Incyte and AstraZeneca to enter Clinical Trial Collaboration in Early Lung Cancer

Incyte Corporation and MedImmune, AstraZeneca’s  global biologics research and development arm, announced the expansion of their clinical collaboration. As part of the agreement, the companies will evaluate the efficacy and safety of epacadostat, Incyte’s investigational selective IDO1 enzyme inhibitor, in combination with AstraZeneca’s Imfinzi® (durvalumab), a human monoclonal antibody directed against PD-L1, compared to Imfinzi alone.

The exclusive collaboration for the study population allows the two companies to conduct a Phase 3 trial in patients with locally-advanced (Stage III), unresectable non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) whose disease has not progressed following platinum-based chemotherapy concurrent with radiation therapy (CRT).

“We are pleased to expand our ongoing clinical collaboration with AstraZeneca and to further explore the potential of epacadostat in patients with locally-advanced unresectable lung cancer,” said Steven Stein, M.D., Chief Medical Officer, Incyte. “We look forward to beginning this additional pivotal trial for epacadostat, as we seek to position IDO1 enzyme inhibition as a key component of combination immunotherapy.”

“Imfinzi has shown exciting clinical potential in treating patients with locally-advanced lung cancer. We are pleased to build on recent data from the PACIFIC trial to further explore how Imfinzi, in combination with an IDO1 enzyme inhibitor, could provide additional benefit to patients with locally-advanced lung cancer,” said Sean Bohan, Executive Vice President, Global Medicines Development and Chief Medical officer, AstraZeneca.

The Phase 3 trial, which will be co-funded by the two companies and will be conducted by AstraZeneca, is expected to begin enrolling patients in the first-half of 2018. This agreement builds on an existing clinical collaboration for epacadostat and Imfinzi, announced by both companies in May 2014.