REDEFINE THE START OF YOUR JOURNEY

For your MSI-H/dMMR locally advanced rectal cancer

 

This use is approved based on clinical complete response (defined as no signs of cancer) maintained for 12 months. The risk of the cancer returning over time is unknown, and researchers will continue to gather more information. Studies are ongoing to confirm the clinical benefit of JEMPERLI for this use.

 

dMMR=mismatch repair deficient; MSI-H=microsatellite instability-high.

 

Locally advanced rectal cancer: Cancer that has spread to nearby tissues (locally advanced) but not to other parts of the body.

JEMPERLI treats MSI-H/dMMR locally advanced rectal cancer and may help you avoid surgery, radiation, and/or chemotherapy 

Most people diagnosed with rectal cancer are treated with multiple therapies like chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery. While these treatments can be effective at treating cancer, they can also create lasting physical issues. JEMPERLI offers another approach to treatment, but can also cause potential side effects, which can be found below.

Your locally advanced rectal cancer has a characteristic or a biomarker called MSH-I or dMMR, which accounts for up to 10% of cases.
 

dMMR or mismatch repair deficient: Refers to cancers with a defective mismatch repair (MMR) system (a system that corrects mistakes that occur in genes during normal cell growth).

MSI-H or microsatellite instability-high: Describes unstable genes in some tumors that may occur because the MMR system is not repairing mistakes properly.

National cancer treatment guidelines recommend that anyone diagnosed with rectal cancer should be tested as soon as possible for MMR/microsatellite instability (MSI) biomarkers. Getting this information early helps healthcare teams provide patients with the most appropriate treatment options for them.

What does that mean for me?

 

During normal cell growth, the MMR system corrects mistakes that occur in genes. If the MMR system is not working properly, this is known as MSI-H or dMMR.

Rectal tumors with MSI-H/dMMR biomarkers may be less responsive to standard chemotherapy. People with MSI-H/dMMR locally advanced rectal cancer might benefit from an immunotherapy like JEMPERLI.

MSI-H/dMMR status may be associated with Lynch syndrome, an inherited condition that increases the risk of developing rectal cancer.

Immunotherapy: A treatment that is not chemotherapy or radiation, but is designed to work with the body to help fight cancer.

Tumors with MSI-H/dMMR may be more likely to respond to an immunotherapy like JEMPERLI. Changes in genes provide the immune system with more clues to find and attack cancer cells, improving its ability to fight the cancer.

JEMPERLI is an immunotherapy that harnesses the immune system to attack cancer cells.

How JEMPERLI was studied in people like you

JEMPERLI is the only immunotherapy that’s FDA-approved to treat MSI-H/dMMR locally advanced rectal cancer. It was studied in two separate clinical trials to measure the potential benefits and risks to patients.

 

The first clinical trial was conducted by the internationally recognized Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC). In the MSKCC 19-288 trial, 50 study participants who had not yet been treated for MSI-H/dMMR locally advanced rectal cancer received JEMPERLI alone. The results of this trial led to a second, larger trial called AZUR-1, sponsored by GSK, the manufacturer of JEMPERLI.

 

Based on the MSKCC trial results, JEMPERLI received Breakthrough Therapy designation, a status granted by the FDA that accelerates the development and review of medicines for serious conditions when early clinical results suggest they may offer improvement over current options.

 

The AZUR-1 clinical trial included 154 people with the same type of rectal cancer and built upon the results of the MSKCC trial.

Study participants received JEMPERLI 500 mg intravenously every 3 weeks, for 9 cycles, or over the course of about 6 months
  • After treatment with JEMPERLI, doctors looked for signs of cancer through physical exams, a procedure called an endoscopy, and imaging tests. If they found no signs of cancer after treatment, this was called a clinical complete response (cCR)
  • The main goal of the AZUR-1 clinical trial was to see how many people had a cCR that was maintained for at least 12 months (cCR12), as confirmed by a team of independent experts
  • If the cancer did not disappear completely after JEMPERLI treatment, study participants could go on to receive other standard treatments (possibly including a combination of chemotherapy, radiation, and/or surgery)

AZUR-1 Study Results

With JEMPERLI, many patients with MSI-H/dMMR locally advanced rectal cancer achieved cCR12 without the need for chemotherapy, radiation, or surgery.

