LONDON, UK / ACCESSWIRE / June 6, 2017 / Pro-Trader Daily takes a look at the latest corporate events and news making the headlines for Incyte Corp. (NASDAQ: INCY) and Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE: MRK). Both companies announced on June 03, 2017, the results of its Phase-1/2 ECHO-202 Clinical trial. The clinical trial aimed at finding the effectiveness of the use of Incyte's selective IDO1 enzyme inhibitor - epacadostat in combination with Merck's anti-PD-1 therapy - KEYTRUDA® (pembrolizumab) for the treatment of patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The data from the trial revealed an overall response rate (ORR) of 35%. The Companies presented the details of the preliminary results of ECHO-202 trial at the 53rd Annual Meeting of American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) which was scheduled on June 03, 2017 in Chicago, Illinois. For immediate access to our complimentary reports, including today's coverage, register for free now at:

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Commenting on the ECHO-202 trail results, ECHO-202 study investigator, Tara Gangadhar, M.D., Assistant Professor of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, said, "These updated data suggest that the combination of epacadostat and pembrolizumab has promise for patients with advanced NSCLC, irrespective of PD-L1 status. The results show a clinical benefit for patients with advanced lung cancer and establish a strong basis for progressing this novel, investigational immunotherapy combination into pivotal studies for the first-line treatment of these patients."

The results of the ECHO-202 clinical trial

The findings of the trail are based on study of nearly 40 patients with advanced squamous and non-squamous NSCLC who were treated with a combination of epacadostat and KEYTRUDA®, irrespective of their PD-L1 status. PD-L1 or programmed death ligand-1 status is a biomarker testing that is used to predict the efficacy of anti?PD-1/PD-L1 immunotherapy treatment in clinical trials. The data shared by the Companies is as on February 27, 2017.

The use of the combination of epacadostat and KEYTRUDA® drugs revealed an overall response rate (ORR) of 35%. Nearly 5% patients treated with epacadostat and KEYTRUDA® showed complete response (CR). Nearly 30% patients treated with epacadostat and KEYTRUDA® showed partial response (PR). The data showed that the combined use of epacadostat and KEYTRUDA® showed a disease control rate (DCR) of 63%. The responses have been collected from patients who had high levels of PD-L1 expression [tumor proportion score (TPS) ?50%] as well as patients with lower levels of PD-L1 expression (TPS of less than 50%). An ORR rate of 40% was recorded in patients who were given a ?100 mg dosage of the combination of epacadostat and KEYTRUDA®, twice a day.

The safety profile of the ECHO-202 study was consistent with KEYTRUDA® as a monotherapy and the Phase-1 findings, as well as the Phase-1/2 safety results in other tumor cohorts and pooled safety data from this study.

About the ECHO-202 clinical trial

The ECHO clinical trial was started with the aim of finding the efficacy and safety of using epacadostat as the key component and in combination with other oncology drugs for the treatment of a wide range of solid tumors and hematological malignancies (cancers that affect the blood and lymph system). The Phase-1 and Phase-2 studies are ongoing and plans to cover over 900 patients with solid tumors and hematological malignancies. The Companies are also working on the Phase-3 randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study that would use KEYTRUDA® (pembrolizumab) in combination with epacadostat or placebo for the treatment of patients with unresectable or metastatic melanoma.

The ECHO-202 clinical trial is being undertaken to study the safety and efficacy of epacadostat, Incyte's selective IDO1 inhibitor, in combination with KEYTRUDA®. This study did not include the patients who were previously treated with anti-PD-1 or anti-CTLA-4 therapies.

About Epacadostat (INCB024360)

Epacadostat is an investigational, highly potent, and selective oral inhibitor of the IDO1 enzyme. IDO1, or Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 1, is an immunosuppressive enzyme that leads to regulatory T-cell generation and activation and allows tumors to escape from immune surveillance. In single-arm studies, where epacadostat is combined with the CTLA-4 inhibitor ipilimumab or the PD-1 inhibitor KEYTRUDA® to treat patients with unresectable or metastatic melanoma, the data have shown improved response rates compared to the studies where patients have been treated with only immune checkpoint inhibitors.

About KEYTRUDA® (pembrolizumab) Injection

KEYTRUDA® is a drug used in the treatment of certain types of cancer by working in tandem with the immune system. It is used in the treatment of melanoma, NSCLC, head and neck squamous cell cancer (HNSCC), classical Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL), advanced urothelial cancer etc. KEYTRUDA® can be administered via an intravenous infusion or it is also available in a 100-mg single-dose vial injection.

Last Close Stock Review

On Monday, June 05, 2017, the stock closed the trading session at $124.03, dropping 5.68% from its previous closing price of $131.50. A total volume of 3.82 million shares have exchanged hands, which was higher than the 3-month average volume of 2.18 million shares. Incyte's stock price soared 24.12% in the past six months, and 45.99% in the previous twelve months. Furthermore, since the start of the year, shares of the Company have surged 23.70%. The stock currently has a market cap of $24.97 billion.

On Monday, June 05, 2017, the stock closed the trading session at $65.07, marginally falling 0.61% from its previous closing price of $65.47. A total volume of 5.97 million shares have exchanged hands. Merck's stock price surged 2.67% in the last month, 7.09% in the past six months, and 14.88% in the previous twelve months. Moreover, the stock rallied 10.53% since the start of the year. The stock is trading at a PE ratio of 41.68 and has a dividend yield of 2.89%. At Monday's closing price, the stock's net capitalization stands at $178.62 billion.

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