Confidence interval

CHMP Adopts Positive Opinion Recommending Approval of Bristol Myers Squibb’s Opdivo® (nivolumab) in Combination with Cisplatin and Gemcitabine for the First-Line Treatment of Adult Patients with Unresectable or Metastatic Urothelial Carcinoma

Retrieved on: 
Friday, April 26, 2024

The European Commission (EC), which has the authority to approve medicines for the European Union (EU), will now review the CHMP recommendation.

Key Points: 
  • The European Commission (EC), which has the authority to approve medicines for the European Union (EU), will now review the CHMP recommendation.
  • “New treatment options that may improve responses, delay disease progression, and offer survival benefit in the first-line setting are needed.
  • On March 7, 2024 the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the use of Opdivo in combination with cisplatin and gemcitabine as a first-line treatment for adult patients with unresectable or metastatic urothelial carcinoma, following a Priority Review.
  • Bristol Myers Squibb thanks the patients and investigators involved in the CheckMate -901 clinical trial.

Central bank asset purchases and auction cycles revisited: new evidence from the euro area

Retrieved on: 
Friday, April 19, 2024

Working Paper Series

Key Points: 
    • Working Paper Series
      Federico Maria Ferrara

      Central bank asset purchases
      and auction cycles revisited:
      new evidence from the euro area

      No 2927

      Disclaimer: This paper should not be reported as representing the views of the European Central Bank
      (ECB).

    • Abstract
      This study provides new evidence on the relationship between unconventional monetary
      policy and auction cycles in the euro area.
    • The findings indicate that Eurosystem?s asset purchase flows mitigate
      yield cycles during auction periods and counteract the amplification impact of market volatility.
    • The dampening effect of central bank asset purchases on auction cycles is more sizeable and
      precisely estimated for purchases of securities with medium-term maturities and in jurisdictions
      with relatively lower credit ratings.
    • On the other hand, central banks may influence price dynamics in these markets, most notably
      through their asset purchase programmes.
    • If so, do central bank asset purchases
      affect bond yield movements around auction dates?
    • Auction cycles are present when secondary market yields rise in
      anticipation of a debt auction and fall thereafter, generating an inverted V-shaped pattern around auction
      dates.
    • ECB Working Paper Series No 2927

      3

      1

      Introduction

      The impact of central bank asset purchases on government bond markets is a focal point of economic and
      financial research.

    • If so,
      do central bank asset purchases shape yield sensitivity around auction dates?
    • The paper provides new evidence on the effects of Eurosystem?s asset purchases on secondary market
      yields around public debt auction dates.
    • The analysis builds on previous research based on aggregate data
      on central bank asset purchases and a shorter analysis period (van Spronsen and Beetsma 2022).
    • Using
      granular data on Eurosystem?s asset purchases offers an opportunity to shed light on the mechanisms linking
      unconventional monetary policy and auction cycles.
    • Given this legal constraint, the study
      hypothesises that the effect of asset purchases on 10-year auction cycles is mostly indirect, and goes via price
      spillovers generated by purchases of securities outside the 10-year maturity space.
    • Taken together, these results provide new evidence about auction cycles in Europe and contribute to a
      larger literature on the flow effects of central bank asset purchases on bond markets.
    • Section 4 offers descriptive evidence about auction cycles in the euro area.
    • Auction cycles are defined by the presence of an inverted V-shaped pattern in secondary market yields
      around primary auctions.
    • That is, government bond yields rise in the run-up to the date of the auction and
      fall back to their original level after the auction.
    • Their limited risk-bearing capacities and inventory management operations are
      seen as key mechanisms driving auction cycles (Beetsma et al.
    • ECB Working Paper Series No 2927

      7

      Second, central bank asset purchases can alleviate the cycle by (partly) absorbing the additional supply
      of substitutable instruments in the secondary market (van Spronsen and Beetsma 2022).

