Clinical Trial Program Expands Investigations on Keytruda Combination Therapy for Select Cancers

A clinical trial program initiated in 2016 to evaluate the safety and efficacy of epacadostat as a component of combination therapy for oncology patients will expand in 2017 to include investigation of combination therapy with this agent for a number cancer types.

Called the ECHO clinical trial program, investigation to date has focused on phase 1 and 2 studies evaluating the combination of epacadostat with Keytruda (pembrolizumab; Merck) for a broad range of solid tumor types and hematologic malignancies. Also underway is a phase 3, randomized trial evaluating the safety and efficacy of this combined therapy for patients with advanced metastatic melanoma. 

As announced in a press release by Merck, the ECHO clinical program will be expanded in 2017 to look at the safety and effectiveness of epacadostat combined with Keytruda for four additional cancers. These include non-small cell lung cancer, renal cell carcinoma, bladder cancer, and squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck.

Merck, the manufacturer of Keytruda, is collaborating with Incyte Corporation, the manufacturer of epacadostat, to undertake these studies. 

Epacadostat is a highly potent and selective oral inhibitor of an enzyme called indoleamine 2,3-dixygenase 1 (IDO1), an enzyme that reverses tumor-associated immune suppression and restores effective anti-tumor immune responses. Proof-of-concept studies have shown that combining epacadostat with immune checkpoint inhibitors, such as Yervoy (ipilimumab; Bristol-Myers Squibb) or Keytruda, improved response rates in patients with unresectable or metastatic melanoma. 

Keytruda is a humanized monoclonal antibody that helps the immune system fight tumor cells and is indicated as treatment for a number of cancers including melanoma, lung cancer, and head and neck cancer. —Mary Beth Nierengarten