James Bradner
Analyst · Morgan Stanley. Please go ahead, your line is open
Thank you, Murdo and good afternoon, everyone. The first quarter has been exceptionally productive for R&D, extending our track record of high-quality on-time execution and highlighted by significant clinical and regulatory achievements. Most notably, we received FDA approval for UPLIZNA in IgG4-related disease, the second approval in a series of B cell-mediated diseases we are studying with this medicine. We also announced positive data from Phase III studies of rocatinlimab, UPLIZNA and IMDELLTRA, while initiating multiple Phase III trials of MariTide and TEZSPIRE. Let's begin with MariTide, our investigational therapy for obesity and obesity-related conditions that features a unique and differentiated profile. In March, we initiated 2 Phase III studies in chronic wave management as part of our comprehensive MARITIME Phase III program. These trials will evaluate MariTide in 2 distinct populations, adults living with obesity or overweight without type 2 diabetes and adults with obesity or overweight with type 2 diabetes. Both studies will assess the safety, efficacy and tolerability of 3 target dose levels of MariTide preceded by an optimized dose escalation regimen to improve the patient experience. The primary endpoint for each study is the change from baseline body weight at 72 weeks. Beyond these first 2 studies, we anticipate initiating additional MariTide Phase III studies later this year, evaluating MariTide in specific obesity-related conditions. Last November, we presented top-line results at 52-weeks from our Phase II chronic weight management study, which highlighted MariTide's monthly or less frequent dosing, consistent, predictable and sustained weight loss across all doses without a weight loss plateau through 52-weeks and MariTide's clinically meaningful impact on cardiometabolic parameters, including hemoglobin A1c. At the American Diabetes Association or ADA Annual Meeting this June, the underlying details from this Phase II study at 52 weeks will be presented. Clear from these data is the important finding that dose escalation which was studied in two of the treatment arms, meaningfully improved tolerability, in particular, rates of nausea and vomiting as compared with fixed dose administration, which was used in the other 7 treatment arms. This finding is consistent with the clinical experience to date with GLP-1-based therapies and was further supported by our Phase I pharmacokinetic study that tested even lower starting doses of MariTide. Details from this study will also be discussed at ADA. These learnings have informed the design of our 2 Phase III studies of MariTide for chronic weight management, which are open and enrolling robustly. Looking ahead to the second half of 2025, we expect key data for MariTide, including both the ongoing Phase II type 2 diabetes study, which has completed enrollment as well as end of treatment period data from Part II of the ongoing Phase II chronic weight management study. MariTide represents a promising treatment advance for people living with obesity and related conditions, especially given its monthly or less frequent dosing, predictable and sustained weight loss and clinically meaningful impact on cardiometabolic parameters, we are committed to fully realizing its therapeutic potential. Beyond MariTide, in General Medicine, we look forward to data from the Repatha Vesalius Phase III primary prevention study in the second half of this year. Given the profound and sustained benefit of Repatha in the secondary prevention setting, we're optimistic about these data and the potential opportunity to reach additional patients at high risk of a first cardiovascular event. Turning to Olpasiran, our promising best-in-class small interfering RNA medicine targeting Lp(a), we are bringing a precision medicine approach to cardiovascular risk reduction for the many patients with Lp(a) elevation. The fully enrolled OCEAN(a) Phase III cardiovascular outcomes trial of Olpasiran continues to progress. Moving on to our rare disease portfolio. We are very excited about UPLIZNA's expanding potential to improve the lives of those facing rare inflammatory conditions. In April, the FDA approved UPLIZNA as the first and only treatment for adults living with immunoglobulin G4-related disease, delivering durable disease control in this recently described chronic and debilitating immune-mediated inflammatory condition that often affects multiple organ systems. UPLIZNA is an innovative biologic that targets CD19 positive B cells and addresses a core driver of IgG4-related disease, significantly reducing disease flares and dependence on harmful long-term steroid treatment. Additionally, we recently presented compelling 52-week data from our pivotal Phase III MINT study, evaluating UPLIZNA in patients with generalized myasthenia gravis. These results demonstrated durable and sustained efficacy of UPLIZNA in patients with acetylcholine receptor autoantibody positive generalized myasthenia gravis with only two doses a year following an initial loading dose. The 52-week MINT results highlight UPLIZNA's promise as a new standard of care in generalized myasthenia gravis, offering