    • This expectation is
      supported by several analyses on the price effects of central bank bond purchases (D?Amico and King 2013;
      Arrata and Nguyen 2017; De Santis and Holm-Hadulla 2020).
    • Empirically, previous research has provided evidence of auction cycles taking place across different jurisdictions.
    • (2016) detect auction cycles for government debt in Italy, but not in Germany, during the European
      sovereign debt crisis.
    • Research on the impact of central bank asset purchases on yield cycles around auctions is still limited.
    • Their paper provides evidence
      that Eurosystem?s asset purchases reduce the presence of auction cycles for euro area government debt.
    • Nonetheless, several questions remain open about auction cycles and unconventional monetary policy
      in the euro area.
    • Therefore, they
      provide only a partial picture of auction cycles and central bank asset purchases in Europe.
    • The use of granular data on central bank asset purchases is especially important in light of the modalities
      of monetary policy implementation of the Eurosystem.
    • Altogether, these elements motivate further investigation of the relationship between central bank asset
      purchases and auction cycles in the euro area.
    • Taken together, these results confirm that Eurosystem?s asset purchases mitigate yield cycles during auction periods and counteract the amplification impact of market volatility.
    • The findings confirm that the flow
      effects of central bank purchases on yield movements around auction dates are driven by lower-rated countries.
    • Additional analyses provide evidence for an indirect effect of purchases on auction cycles and highlight
      the presence of substantial heterogeneity across jurisdictions and purchase programmes.
    • Flow Effects of Central Bank Asset Purchases on Sovereign Bond
      Prices: Evidence from a Natural Experiment.
    • Federico Maria Ferrara
      European Central Bank, Frankfurt am Main, Germany; email: [email protected]

      ? European Central Bank, 2024
      Postal address 60640 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
      Telephone
      +49 69 1344 0
      Website
      www.ecb.europa.eu
      All rights reserved.

Transactional demand for central bank digital currency

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, April 18, 2024

Key Points: 

    U.S. Food and Drug Administration Approves Opdivo® (nivolumab), in Combination with Cisplatin and Gemcitabine, for First-Line Treatment of Adult Patients with Unresectable or Metastatic Urothelial Carcinoma

    Retrieved on: 
    Thursday, March 7, 2024

    Bristol Myers Squibb (NYSE: BMY) today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Opdivo® (nivolumab), in combination with cisplatin and gemcitabine, for the first-line treatment of adult patients with unresectable or metastatic urothelial carcinoma (UC), the most common type of bladder cancer.1,2 This approval is based on results from the Phase 3 CheckMate –901 trial which evaluated Opdivo in combination with cisplatin and gemcitabine followed by Opdivo monotherapy (n=304), compared to cisplatin-gemcitabine alone (n=304), for patients with previously untreated unresectable or metastatic UC.1,3 The primary efficacy endpoints were overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) assessed by Blinded Independent Central Review (BICR).1

