Imfinzi and epacadostat combo to be tested in lung cancer

The USA’s Incyte Corp (Nasdaq: INCY), already one of the leaders in the race to bring an IDO1-targeted immuno-oncology drug to market, is expanding its collaboration with Anglo-Swedish pharma major AstraZeneca (LSE: AZN) and its subsidiary MedImmune, to test their respective drugs in combination.

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 US Food and Drug Administration granted accelerated approval to Imfinzi in the treatment o f bladder cancer in May this year. The European Medicines Agency accepted the marketing application for its Imfinzi earlier this month.