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Approval based on pivotal Phase 3 C-POST trial showing Libtayo significantly reduced the risk of disease recurrence or death by 68% compared to placebo (hazard ratio: 0.32; 95% confidence interval: 0.20-0.51; p<0.0001), the primary endpoint of the trial
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Libtayo is the current standard of care in advanced CSCC; approval has the potential to change the treatment paradigm for patients in an earlier setting
TARRYTOWN, N.Y., Oct. 08, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: REGN) today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the PD-1 inhibitor Libtayo® (cemiplimab-rwlc) as an adjuvant treatment for adult patients with cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC) at high risk of recurrence after surgery and radiation. The FDA evaluated Libtayo under Priority Review, which is reserved for medicines that represent potentially significant improvements in efficacy or safety in the treatment of serious conditions. An additional regulatory application is also under review in the European Union, with a decision expected by the first half of 2026.
"Patients whose CSCC is at a high risk of recurrence following surgery and radiation often have the poorest outcomes. Until now, we lacked options to help prevent a devastating recurrence and immunotherapy was only available for patients with advanced CSCC who were no longer candidates for curative surgery or curative radiation,” said Vishal A. Patel, M.D., Associate Professor of Dermatology and of Medicine (Hematology/Oncology), George Washington University School of Medicine & Health Sciences and Director, Cutaneous Oncology Program, GW Cancer Center. “Many patients who undergo surgical resection of their CSCC are later found, on full pathological evaluation, to be at high risk of recurrence. As the first and only immunotherapy approved in the adjuvant setting, Libtayo represents a practice-changing opportunity for this patient population, backed by compelling data showcasing its ability to significantly improve disease-free survival.”
The FDA approval is based on data from the pivotal Phase 3 C-POST trial investigating adjuvant Libtayo versus placebo in patients with CSCC at high risk of recurrence after surgery and radiation. Results from the study, which were published in the New England Journal of Medicine and presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) 2025 Annual Meeting earlier this year, showed that Libtayo demonstrated a 68% reduction in the risk of disease recurrence or death compared to placebo in patients with CSCC at high risk of recurrence after surgery and radiation (hazard ratio [HR]: 0.32; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.20-0.51; p<0.0001).
The safety profile of Libtayo as adjuvant treatment of patients with CSCC at high risk of recurrence after surgery and radiation is consistent with the known safety profile for Libtayo monotherapy in advanced cancers. The most common adverse reactions as a single agent in adjuvant CSCC at high risk of recurrence (≥10%, with a difference between arms of ≥3% compared to placebo) were rash, pruritus, and hypothyroidism. Serious adverse reactions occurred in 18% of patients and those that occurred in ≥1% of patients in the Libtayo arm were pneumonia (1.5%), rash (1.5%), diarrhea (1.5%), adrenal insufficiency (1%), and arrhythmia (1%).
“This approval provides patients with CSCC at high risk of disease recurrence following surgery and radiation a much-needed option, as Libtayo is the only immunotherapy to demonstrate efficacy in this setting,” said George D. Yancopoulos, M.D., Ph.D., Board co-Chair, President and Chief Scientific Officer of Regeneron. “Now with five FDA-approved indications, Libtayo is firmly established as a strong and versatile PD-1 inhibitor option for patients with a variety of cancers.”
“CSCC is one of the most common skin cancers in the world, with an estimated 1.8 million cases diagnosed each year in the U.S. alone. While it can often be treated successfully with surgery and radiation, many patients face serious risk of advanced disease recurrences,” said Samantha R. Guild, President, AIM at Skin Cancer Foundation. “This approval is wonderful news for people living with CSCC, and we commend Regeneron for its long-standing commitment to addressing needs in non-melanoma skin cancer through its pioneering research.”
Regeneron is committed to helping patients who have been prescribed Libtayo access their medication. The company has launched Libtayo Surround™, which offers financial and educational resources to help support patients throughout their treatment journey. For more information, patients can call 1-877-LIBTAYO (1-877-542-8296).
The approved supplemental Biologics License Application (sBLA) did not include Catalent Indiana, LLC as a filling site.
About Regeneron in Cancer
We aspire to turn revolutionary discoveries into medicines that can transform the lives of those impacted by cancer. Our team around the world is driven to solve the needs and challenges of those affected by one of the most serious diseases of our time.
Backed by our legacy of scientific innovation and a deep understanding of biology, genetics and the immune system, we’re pursuing potential therapies across more than 30 types of solid tumors and blood cancers. Our cancer strategy is powered by cutting-edge technologies and therapies that can be flexibly combined to investigate potentially transformative treatments for patients. Oncology assets in clinical development comprise nearly half of Regeneron’s pipeline, and include checkpoint inhibitors, bispecific antibodies and costimulatory bispecific antibodies. Our approved PD-1 inhibitor Libtayo serves as the backbone of many of our investigational combinations.
To complement our extensive in-house capabilities, we collaborate with patients, healthcare providers, governments, biopharma companies and each other to further our shared goals. Together, we are united in the mission to serve as a beacon of transformation in cancer care.
About Libtayo
Libtayo is a fully human monoclonal antibody targeting the immune checkpoint receptor PD-1 on T cells and was invented using Regeneron's proprietary VelocImmune® technology. By binding to PD-1, Libtayo has been shown to block cancer cells from using the PD-1 pathway to suppress T-cell activation. Libtayo has been approved by regulatory authorities in more than 30 countries in one or more indications, including for certain adult patients with advanced basal cell carcinoma (BCC), CSCC that is advanced or at high risk of recurrence, advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and advanced cervical cancer.
In the U.S., the generic name for Libtayo in its approved indications is cemiplimab-rwlc, with rwlc as the suffix designated in accordance with Nonproprietary Naming of Biological Products Guidance for Industry issued by the U.S. FDA. Outside of the U.S., the generic name of Libtayo in its approved indications is cemiplimab.
The extensive clinical program for Libtayo is focused on difficult-to-treat cancers. Libtayo is currently being investigated in trials as a monotherapy, as well as in combination with either conventional or novel therapeutic approaches for other solid tumors and blood cancers. These potential uses are investigational, and their safety and efficacy have not been evaluated by any regulatory authority.