    Key Points: 
    • Bristol Myers Squibb (NYSE: BMY) today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Opdivo® (nivolumab), in combination with cisplatin and gemcitabine, for the first-line treatment of adult patients with unresectable or metastatic urothelial carcinoma (UC), the most common type of bladder cancer.1,2 This approval is based on results from the Phase 3 CheckMate –901 trial which evaluated Opdivo in combination with cisplatin and gemcitabine followed by Opdivo monotherapy (n=304), compared to cisplatin-gemcitabine alone (n=304), for patients with previously untreated unresectable or metastatic UC.1,3 The primary efficacy endpoints were overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) assessed by Blinded Independent Central Review (BICR).1
      In the trial, with a median follow-up of approximately 33 months, treatment with Opdivo in combination with cisplatin and gemcitabine reduced the risk of death by 22%, demonstrating a median OS of 21.7 months versus 18.9 months with cisplatin-gemcitabine alone (Hazard Ratio [HR] 0.78; 95% Confidence Interval [CI]: 0.63, 0.96; p=0.0171).1,4 Patients receiving Opdivo in combination with cisplatin and gemcitabine had their risk of disease progression or death reduced by 28%, with a median PFS of 7.9 months compared to 7.6 months with cisplatin-gemcitabine alone (HR 0.72; 95% CI: 0.59, 0.88; p=0.0012).1
      Additionally, in exploratory analyses, treatment with Opdivo in combination with cisplatin and gemcitabine resulted in an objective response rate (ORR) of 57.6% (n=175) (95% CI: 51.8, 63.2) versus 43.1% (n=131) (95% CI: 37.5, 48.9) with cisplatin-gemcitabine alone.1,4 The complete response (CR) rate and partial response (PR) rate seen in patients treated with Opdivo in combination with cisplatin and gemcitabine was 22% (n=66) and 36% (n=109), respectively, versus 12% (n=36) and 31% (n=95) with cisplatin-gemcitabine alone.1
      “This approval marks an important advancement in a historically difficult-to-treat setting, where there has been a need for new and differentiated first-line approaches that may offer patients a chance to live longer,”5 said Guru P. Sonpavde, MD, Medical Director of Genitourinary Oncology and the Phase I Clinical Research Unit and Christopher K. Glanz Chair for Bladder Cancer Research at the AdventHealth Cancer Institute, Orlando, Florida.
    • “Based on outcomes and the safety profile seen in the CheckMate -901 clinical trial, the approval of Opdivo in combination with cisplatin and gemcitabine has the potential to change how metastatic or unresectable UC is treated for certain patients and offers them new hope.”1
      Opdivo is associated with the following Warnings & Precautions: severe and fatal immune-mediated adverse reactions, including pneumonitis, colitis, hepatitis and hepatotoxicity, endocrinopathies, dermatologic adverse reactions, nephritis with renal dysfunction, other immune-mediated adverse reactions; infusion-related reactions; complications of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT); embryo-fetal toxicity; and increased mortality in patients with multiple myeloma when Opdivo is added to a thalidomide analogue and dexamethasone, which is not recommended outside of controlled clinical trials.
    • Please see Important Safety Information below.1
      “Bringing Opdivo to the first-line setting in UC with chemotherapy is the latest realization of our history of research and progress in immunotherapy, which has helped transform the treatment landscape for many cancers, including bladder cancer,”1,6 said Wendy Short Bartie, senior vice president and general manager, U.S. Hematology and Oncology at Bristol Myers Squibb.
    • “This milestone adds a meaningful expansion to our portfolio of Opdivo-based treatments in genitourinary cancers, where we now have offerings in UC spanning three indications across stages of disease and treatment needs.”1
      The FDA previously approved Opdivo for the adjuvant treatment of adult patients with UC who are at high risk of recurrence after undergoing radical resection of UC; it also previously approved Opdivo for the treatment of adult patients with locally advanced or metastatic UC who have had disease progression during or following platinum-containing chemotherapy or have disease progression within 12 months of neoadjuvant or adjuvant treatment with platinum-containing chemotherapy.1
      Bristol Myers Squibb’s supplemental Biologics License Application (sBLA) leading to today’s approval was granted Priority Review status by the FDA, and was approved under the FDA’s Real-Time Oncology Review (RTOR) pilot program, which aims to ensure that safe and effective treatments are available to patients as early as possible.7 The review was also conducted under the FDA’s Project Orbis initiative, which enables concurrent review by the health authorities in several other countries where the application remains under review.

    Servier Receives Regulatory Filing Acceptances from FDA and EMA for Vorasidenib in the Treatment of IDH-Mutant Diffuse Glioma

    Retrieved on: 
    Wednesday, February 21, 2024

    BOSTON and SURESNES, France, Feb. 21, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Servier, a global leader in oncology focused on delivering meaningful therapeutic progress for the patients it serves, today announced the FDA filing acceptance and priority review for a New Drug Application (NDA) for vorasidenib, as well as the EMA granting accelerated assessment for the vorasidenib Marketing Authorization Application (MAA). This innovative targeted therapy is an oral, selective, highly brain-penetrant dual inhibitor of mutant isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 and 2 (IDH1/2) enzymes for the treatment of IDH-mutant diffuse glioma. If approved, vorasidenib would become a first-in-class targeted therapy for patients with IDH-mutant gliomas and would mark Servier's sixth approval across IDH-mutant cancers. The FDA has assigned a Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) action date of August 20, 2024, while the European Commission approval is anticipated in the second half of 2024.

