Janssen launches once-daily option for prostate cancer drug Erleada

On April 3, Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson announced the availability of an additional 240mg strength tablet for its prostate cancer drug ERLEADA (apalutamide) in the United States.

Erleada is an androgen receptor inhibitor (ARI) indicated for treatment of patients with non-metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (nmCRPC) and patients with metastatic castration-sensitive prostate cancer (mCSPC).

The introduction of the higher strength tablet provides patients with an option to take the medication once-daily in single tablet form. Previously, the drug was only available as a 60mg tablet – four of the which would need to be daily.

“Each person and their cancer are unique and, as such, there is no one-size-fits-all approach to treatment,” said Dr Luca Dezzani, vice president, Medical Affairs, Solid Tumor, Janssen Scientific Affairs, LLC.

“The availability of 240mg and 60mg strength options of Erleada demonstrates Janssen’s commitment to prostate cancer patients and provides prescribers flexibility in dosing and methods of administration to fit each patient’s unique needs,” he added.

In its 2022 annual report, the company listed Erleada as a growth driver. In 2022, Janssen reported $1.88 billion sales for Erleada, a jump from $1.2 billion in 2021. According to the company, more than 100,000 patients worldwide have been treated with Erleada.

Amidst the drive to offer dosing flexibility for everyday use, attention has also turned to studying different dosing regimens in clinical trials. In some conditions like substance use disorders, experts say that higher doses in less quantity improves adherence in clinical trials. More recently, the US Food and Administration (FDA), has recommended guidelines on drug dose optimisation models in cancer and had previously requested companies like Amgen to test drugs again at lower doses.