 

The main goal of the study was to measure cCR12 or clinical complete response maintained for at least 12 months. This means doctors could not find signs of cancer after treatment in endoscopy or imaging tests over 12 months as confirmed by an independent team of experts, also known as an independent central review. The results were also reviewed by the researchers who ran the study (study investigators).

In the study, 154 patients received JEMPERLI. To measure cCR12, 116 participants were evaluated by independent central review and 144 were evaluated by study investigators to see if they were able to maintain a cCR for at least 12 months following treatment.

AZUR-1 study results: cCR12 over 12 months

*This does not always mean that the cancer has been cured.

 

ICR or independent central review includes independent medical experts who review results based on a guide.

 

Investigator assessment is performed by the doctors and healthcare team who are conducting the study.

 

Another goal of the study was to measure objective response rate (ORR), defined as the percentage of participants whose tumors completely disappeared* (clinical complete response or cCR), nearly disappeared (near-complete response or nCR), or partially shrank (partial response or PR) within a certain period of time after receiving JEMPERLI. The results were reviewed by independent central review and the study investigators.

 

*This does not always mean that the cancer has been cured.

AZUR-1 study results: objective response rate

*This does not always mean that the cancer has been cured.

 

  • Clinical Complete Response (cCR): 28% (43 out of 154) of participants per ICR, and 66% (102 out of 154) of participants per investigator
  • Near-Complete Response (nCR): 29% (44 out of 154) of participants per ICR, and 6% (9 out of 154) of participants per investigator
  • Partial Response (PR): 22% (34 out of 154) of participants per ICR, and 10% (15 out of 154) of participants per investigator

Potential side effects when taking JEMPERLI

JEMPERLI can cause your immune system to attack normal organs and tissues in any area of your body and can affect the way they work. These problems can sometimes become severe or life-threatening and can lead to death. You can have more than one of these problems at the same time. These problems may happen anytime during treatment or even after your treatment has ended.

 

Call or see your healthcare provider right away if you develop any new or worsening signs or symptoms, including:

Lung problems.

  • cough
  • shortness of breath
  • chest pain

Intestinal problems.

  • diarrhea (loose stools) or more frequent bowel movements than usual
  • stools that are black, tarry, sticky, or have blood or mucus
  • severe stomach-area (abdomen) pain or tenderness

Liver problems.

  • yellowing of your skin or the whites of your eyes
  • severe nausea or vomiting
  • pain on the right side of your stomach area (abdomen)
  • dark urine (tea colored)
  • bleeding or bruising more easily than usual

Hormone gland problems.

  • headaches that will not go away or unusual headaches
  • eye sensitivity to light
  • eye problems
  • rapid heartbeat
  • increased sweating
  • extreme tiredness
  • weight gain or weight loss
  • feeling more hungry or thirsty than usual
  • urinating more often than usual
  • hair loss
  • feeling cold
  • constipation
  • your voice gets deeper
  • dizziness or fainting
  • changes in mood or behavior, such as decreased sex drive, irritability, or forgetfulness

Kidney problems.

  • change in the amount or color of your urine
  • blood in your urine
  • swelling in your ankles
  • loss of appetite

Skin problems.

  • rash
  • itching
  • skin blistering or peeling
  • swollen lymph nodes
  • painful sores or ulcers in your mouth or in your nose, throat, or genital area
  • fever or flu-like symptoms

Problems can also happen in other organs and tissues. These are not all of the signs and symptoms of immune system problems that can happen with JEMPERLI. Call or see your healthcare provider right away for any new or worsening signs or symptoms, which may include:

  • chest pain, irregular heartbeat, shortness of breath, swelling of ankles
  • persistent or severe muscle pain or weakness, muscle cramps
  • confusion, sleepiness, memory problems, changes in mood or behavior, stiff neck, balance problems, tingling or numbness of the arms or legs
  • double vision, blurry vision, drooping eyelids, sensitivity to light, eye pain, changes in eyesight
  • low red blood cells, bruising

Infusion reactions that can sometimes be severe or life-threatening. Signs and symptoms of infusion reactions may include:

  • chills or shaking
  • itching or rash
  • flushing
  • shortness of breath or wheezing
  • dizziness
  • feel like passing out
  • fever
  • back or neck pain

Rejection of a transplanted organ or tissue. Your healthcare provider should tell you what signs and symptoms you should report and monitor you, depending on the type of organ or tissue transplant that you have had.