    Key Points: 
    • This innovative targeted therapy is an oral, selective, highly brain-penetrant dual inhibitor of mutant isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 and 2 (IDH1/2) enzymes for the treatment of IDH-mutant diffuse glioma.
    • If approved, vorasidenib would become a first-in-class targeted therapy for patients with IDH-mutant gliomas and would mark Servier's sixth approval across IDH-mutant cancers.
    • "In the realm of glioma treatment, innovation has been stagnant for nearly a quarter-century, posing challenges for patients who, post-surgery, may opt to defer treatment due to concerns around potential toxic side effects.
    • "This promising outcome brings hope to patients grappling with IDH-mutant diffuse gliomas, offering a potential breakthrough for those eagerly awaiting a new therapeutic option."

    Gas price shocks and euro area inflation

    Retrieved on: 
    Tuesday, February 13, 2024
    Transfer, Person, Marques, OPEC, Interval (mathematics), Policy, NBER, Research Papers in Economics, The Economic Journal, Danmarks Nationalbank, Socialism, Energy transition, VIX, Canadian International Council, Paper, E30, Great, Macroeconomics, VAR, Central bank, Balke, Quarterly Journal, Q43, Census, Elasticity, USD, Projection, PMI, Social science, Hou, Bank of France, Topa, Fertilizer, Electricity, SSRN, University, A.5, Section 2, Natural gas, COVID-19, Swings, Overalls, Rotation, Journal of Monetary Economics, Harmonization, Title Transfer Facility, Pain, Ferrari, Uncertainty, Statistics, Medical classification, C50, Harper (publisher), Democracy, Shock, IMF, TTF, Fed, PPI, Power, European Central Bank, Monetary economics, Temperature, Section 3, E31, Nature, Food, Local, Joseph Schumpeter, Website, Energy economics, Speech, DeSantis, GDP, Rigidity, BVAR, Confidence interval, Money, Refinitiv, Bank, Baumeister, Pressure, Oil, Deutsche Bundesbank, International Energy Agency, Employment, Section 4, GIZ, C54, Sun, ECB, European Economic Association, Weather, A.9, Quarterly Journal of Economics, Exercise, HICP, Technical report, Attention, Literature, Journal of Applied Econometrics, Reproduction, International economics, Political economy, Absorption, Joseph Stiglitz, Unemployment, Journal, American Economic Review, Index, Section 5, Business, IP, Bachmann, Research, Federal Reserve Bank, Government, PDF, IWH, Complexity, Failure, Energy Information Administration, Explosive

    We document

    Key Points: 
      • We document
        how gas price fluctuations have a heterogeneous pass-through to euro area prices
        depending on the underlying shock driving them.
      • How do gas price shocks feed through to euro area
        inflation, and is the pass-through shock-dependent?
      • We analyse the importance of gas price shocks
        for euro area inflation in two steps.
      • We identify three structural shocks driving European gas prices,
        inspired by the literature on oil but tailored to the European gas market: (i) a gas supply
        shock, which reduces the supply of natural gas to the European market, increases the
        gas price and lowers gas inventories; (ii) an economic activity shock, which lifts demand
        for gas due to higher economic production, and finally (iii) a shock to gas inventories,
        when gas prices are driven by precautionary demand by gas companies.
      • First, all three identified shocks are
        important drivers of gas price dynamics, but they differ in how persistently they push

        ECB Working Paper Series No 2905

        2

        up gas prices.

      • The effect on euro area HICP of a shock to gas supply is more
        persistent and somewhat higher than when gas prices are driven by economic activity
        shocks.
      • A final key finding is that the pass-through of gas market shocks to euro area inflation
        appears non-linear.
      • The unprecedented volatility of gas prices
        contributed to the inflation problem in the euro area, with the gas price shocks feeding
        through producer prices, wages and persistently lifting core inflation.
      • More expensive
        energy contributed substantially to the rise in inflation in Europe during 2022.2

        Figure 1: Gas price and euro area Harmonized Index of Consumer Prices.

