The American Society for Clinical Oncology annual meeting starts at the end of the month, but investors will get a peek at the immuno-oncology drugs to be highlighted at the meeting when the abstracts are released at 5 p.m. Eastern on Wednesday.
In the video below, senior biotech specialist Brian Orelli and health-care analyst David Williamson discuss the PD-1 inhibitors, including Bristol-Myers Squibb's (BMY 0.80%) nivolumab and Merck's (MRK -1.75%) MK-3475, which are initially being tested in melanoma, but will likely be expanded into other solid tumors.
At ASCO, you can expect to see long-term data for nivolumab in combination with Bristol-Myers Squibb's Yervoy in melanoma patients, and Merck's MK-3475 in patients that have already failed Yervoy. Merck has already applied to the Food and Drug Administration for that indication, so the data should help investors identify any red flags that might disrupt an eventual approval.