Published on June 5, 2012 at 1:00 AM
Incyte Corporation (Nasdaq: INCY) presented preliminary results today
from the ongoing Phase I clinical trial for its oral indoleamine
dioxygenase-1 (IDO1) inhibitor, INCB024360, at the American Society of
Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting in Chicago. IDO1 expression in
human tumors is associated with poor prognosis, and IDO1 inhibition may
provide a new approach to increase survival in patients with a variety
of solid tumors.
"For cancer patients, elevated IDO levels correlate with poor outcomes.
A compound, such as INCB024360, which can significantly inhibit IDO
levels at doses that appear well-tolerated in a Phase I study, may offer
a new therapeutic approach for these patients. We look forward to seeing
this hypothesis tested in upcoming Phase II trials in patients with
advanced ovarian cancer and advanced melanoma, a cancer where
immunomodulatory therapies have promise," stated presenting author
Gregory Beatty, MD, PhD, an Assistant Professor in the Department of
Medicine, Hematology/Oncology Division, at the Abramson Cancer Center of
the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine in
Philadelphia.
The findings of the Phase I study were reported during an oral
presentation, Pharmacodynamic assessment of INCB024360, an inhibitor
of indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 1 (IDO1), in advanced cancer patients. The
Phase I study of INCB024360 is an open-label, single-agent
dose-escalation trial in patients with advanced cancers. The preliminary
findings confirmed significant IDO1 expression in various tumors,
including bladder, colorectal and breast cancers. Using two independent
assays, IDO1 inhibition was observed in all patients receiving the
compound, and treatment with INCB024360 resulted in greater than 90
percent inhibition of IDO1 activity when administered at doses above 300
mg twice a day. The compound is generally well-tolerated at these doses
with the most common adverse events being grade 1 and 2 fatigue. A
maximum tolerated dose has not been identified.
Source: Incyte Corporation