04/20/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 04/20/2026 23:02
Monday, Apr 20, 2026
South San Francisco, CA -- April 20, 2026 --
Genentech, a member of the Roche Group (SIX: RO, ROP; OTCQX: RHHBY), announced today that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted the company's supplemental Biologics License Application (sBLA) for Gazyva® (obinutuzumab) for the treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). The filing acceptance is based on positive results from the Phase III ALLEGORY study, which demonstrated a statistically significant and clinically meaningful benefit in the primary endpoint of SLE Responder Index 4 (SRI-4) at 52 weeks - a measure that assesses changes in disease severity, symptoms and physical condition. The FDA is expected to make a decision on an approval by December 2026. Gazyva is already approved for adults with lupus nephritis in the US and EU.
"The FDA's sBLA acceptance for Gazyva brings us one step closer to providing a highly effective new treatment option for people living with this unpredictable and potentially life-threatening disease," said Levi Garraway, M.D., Ph.D., chief medical officer and head of Global Product Development. "Gazyva may offer meaningful improvements in disease control and increase the likelihood of achieving complete remission in SLE while reducing the burden of long-term steroid use."
"For people living with SLE, the daily challenges of the disease can be both physically and emotionally overwhelming," said Albert T. Roy, president and CEO, Lupus Research Alliance. "We are hopeful for the approval of Gazyva as a new treatment for SLE - given its potential to manage symptoms as well as drive higher rates of clinical remission and reduce the frequency of debilitating flares.''
These data were simultaneously presented at the 15th European Lupus meeting, SLEuro 2026 and published in the New England Journal of Medicine in March 2026.
The Phase III ALLEGORY results showed over three quarters (76.7%) of people treated with Gazyva plus standard therapy achieved a minimum four-point improvement in SRI-4 at 52 weeks, compared to 53.5% with placebo plus standard therapy (adjusted difference 23.1%, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 12.5-33.6, p<0.001). Safety was consistent with the well-characterized profile of Gazyva, and no new safety signals were identified.
Gazyva was also superior to placebo in all key secondary endpoints, and met additional secondary endpoints, including the British Isles Lupus Assessment Group-based Composite Lupus Assessment (BICLA) response at 52 weeks and glucocorticoid reduction to ≤7.5 mg/day, sustained from week 40 to 52. The study showed that people receiving Gazyva, plus standard therapy, were less likely to have a flare through to week 52, as defined by the British Isles Lupus Assessment Group (BILAG) index (Hazard ratio [HR]: 0.58, 95% CI: 0.40-0.82, p=0.002). A relevant finding as flares can lead to permanent organ damage. The median time to first flare could not be estimated. In addition, treatment with Gazyva plus standard therapy, versus placebo plus standard therapy, more than doubled the remission rate at 52 weeks (Definition of Remission in SLE (DORIS) - 33.8% versus 13.8%, adjusted difference 19.9%, 95% CI: 10.6-
Data from the Phase III ALLEGORY study have also been used for a filing submission with the European Medicines Agency. ALLEGORY is one of four positive Phase III studies for Gazyva in immune-mediated diseases, in addition to REGENCY in lupus nephritis, INShore in idiopathic nephrotic syndrome and MAJESTY in primary membranous nephropathy. This growing body of evidence supports the potential of Gazyva to address disease activity across a spectrum of immune-mediated diseases. Beyond Gazyva, we have a broad pipeline as part of our ambition to bring breakthrough innovation to immunology, in particular in immune-mediated kidney and rheumatological diseases.
About Gazyva
Gazyva® (obinutuzumab) is a humanized monoclonal antibody designed with a Type II anti-CD20 region, for direct B cell death and a glycoengineered Fc region, for higher binding affinity and increased antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC). CD20 is a protein found on certain types of B cells. Gazyva is approved for adults with lupus nephritis in the US and EU. Gazyva is also approved in 100 countries for various types of hematological cancers.
