We recently got a double dose of news regarding cancer collaborations, first with Bristol Myers Squibb and Celldex working together on a phase 1/2 study for two of their oncology drugs, and also now with AstraZeneca (AZN 0.49%) and Incyte (INCY 0.17%) collaborating on a phase 1/2 study combining AstraZeneca's MEDI4736 (an anti-PD-L1 checkpoint inhibitor) and Incyte's INCB24360. The two companies will collaborate a number of solid tumors, including potentially non-small cell lung cancer, pancreatic caner, metastatic melanoma, and carcinoma of the head and neck.
Unlike Bristol's deal, this one is non-exclusive, as Incyte is already testing its drug with Merck's MK-3475. The hope is that a two-drug combination may prove more effective than a single therapy.
In this video, from Wednesday's Market Checkup , the Motley Fool's health care-focused investing show, health care analysts Michael Douglass and David Williamson look at this partnership and the potential benefits to AstraZeneca and Incyte.
