Bristol-Myers and Incyte sign up to evaluate combo regimen of two immunotherapies

US pharma major Bristol-Myers Squibb (NYSE: BMY) and Incyte Corp (Nasdaq: INCY) have set up a clinical trial collaboration to evaluate the safety, tolerability and preliminary efficacy of a combination regimen of B-MS’s investigational PD-1 immune checkpoint inhibitor, nivolumab, and Incyte’s oral indoleamine dioxygenase-1 (IDO1) inhibitor, INCB24360, in a Phase I/II study.

Multiple tumor types will be explored in the study, which could potentially include melanoma, non-small cell lung (NSCLC), ovarian, colorectal (CRC), squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN) and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL).

The study, which is expected to begin in the fourth quarter of this year, will be co-funded by the companies and conducted by Incyte. No financial details of the collaboration were disclosed. Incyte’s shares gained 4.1% to $48.99 in mid-morning trading.