AstraZeneca’s MedImmune, its global biologics R&D arm, has formed a clinical study collaboration with the biopharmaceutical company Incyte Corporation. The Phase I/II oncology study will evaluate the efficacy and safety of MedImmune's investigational anti-PD-L1 immune checkpoint inhibitor, MEDI4736, in combination with Incyte's oral small-molecule indoleamine dioxygenase-1 (IDO1) inhibitor, INCB24360.Both MEDI4736 and INCB24360 are immunotherapies.

Under the agreement, MedImmune and Incyte will collaborate on a non-exclusive basis on the study, to evaluate the combination in multiple solid tumors,  including metastatic melanoma, non-small cell lung cancer, squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck, and pancreatic cancer. The study will be co-funded equally by Incyte and MedImmune and conducted by Incyte.

AstraZeneca and MedImmune have recently initiated other immuno-oncology combination trials, including MEDI4736, a monoclonal antibody directed against programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) with AstraZeneca’s oncology drug Iressa (gefitinib) and MEDI4736 with tremelimumab. Other combination trials are planned to start imminently, demonstrating the strength and rapid progression of the company's immuno-oncology portfolio.

This is the second clinical trial collaboration for combination immunotherapies signed by a large pharmaceutical company this week. Bristol-Myers Squibb signed a pact with the biopharmaceutical company Celldex Therapeutics for evaluating the immunotherapies, nivolumab and varlilumab, in various cancers.  

Source: AstraZeneca