Lilly leaps on strong new data for Verzenio in breast cancer

Eli Lilly (NYSE: LLY) share closed up 14.8% at $162.30 yesterday, having leapt as much as 18%, after it announced Verzenio (abemaciclib) in combination with standard adjuvant endocrine therapy (ET) has met the primary endpoint of invasive disease-free survival (IDFS), significantly decreasing the risk of breast cancer recurrence or death compared to standard adjuvant ET alone.

The news led observers to make comparisons with Pfizer’s (NYSE: PFE) disappointing trial released late May in this setting with its blockbuster breast cancer drug Ibrance (palbociclib), revenues from which were nearly $5 million last year. Verzenio was originally approved in 2017 for treating certain forms of advanced breast cancer, and its revenue more than doubled to $579 million in 2019.

These results are from a pre-planned interim analysis of the Phase III monarchE study – making Verzenio the only CDK4 & 6 inhibitor to demonstrate a statistically-significant reduction in the risk of cancer recurrence for people with high risk hormone receptor-positive (HR+), human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative (HER2-) early breast cancer. The safety profile was consistent with that observed in other Verzenio studies in the MONARCH clinical program.