      • How do gas price shocks feed through to euro area
        inflation, and is the pass-through shock-dependent?
      • For instance, about 75% of gas imports to the euro area arrives
        through pipelines, making gas imports difficult to substitute and gas markets subject to
        3

        See for example the evidence by Rubaszek and Uddin (2020) for the US economy.

      • We analyse the importance of gas price shocks for
        euro area inflation in two steps.
      • We identify three structural shocks driving European gas prices,
        inspired by the literature on oil but tailored to the European gas market: (i) a gas supply
        shock, which reduces the supply of natural gas to the European market, increases the
        gas price and lowers gas inventories; (ii) an economic activity shock, which lifts demand
        for gas due to higher economic production, and finally (iii) a shock to gas inventories,
        when gas prices are driven by precautionary demand by gas companies.
      • First, all three identified shocks are
        important drivers of gas price dynamics, but they differ in how persistently they push
        up gas prices.
      • But when gas prices are driven by
        inventory demand shocks, the price effect typically dies out within one quarter.
      • A final key finding is that the pass-through of gas market shocks to euro area inflation appears non-linear.
      • The unprecedented volatility of gas prices
        contributed to the inflation problem in the euro area, with the gas price shocks feeding
        through producer prices, wages and persistently lifting core inflation.
      • (2022) and Alessandri and Gazzani (2023) identify gas supply shocks using VAR models,
        finding that gas price shocks lead to persistent increases in headline inflation.14 Ba?bura
        et al.
      • (2023) find positive effects of gas price shocks on core inflation in a BVAR for
        the euro area that includes one type of gas shock along a longer list of macroeconomic
        shocks.
      • 3.1

        Data

        For the gas market BVAR model, we use gas quantities, gas prices, gas inventories and
        euro area industrial production, as displayed in Figure 2.

      • (2015) to optimize

        ECB Working Paper Series No 2905

        13

        the posterior distribution.16 The vector Y includes the European gas quantity proxy, gas
        inventories, the European gas price benchmark and euro area industrial production.

      • As demand for gas increases, the gas price also rises
        while inventories fall as agents use gas in storage to partially satisfy higher demand.
      • Shocks to gas
        quantities driven by gas supply or inventory shocks tend to revert to pre-shock levels after
        around five to seven months, while economic activity shocks lead to a more long-lived
        increase in gas demand.19 Dynamics in gas inventories are more similar across shocks.
      • 3.4

        Historical events in the European gas market

        Before analysing the transmission of the different types of gas shocks to euro area prices,
        we show how the model interprets the unprecedented gas price rise in 2022 in terms of
        driving factors, and compare it with previous historical episodes of heightened gas price
        volatility as a way of validating the model.

      • Inventory shocks play a
        slightly smaller role, accounting for 17% of gas quantity and 23% of gas price fluctuations
        while the residual component (i.e.
      • 4

        Pass-through of gas price shocks to consumer prices

        The pass-through of gas price shocks to inflation is likely to be multi-faceted.

      • We first consider four outcome variables y: the European gas price, euro area HICP,
        core HICP and energy HICP.
      • Third, depending on the driving factor, gas price increases can pass through to core
        inflation in the euro area.
      • The results underline that gas price shocks can have important implications for inflation in the euro area ? depending on the driving factor of higher gas prices.
      • Casoli, C., Manera, M., and Valenti, D. ?Energy shocks in the euro area: disentangling
        the pass-through from oil and gas prices to inflation?.

    Subcutaneous Nivolumab (nivolumab and hyaluronidase) Shows Noninferiority Compared to Intravenous Opdivo (nivolumab) in Advanced or Metastatic Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma in CheckMate -67T Trial

    Retrieved on: 
    Saturday, January 27, 2024

    In addition, subcutaneous nivolumab displayed noninferior objective response rate (ORR) as assessed by Blinded Independent Central Review (BICR) vs. IV Opdivo.