About the ALLEGORY Study
ALLEGORY [NCT04963296] is a Phase III, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter study, investigating the efficacy and safety of Gazyva® (obinutuzumab) compared with placebo in adults with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) on standard therapy. The study enrolled approximately 300 people, who were randomized 1:1 to receive Gazyva or placebo for up to one year (52 weeks), followed by an open-label period with Gazyva for up to 104 weeks. The primary endpoint is the percentage of people who achieve SLE Responder Index four at week 52.
About Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a potentially life-threatening autoimmune disease that affects more than three million people worldwide, and is rising. It is a chronic disease that causes inflammation in various parts of the body; for this reason it can affect multiple organ systems, especially the skin, joints and kidneys. As multiple organ systems are affected, it can cause varying symptoms, often taking two to six years for an accurate diagnosis. During this time, disease severity and organ damage, due to repeated flares of disease activity, typically worsens and quality of life declines.
Around half of people with SLE will develop lupus nephritis within five years of a lupus diagnosis. In lupus nephritis, the disease activity primarily affects the kidneys, posing a risk of kidney failure, where dialysis and transplant are the only treatment options.
There is a need for additional targeted therapies that can effectively control SLE disease activity and potentially delay or prevent the onset of lupus nephritis.
GAZYVA Indications
GAZYVA® (obinutuzumab) is a prescription medicine used:
Important Safety Information
The most important safety information patients should know about GAZYVA
Patients must tell their doctor right away about any side effect they experience. GAZYVA can cause side effects that can become serious or life-threatening, including:
Who should not receive GAZYVA:
Patientsshould NOT receive GAZYVA if they have had an allergic reaction (e.g., anaphylaxis or serum sickness) to GAZYVA.Patients must tell their healthcare provider if they have had an allergic reaction to obinutuzumab or any other ingredients in GAZYVA in the past.
Additional possible serious side effects of GAZYVA:
Patients must tell their doctor right away about any side effect they experience. GAZYVA can cause side effects that may become severe or life-threatening, including:
The most common side effects of GAZYVA in CLL were infusion-related reactions and low white blood cell counts.
The most common side effects seen with GAZYVA in a study that included relapsed or refractory NHL, including FL patients were infusion-related reactions, fatigue, low white blood cell counts, cough, upper respiratory tract infection, and joint or muscle pain.
The most common side effects seen with GAZYVA in a study that included previously untreated FL patients were infusion-related reactions, low white blood cell count, upper respiratory tract infections, cough, constipation and diarrhea.
The most common side effects of GAZYVA in LN were upper respiratory tract infection, COVID-19, urinary tract infection, bronchitis, pneumonia, infusion infusion-related reactions, and neutropenia.
Before receiving GAZYVA, patients should talk to their doctor about:
Patients should tell their doctor about any side effects.
These are not all of the possible side effects of GAZYVA. For more information, patients should ask their doctor or pharmacist.
GAZYVA is available by prescription only.
Report side effects to the FDA at (800) FDA-1088, orhttp://www.fda.gov/medwatch. Report side effects to Genentech at (888) 835-2555.
Please visit https://www.GAZYVA.com for the GAZYVA full Prescribing Information, including BOXED WARNINGS, for additional Important Safety Information.
About Genentech in Immunology
Genentech is committed to harnessing pioneering science and innovation to address critical unmet needs for patients with immune-mediated diseases. Our pipeline includes over a dozen clinical programs in immunology aiming to transform care for people living with lupus, MASH, ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease, immunoglobulin A nephropathy, idiopathic nephrotic syndrome, atopic dermatitis, and rheumatoid arthritis. We are investing end-to-end in immunology from discovery to R&D to commercialization across a variety of modalities including monoclonal antibodies, bispecifics, and CAR-T cell therapies to help solve some of the most difficult challenges in immunology today.
About Genentech
Founded 50 years ago, Genentech is a leading biotechnology company that discovers, develops, manufactures and commercializes medicines to treat patients with serious and life-threatening medical conditions. The company, a member of the Roche Group, has headquarters in South San Francisco, California. For additional information about the company, please visit http://www.gene.com.
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