 

Complications, including graft-versus-host-disease (GVHD), in people who have received a bone marrow (stem cell) transplant that uses donor stem cells (allogeneic). These complications can be serious and can lead to death. These complications may happen if you underwent transplantation either before or after being treated with JEMPERLI.

Your healthcare provider will monitor you for these complications.

 

Getting medical treatment right away may help keep these problems from becoming more serious.

 

Your healthcare provider will check you for these problems during treatment with JEMPERLI. Your healthcare provider may treat you with corticosteroid or hormone replacement medicines. Your healthcare provider may also need to delay or completely stop treatment with JEMPERLI, if you have severe side effects.

 

In the AZUR-1 trial, the most common side effects were tiredness, rash, diarrhea, and itchy skin (pruritus).

 

These are not all of the possible side effects of JEMPERLI. To learn more about these side effects, talk to your doctor.

 

  • 3% of study participants stopped taking JEMPERLI completely, and 19% had their treatment interrupted due to side effects

 

What you may expect when starting JEMPERLI

 

Beginning any cancer treatment may bring uncertainty. Fortunately, you can rely on your care team for guidance throughout your journey. You may also want to review the information below to help you feel more prepared.

How JEMPERLI is given

JEMPERLI is given through an intravenous (IV) infusion. The medical staff will prepare the medicine and then the IV infusion should take about 30 minutes.

How often JEMPERLI is given

Usually every 3 weeks for 9 doses over the course of about 6 months. Remember to mark your calendar for appointments.

  • During your infusions, make sure to pay attention to how you are feeling. Sometimes chills or shaking, dizziness, itching or rash, or other reactions can occur. If you feel something out of the ordinary, make sure to tell the nurse or someone at the infusion center right away
  • Your healthcare provider will decide how many treatments you need
  • Your healthcare provider will do blood tests to check you for side effects
  • If you miss any appointments, call your healthcare provider as soon as possible to reschedule your appointment

Additional Resources

JEMPERLI Patient Brochure

Learn more about JEMPERLI in this informative brochure, ready to download or print.

Approved Use & Safety Info

Approved Use

Important Safety Information

Approved Use

JEMPERLI is a prescription medicine used to treat adults with a kind of cancer called rectal cancer. JEMPERLI may be used alone to treat rectal cancer that:

  • is Stage II or III and has spread to nearby tissues (locally advanced) but not to other parts of the body, and
  • is shown by a laboratory test to be microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H) or mismatch repair deficient (dMMR).
  • This use is approved based on clinical complete response (defined as no signs of cancer) maintained for 12 months. The risk of the cancer returning over time is unknown, and researchers will continue to gather more information. Studies are ongoing to confirm the clinical benefit of JEMPERLI for this use.

 

It is not known if JEMPERLI is safe and effective in children.

Important Safety Information

JEMPERLI is a medicine that may treat certain cancers by working with your immune system. JEMPERLI can cause your immune system to attack normal organs and tissues in any area of your body and can affect the way they work. These problems can sometimes become severe or life-threatening and can lead to death. You can have more than one of these problems at the same time. These problems may happen anytime during treatment or even after your treatment has ended.

 

Call or see your healthcare provider (HCP) right away if you develop any new or worsening signs or symptoms, including:

 

Lung problems. Signs and symptoms may include cough, shortness of breath, or chest pain.

 

Intestinal problems. Signs and symptoms may include diarrhea (loose stools) or more frequent bowel movements than usual; stools that are black, tarry, sticky, or have blood or mucus; or severe stomach-area (abdomen) pain or tenderness.

 

Liver problems. Signs and symptoms may include yellowing of your skin or the whites of your eyes, severe nausea or vomiting, pain on the right side of your stomach area (abdomen), dark urine (tea colored), or bleeding or bruising more easily than usual.