durable and sustained symptom relief with a simplified treatment regimen while minimizing steroid use. Since the publication of these data, we have met with numerous opinion leaders who are also enthusiastic about UPLIZNA profile, highlighting the unique mechanism of action, patient-centered every 6-month dosing schedule and durable sustained efficacy. We are also pleased to announce that the FDA has accepted the regulatory submission of the UPLIZNA MINT Phase III generalized myasthenia gravis data with a PDUFA date of December 14, 2025. The recent FDA approval in IgG4-related disease and the strong clinical evidence in myasthenia gravis, underscore Amgen's ongoing leadership in developing innovative treatments targeting CD19 positive B cells in cancer, inflammation and in rare disease more generally, where only 5% of the estimated 10,000 rare diseases have available treatments. In inflammation, we and our partner, AstraZeneca, have initiated 2 Phase III studies of TEZSPIRE in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, targeting patients with moderate to very severe COPD with blood eosinophil counts greater than or equal to 150 cells per microliter. COPD is the world's third leading cause of death, and we are excited about the impact TEZSPIRE could have in this setting. Beyond COPD, we completed the regulatory submission of TEZSPIRE's Phase III data for chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps and look forward to a PDUFA date of October 19, 2025. In March, we announced data from three additional Phase III studies from the rocatinlimab ROCKET program in atopic dermatitis, notably IGNITE, which met its primary and key secondary end points. We look forward to additional data from the ROCKET program in the second half of 2025. In oncology, we recently announced compelling results for IMDELLTRA from our DeLLphi-304 Phase III trial, where at a planned interim analysis, the study met its primary endpoint, demonstrating a significant and clinically meaningful overall survival benefit. DeLLphi-304 evaluated IMDELLTRA in patients with small cell lung cancer who progressed on or after initial platinum-based chemotherapy versus chemotherapy alone. These randomized data are the first to show a substantial survival improvement head-to-head against standard of care chemotherapy, offering new hope for patients with this difficult disease. Together with the remarkable DeLLphi-304 data already reported, IMDELLTRA has the potential to become the new standard of care for second-line small cell lung cancer. As an oncologist, I'm really encouraged by IMDELLTRA as a new and highly efficacious therapy for an aggressive and common solid tumor for which there has been very little progress. We look forward to sharing more detailed results at the upcoming ASCO meeting in early June. In addition to DeLLphi-304, we continue to investigate IMDELLTRA in earlier lines of small cell lung cancer. Currently, 2 Phase III studies are underway, and we are pleased to announce plans to initiate DeLLphi-312, a Phase III trial evaluating IMDELLTRA as induction and maintenance therapy in first-line treatment of extensive stage small cell lung cancer, here in combination with carboplatin, etoposide and durvalumab. We also continue to investigate our CD19 directed BiTE medicine BLINCYTO in earlier treatment settings, while also advancing a subcutaneous formulation of blinatumomab. In April, the FDA granted Breakthrough Therapy Designation for subcutaneous blinatumomab in the treatment of adults with relapsed/refractory CD19-positive B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Based on our experience to date, subcutaneous blinatumomab has the potential to improve both the patient experience and efficacy. Our first-in-class STEAP1 CD3 bispecific T cell engager Xaluritamig, is advancing in Phase III clinical development, where we are rapidly enrolling patients with metastatic castrate-resistant prostate cancer who will progress following taxane-based therapy. We are also exploring Xaluritamig in combination therapy and in earlier stages of prostate cancer with multiple Phase Ib studies ongoing. Collectively, IMDELLTRA, BLINCYTO and Xaluritamig exemplified the significant growth potential of our robust bispecific T cell engager platform and reinforce our commitment to bringing groundbreaking treatments to cancer patients worldwide. Beyond our T cell engagers, our first-in-class fibroblast growth factor receptor IIb directed monoclonal antibody bemarituzumab is advancing the frontline gastric cancer therapy. We expect data this quarter from FORTITUDE-101, a Phase III study of bemarituzumab combined with mFOLFOX6 chemotherapy versus chemotherapy alone. In the second half of 2025, we expect data from FORTITUDE-102, the Phase III study of bemarituzumab combined with chemotherapy and nivolumab versus chemotherapy nivolumab alone. On biosimilars, we are rapidly advancing 3 Phase III programs, evaluating our biosimilars to OPDIVO, KEYTRUDA and OCREVUS as the next wave of Amgen biosimilar products. In closing, I want to take Amgen colleagues for delivering on a number of important milestones so far this year and for their relentless focus on the patients we serve. I'll now turn it over to Peter.