Incyte reports positive results in late-stage trial of treatment for GVHD

Incyte Corp. shares rose 1.2% in premarket trade Wednesday, after the biotech said a late-stage trial of a treatment for patients with steroid-refractory acute graft-versus-host disease, or GVHD, met its main goal of improving overall response rate. Wilmington, Delaware-based Incyte said there were no new safety signals in the phase 3 trial evaluating ruxolitinib (Jakafi). GVHD is a condition that can occur after the transfer of stem cells from a donor when the donated cells trigger an immune response and attack the recipient's organs. "GVHD is a challenging and serious disease, and physicians around the world need access to therapies that can improve outcomes for patients," said Peter Langmuir, M.D., group vice president, targeted therapies, at Incyte. The trial, which is sponsored by Novartis as well as Incyte, continues with results expected to be presented in 2020. Incyte shares have gained 23.5% in 2019, while the S&P 500 has gained 19.5%.

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