 

Hormone gland problems. Signs and symptoms may include headaches that will not go away or unusual headaches, eye sensitivity to light, eye problems, rapid heartbeat, increased sweating, extreme tiredness, weight gain or weight loss, feeling more hungry or thirsty than usual, urinating more often than usual, hair loss, feeling cold, constipation, your voice gets deeper, dizziness or fainting, changes in mood or behavior such as decreased sex drive, irritability, or forgetfulness.

 

Kidney problems. Signs and symptoms may include change in the amount or color of your urine, blood in your urine, swelling in your ankles, or loss of appetite. 

 

Skin problems. Signs and symptoms may include rash; itching; skin blistering or peeling; swollen lymph nodes; painful sores or ulcers in your mouth or in your nose, throat, or genital area; fever or flu-like symptoms.

 

Problems can also happen in other organs and tissues. These are not all of the signs and symptoms of immune system problems that can happen with JEMPERLI. Call or see your HCP right away for any new or worsening signs or symptoms. Signs and symptoms may include chest pain, irregular heartbeat, shortness of breath, swelling of ankles; persistent or severe muscle pain or weakness, muscle cramps; confusion, sleepiness, memory problems, changes in mood or behavior, stiff neck, balance problems, tingling or numbness of the arms or legs; double vision, blurry vision, drooping eyelids, sensitivity to light, eye pain, changes in eyesight; low red blood cells, bruising.

 

Infusion reactions that can sometimes be severe or life-threatening. Signs and symptoms of infusion reactions may include chills or shaking, itching or rash, flushing, shortness of breath or wheezing, dizziness, feel like passing out, fever, back or neck pain.

 

Rejection of a transplanted organ or tissue. Your HCP should tell you what signs and symptoms you should report and monitor you, depending on the type of organ or tissue transplant that you have had.

 

Complications, including graft-versus-host-disease (GVHD), in people who have received a bone marrow (stem cell) transplant that uses donor stem cells (allogeneic). These complications can be serious and can lead to death. These complications may happen if you underwent transplantation either before or after being treated with JEMPERLI. Your HCP will monitor you for these complications.

 

Getting medical treatment right away may help keep these problems from becoming more serious. Your HCP will check you for these problems during treatment with JEMPERLI and may treat you with corticosteroid or hormone replacement medicines. If you have severe side effects, your HCP may also need to delay or completely stop treatment with JEMPERLI.

 

Before receiving JEMPERLI, tell your HCP about all of your medical conditions, including immune system problems such as Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, or lupus; received an organ or tissue transplant, including corneal transplant; have received or plan to receive a stem cell transplant that uses donor stem cells (allogeneic); have received radiation treatment to your chest area; have a condition that affects your nervous system, such as myasthenia gravis or Guillain-Barré syndrome.

 

If you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant, tell your HCP. JEMPERLI can harm your unborn baby. If you are able to become pregnant, your HCP will give you a pregnancy test before you start treatment. Use an effective birth control method during treatment and for 4 months after your last dose of JEMPERLI. Tell your HCP right away if you become pregnant or think you may be pregnant during treatment with JEMPERLI.

 

If you are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed, tell your HCP. It is not known if JEMPERLI passes into your milk. Do not feed with your own milk during treatment with JEMPERLI and for 4 months after your last dose. 

 

Tell your HCP about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.

 

The most common side effects of JEMPERLI in people with MSI-H or dMMR locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) when used alone include tiredness, rash, diarrhea, itchy skin (pruritus). 

 

These are not all of the possible side effects of JEMPERLI. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. 

 

Please see full Prescribing Information, including Medication Guide for patients.

You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA.
Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch or call 1-800-FDA-1088. You may also report negative side effects to GSK at gsk.public.reportum.com or 1-888-825-5249.
GSK Help Center logo

Explore the GSK Help Center website to find customer service support and contact information.

Together with JEMPERLI logo

If you have questions about how to access or pay for JEMPERLI, visit TogetherwithJEMPERLI.com or call 1-844-4GSK-ONC (1-844-447-5662).