Incyte Announces Data On Enzyme Inhibitor With Keytruda

Incyte Corporation (NASDAQ:INCY) and Merck & Co. (NYSE:MRK) announced an updated data from the advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patient cohort of the ongoing phase I/II ECHO-202 study. The study was evaluating Incyte’s selective IDO1 enzyme inhibitor epacadostat, in combination with Merck’s anti-PD-1 therapy Keytruda (pembrolizumab).

Epacadostat is being studied in combination with other immuno-oncology agents. In fact, Incyte signed clinical trial collaboration agreements with Merck, Bristol-Myers Company (NYSE:BMY) , AstraZeneca/MedImmune (NYSE:AZN) and Roche/Genentech to evaluate epacadostat with their respective anti-PD-1 and anti-PD-L1 agents in phase I/II studies in 2014. Currently, all four of these studies are in progress. Also, Incyte retains global development and commercialization rights to epacadostat for all indications.

In Oct 2015, Incyte and Merck announced an expansion of the companies’ ongoing clinical trial collaboration to include ECHO-301, a phase III study evaluating the combination of epacadostat with Keytruda as a first-line treatment for patients with advanced or metastatic melanoma.

In Mar 2017, Incyte and Merck announced details of the companies’ planned expansion of the ongoing clinical trial collaboration to include four additional tumor types, evaluating epacadostat plus Keytruda in patients with NSCLC, renal, bladder, and head & neck cancers. Phase III trials in these additional tumor types are expected to be initiated in 2017.

Incyte’s share price has increased 31.2% year to date, while the Zacks classified Medical - Biomedical and Genetics industry gained 2.8%.

Coming back to the release, the study showed an overall response rate (ORR) of 35% among all patients with advanced NSCLC treated with the combination of epacadostat and Keytruda. Notably, complete response was noted in two patients and partial response (PR) in 12 patients. It also demonstrated a disease control rate (DCR) of 63%, with 71% of responses ongoing at the time of the data cut-off.

Earlier, in Apr 2017, Incyte and Bristol-Myers Squibb announced that they will advance their clinical development program. The program will evaluate the combination of Incyte’s investigational oral selective IDO1 enzyme inhibitor epacadostat with Bristol-Myers’ immuno-oncology therapy Opdivo in phase III studies.

Moving ahead, the combination will be evaluated for the treatment of first-line non-small cell lung cancer across the spectrum of PD-L1 expression and first-line head and neck cancer.

Currently, Incyte and Bristol-Myers Squibb are expanding the ECHO-204 phase I/II study to include anti-PD-1/PD-L1 relapsed/refractory melanoma cohorts.

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Incyte carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

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