    Key Points: 
    • In addition, subcutaneous nivolumab displayed noninferior objective response rate (ORR) as assessed by Blinded Independent Central Review (BICR) vs. IV Opdivo.
    • PFS: Median PFS by BICR with subcutaneous nivolumab was 7.23 months and 5.65 months with IV Opdivo.
    • Among patients treated with subcutaneous nivolumab (n=247), grade 3-4 adverse events (AEs) occurred in 35.2% of patients vs. 40.8% of patients treated with IV Opdivo (n=245).
    • “We are thrilled to present this research for the first time evaluating subcutaneous nivolumab, demonstrating noninferiority compared to intravenous Opdivo and supporting subcutaneous nivolumab as a potential new option to improve healthcare efficiency.

    Eight-Year Data for Opdivo (nivolumab) Plus Yervoy (ipilimumab) Continue to Demonstrate Longest Survival Benefit vs. Sunitinib Reported in Patients with Previously Untreated Advanced or Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma

    Retrieved on: 
    Monday, January 22, 2024

    Patients treated with Opdivo plus Yervoy maintained superior survival and more durable response benefits compared to those who received sunitinib in both patients with intermediate- and poor-risk prognostic factors and across all randomized patients.

    Key Points: 
    • Patients treated with Opdivo plus Yervoy maintained superior survival and more durable response benefits compared to those who received sunitinib in both patients with intermediate- and poor-risk prognostic factors and across all randomized patients.
    • DOR: Median DOR was 82.8 months for patients treated with Opdivo plus Yervoy compared to 19.8 months with sunitinib.
    • ORR: ORR benefits were maintained with Opdivo plus Yervoy compared to sunitinib (42% vs. 27%).
    • DOR: For patients treated with Opdivo plus Yervoy, median DOR was 76.2 months compared to 25.1 months with sunitinib.

    Opdivo® (nivolumab) in Combination with CABOMETYX® (cabozantinib) Demonstrates Long-Term Survival Benefits After Four Years of Follow-Up in the CheckMate -9ER Trial in First-Line Advanced Renal Cell Carcinoma

    Retrieved on: 
    Monday, January 22, 2024

    Superior overall survival (OS) was also observed in patients treated with the combination.

    Key Points: 
    • Superior overall survival (OS) was also observed in patients treated with the combination.
    • ORR (secondary endpoint): The combination regimen showed durable response improvements, doubling the ORR compared to sunitinib (55.7% vs. 27.7%, respectively).
    • ORR: In patients with intermediate-/ poor-risk, ORR was more than doubled at 52.6% with Opdivo and CABOMETYX vs. 23.0% with sunitinib.
    • In those with favorable risk profiles, the number of patients who achieved CR was doubled (16.2% vs. 8.3%) with the combination regimen.

    Opdivo (nivolumab) Plus Yervoy (ipilimumab) Reduced the Risk of Disease Progression or Death by 79% Versus Chemotherapy in Patients with Microsatellite Instability-High or Mismatch Repair Deficient Metastatic Colorectal Cancer in CheckMate -8HW Trial

    Retrieved on: 
    Saturday, January 20, 2024

    Median PFS was not yet reached in the Opdivo plus Yervoy arm (95% CI: 38.4-NE) vs. 5.9 months in the chemotherapy arm (95% CI: 4.4-7.8).

    Key Points: 
    • Median PFS was not yet reached in the Opdivo plus Yervoy arm (95% CI: 38.4-NE) vs. 5.9 months in the chemotherapy arm (95% CI: 4.4-7.8).
    • Grade 3/4 treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs) occurred in 23% of patients in the Opdivo plus Yervoy arm and 48% of patients in the chemotherapy arm.
    • Any grade TRAE-related discontinuation was 17% in the Opdivo plus Yervoy arm and 32% in the chemotherapy arm.
    • Bristol Myers Squibb thanks the patients and investigators involved in the CheckMate -8HW clinical trial.