JNCE 4Q18/YE CC notes
1. Said posters at upcoming AACR will show "important validation" of their ICOS hi CD4 t-cell biomarker demonstrating improved PFS and OS in patients with the biomarker. [During Q&A, it was noted that "improved" was in reference to ICOS hi CD4 vs ICOS low CD4 and overall study population. I'm not sure if actual PFS and OS in ICOS hi CD4 subset has already been presented to some degree before (SITC last year?) and if it has then this may not be much of a meaningful update but if never presented then it could be more meaningful.]
2. Called LIILRB2, the target of JTX-8064, a "macrophage checkpoint."
3. During planned remarks, specifically called out the risks of the BMY/CELG deal going through and the possibility of rights to their drugs in the CELG partnership being returned to them in light of some overlap with BMY's pipeline. Makes me wonder if they think this may happen to bring it up during planned remarks and not in response to a question during Q&A. Of course, they brought up the potential good angle of regaining all rights but I'd take it as a bad sign myself if BMY were to ultimately pass on their drugs.
4. Will not need to select patients with their predictive biomarker (presumably will be revealed at AACR?) to help identify patients with pre-existing ICOS hi CD4 t-cells when combining vopratelimab with ipilimumab as ipilimumab itself can generate ICOS hi CD4 t-cells and has been shown to do that in the first or second cycle of tx. JNCE will have to use their specific biomarker to select patients for vopratelimab when not combining with ipilimumab.
5. GSK will have an update on their ICOS drug at ESMO later this year. JNCE doesn't see a difference yet between their drug and GSK's but noted that GSK hasn't presented a lot of data yet.
AI
