncologists to obtain comprehensive genomic results from a blood sample within a week, marking a significant advancement over traditional tissue biopsies. The HER2 mutations drive 2-4% of non-squamous NSCLC, representing a critical step for targeted cancer therapies.

Positive

• FDA approval of Guardant360 CDx as a companion diagnostic for HER2-mutant NSCLC provides a new treatment pathway.
• The test allows for rapid genomic profiling from a simple blood draw, expanding treatment options for oncologists.
• Guardant360 CDx is supported by over 300 peer-reviewed publications and broad Medicare coverage.

Negative

• None.

Blood test provides simple way to test patients comprehensively for tumor alterations that drive selection of targeted therapies, now including ENHERTU

PALO ALTO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Guardant Health, Inc. (Nasdaq: GH), a leading precision oncology company, announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved its Guardant360^® CDx liquid biopsy test as a companion diagnostic (CDx) to select patients with unresectable or metastatic HER2-mutant non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) whose tumors have activating HER2 (ERBB2) mutations for treatment with ENHERTU^® (fam-trastuzumab deruxtecan-nxki), a HER2-directed antibody drug conjugate (ADC) jointly developed and commercialized by Daiichi Sankyo and AstraZeneca.

The approval means that Guardant360 CDx, a next generation sequencing (NGS)-based assay that detects genomic alterations using circulating tumor DNA from blood, is validated as a CDx assay to identify NSCLC patients who have an activating HER2 mutation (SNVs and exon 20 insertions) and may benefit from treatment with ENHERTU. Mutations in the HER2 gene, also called ERBB2, drive approximately 2-4% of non-squamous NSCLC.¹ Non-small cell lung cancer represents about 82% of all lung cancer,² which is the leading cause of cancer death in the U.S.³

“This is great news for metastatic NSCLC patients with activating HER2 mutations, who now have, for the first time, an approved treatment for their cancer, but also the first blood-based companion diagnostic in Guardant360 CDx,” said Helmy Eltoukhy, Guardant Health co-CEO. “We are proud to offer our Guardant360 CDx liquid biopsy as a companion diagnostic so that patients can access comprehensive genomic profiling to see if they are eligible to receive this therapy.”

Guardant360 CDx

For oncologists, the FDA-approved Guardant360 CDx test provides comprehensive genomic results from a simple blood draw in seven days, helping them move beyond the limitations of tissue biopsies to rapidly obtain clinically relevant information in time to match patients to the optimal personalized treatment. Guardant360 CDx covers all genes recommended by the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, including those most relevant to clinical care and NSCLC treatment guidelines.

Since being introduced as a laboratory developed test (LDT), the Guardant360 test has become widely accepted for blood-based comprehensive genomic profiling with more than 300 peer-reviewed publications. It has been trusted by more than 12,000 oncologists, with more than 300,000 tests performed to date, and is broadly covered by Medicare and many private payers, representing over 200 million lives.

About Guardant Health

Guardant Health is a leading precision oncology company focused on helping conquer cancer globally through use of its proprietary tests, vast data sets and advanced analytics. The Guardant Health oncology platform leverages capabilities to drive commercial adoption, improve patient clinical outcomes and lower healthcare costs across all stages of the cancer care continuum. Guardant Health has commercially launched Guardant360®, Guardant360 CDx, Guardant360 TissueNext™, Guardant360 Response™, and GuardantOMNI® tests for advanced stage cancer patients, and Guardant Reveal™ for early-stage cancer patients. The Guardant Health screening portfolio, including the Shield™ test, aims to address the needs of individuals eligible for cancer screening. For more information, visit guardanthealth.com and follow the company on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of federal securities laws, including statements regarding the potential utilities, values, benefits and advantages of Guardant Health’s liquid biopsy tests or assays, which involve risks and uncertainties that could cause the actual results to differ materially from the anticipated results and expectations expressed in these forward-looking statements. These statements are based on current expectations, forecasts and assumptions, and actual outcomes and results could differ materially from these statements due to a number of factors. These and additional risks and uncertainties that could affect Guardant Health’s financial and operating results and cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated by the forward-looking statements made in this press release include those discussed under the captions “Risk Factors” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operation” and elsewhere in its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021 and in its other reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The forward-looking statements in this press release are based on information available to Guardant Health as of the date hereof, and Guardant Health disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements provided to reflect any change in its expectations or any change in events, conditions, or circumstances on which any such statement is based, except as required by law. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing Guardant Health’s views as of any date subsequent to the date of this press release.

References

1. Li, Bob T., et al. Trastuzumab deruxtecan in HER2-mutant non-small-cell lung cancer. New England Journal of Medicine 386.3 (2022):241-251.
2. Cancer.net. https://www.cancer.net/cancer-types/lung-cancer-non-small-cell/statistics. Accessed online August 10, 2022.
3. CDC Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/dcpc/research/update-on-cancer-deaths/index.htm#:~:text=Lung%20cancer%20is%20the%20leading,24%25%20of%20all%20cancer%20deaths. Accessed online August 10, 2022.

 

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220811005816/en/

Investor Contact:

Alex Kleban

investors@guardanthealth.com

+1 657-254-5417

Media Contact:

Michele Rest

press@guardanthealth.com

+1 215-910-2138

Source: Guardant Health, Inc.

FAQ

What is the significance of the Guardant360 CDx FDA approval for Guardant Health (GH)?

The FDA approval allows Guardant360 CDx to be used as a companion diagnostic for HER2-mutant NSCLC patients, enhancing treatment options.

How does Guardant360 CDx benefit patients with HER2-mutant non-small cell lung cancer?

It enables comprehensive genomic profiling to identify eligible patients for targeted therapy with ENHERTU.

What percentage of non-small cell lung cancer cases are driven by HER2 mutations?

HER2 mutations drive approximately 2-4% of non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer cases.

How long does it take to get results from the Guardant360 CDx test?

Results from the Guardant360 CDx test can be obtained from a blood draw within seven days.