Incyte Corporation (INCY)

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3 Promising Cancer Immunotherapies to Watch in 2018

Keith Speights, The Motley Fool
December 22, 2017

Any way you look at it, immunotherapies -- also known as immuno-oncology (I-O) drugs -- are hot commodities. Two of the top three cancer drugs projected to be the biggest winners in the next five years are immunotherapies: Bristol-Myers Squibb's (NYSE: BMY) Opdivo and Merck's (NYSE: MRK) Keytruda. Together, those two combined are on track to generate revenue topping $8 billion this year.

Immunotherapies work by spurring the body's immune system to fight cancer. The approach has gained such incredible traction in the research community that there are now over 2,000 immunotherapies in clinical-stage development or on the market. Out of that vast number, I think there are three especially promising cancer immunotherapies to watch in 2018.

Epacadostat

Incyte (NASDAQ: INCY) could have the most eagerly anticipated immunotherapy on its hands with epacadostat. Some types of cancer cells produce a protein called IDO (indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase). This protein shuts down immune system T cells, which would normally attack the tumor. Epacadostat works by inhibiting production of IDO, therefore allowing the body's immune system to fight back against cancer.

Epacadostat's potential is so great that several major drugmakers have teamed up with Incyte to test the drug in combination with their own immunotherapies. Bristol-Myers Squibb and Incyte are evaluating a combination of Opdivo and epacadostat in late-stage studies targeting non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and head and neck cancer. AstraZeneca and Incyte are also working together in testing a combination of Imfinzi and epacadostat in treating NSCLC.

But the most important study to watch next year is the late-stage Echo-301 study that Merck and Incyte are conducting to evaluate the potential of a Keytruda-epacadostat combo in treating melanoma. The two companies expect to announce results from this study in the first half of 2018. Echo-301 will be the first late-stage study to wrap up for epacadostat. If the results are positive, it could bode well for the many other combination studies that are in progress.
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https://finance.yahoo.com/news/3-promising-cancer-immunotherapies-watch-110400872.html

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