Epizyme Announces the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Lifts Partial Clinical Hold on Tazemetostat Clinical Program

Epizyme, Inc. (NASDAQ: EPZM), a clinical-stage company developing novel epigenetic therapies, today announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has lifted the partial clinical hold that had paused U.S.-based enrollment of new patients in its tazemetostat clinical trials. Epizyme is now in the process of reopening enrollment in all of its company-sponsored trials in the U.S., including the follicular lymphoma (FL) EZH2 activating mutation cohort of its Phase 2 non-Hodgkin lymphoma trial.

Epizyme’s formal response to the FDA included a comprehensive assessment of the risk of secondary malignancies, including T-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma (T-LBL) potentially associated with tazemetostat, which took into account both published literature and the company’s clinical experience to date. This followed a report of a single case of T-LBL in its tazemetostat pediatric study. Epizyme provided a thorough assessment of efficacy and safety data across all of its trials in hematological malignancies and solid tumors, in both adults and children, and convened a panel of external scientific and medical experts who reviewed and validated the findings.

“The Epizyme team has worked diligently to provide a comprehensive response back to the FDA, and through constructive dialogue, we successfully resolved the partial clinical hold. This allows us to turn our full attention to our key priorities: preparing for our first NDA submission for tazemetostat in epithelioid sarcoma and defining our registration path in FL,” said Robert Bazemore, president and chief executive officer of Epizyme. “We, along with our investigators and the global experts we consulted to support our complete response, continue to believe in the positive benefit/risk of tazemetostat as we move forward in our clinical development program. We remain steadfast in our commitment to bringing this potential therapeutic option to cancer patients in need of safe and effective new treatments.”

Epizyme will now engage with regulators in France and Germany to resolve the partial clinical holds and resume enrollment in those countries. The company is also working closely with its study partners to reach a similar resolution for their respective trials in which tazemetostat is being studied in combination with other therapies.

Investor Conference Call Notice
Company management plans to host a conference call and webcast at 8:30 a.m. EDT today to discuss the resolution of the partial clinical hold. To participate, please dial (877) 844-6886 (domestic) or (970) 315-0315 (international) and refer to conference ID 3499753. A live webcast will be available in the investor section of the company’s website at www.epizyme.com. The webcast also will be archived on the website for 60 days.

About the Tazemetostat Clinical Trial Program
Tazemetostat, a potent, selective, orally available, first-in-class EZH2 inhibitor, is currently being studied as a monotherapy in ongoing Phase 2 programs in certain molecularly defined solid tumors, including epithelioid sarcoma and other INI1-negative tumors; follicular lymphoma (FL); and combination studies in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) and non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

About Epizyme, Inc.
Epizyme, Inc. is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company committed to rewriting treatment for cancer and other serious diseases through novel epigenetic medicines. Epizyme is broadly developing its lead product candidate, tazemetostat, a first-in-class EZH2 inhibitor, with studies underway in both solid tumors and hematological malignancies, as a monotherapy and combination therapy in relapsed and front-line disease. The company is also developing a novel G9a program with its next development candidate, EZM8266, which is targeting sickle cell disease. By focusing on the genetic drivers of disease, Epizyme's science seeks to match targeted medicines with the patients who need them. For more information, visit www.epizyme.com.

Cautionary Note on Forward-Looking Statements
Any statements in this press release about future expectations, plans and prospects for Epizyme, Inc. and other statements containing the words "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "may," "plan," "predict," "project," "target," "potential," "will," "would," "could," "should," "continue," and similar expressions, constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Actual results may differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements as a result of various important factors, including: uncertainties relating to the Company’s ability to resume enrollment in its tazemetostat trials and the timing of such resumption, and the impact of the safety finding on enrollment of patients in ongoing and future trials of tazemetostat following the lifting of the partial clinical hold and the resumption of enrollment; uncertainties inherent in the initiation of future clinical studies and in the availability and timing of data from ongoing clinical studies; whether interim results from a clinical trial will be predictive of the final results of the trial; whether results from preclinical studies or earlier clinical studies will be predictive of the results of future trials; whether results from clinical studies will warrant meetings with regulatory authorities, submissions for regulatory approval or review by governmental authorities under the accelerated approval process; whether Fast Track Designation and Orphan Drug Designations will provide the benefits for which tazemetostat is eligible; expectations for regulatory approvals to conduct trials or to market products; whether the company's cash resources will be sufficient to fund the company's foreseeable and unforeseeable operating expenses and capital expenditure requirements; other matters that could affect the availability or commercial potential of the company's therapeutic candidates; and other factors discussed in the "Risk Factors" section of the company's most recent Form 10-Q filed with the SEC and in the company's other filings from time to time with the SEC. In addition, the forward-looking statements included in this press release represent the company's views as of the date hereof and should not be relied upon as representing the company's views as of any date subsequent to the date hereof. The company anticipates that subsequent events and developments will cause the company's views to change. However, while the company may elect to update these forward-looking statements at some point in the future, the company specifically disclaims any obligation to do so.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180924005110/en/

Media:
Erin Graves, 617-500-0615
Epizyme, Inc.
[email protected]
or
Investors:
Jason Fredette, 617-500-0623
Epizyme, Inc.
[email protected]