WILMINGTON - Incyte (Nasdaq: INCY) today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Zynyz (retifanlimab-dlwr), a humanized monoclonal antibody targeting programmed death receptor-1 (PD-1), for the treatment of adults with metastatic or recurrent locally advanced Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC).

The Biologics License Application (BLA) for Zynyz for this indication has been approved under accelerated approval by the U.S. FDA based on tumor response rate and duration of response (DOR). Continued approval of Zynyz for this indication may be contingent on verification and description of clinical benefit in confirmatory trials.

MCC is a rare and aggressive type of skin cancer that frequently appears as a single, painless, reddish-purple skin nodule on the head, neck and arms in skin exposed to sunlight1. MCC tends to grow quickly and has a high rate of metastatic disease, leading to a poor prognosis2,3. The estimated five-year overall survival (OS) rate is 14% in patients with MCC who present with distant metastatic disease3. MCC impacts less than 1 per 100,000 people in the U.S., but incidence rates are rapidly rising, especially in adults over the age of 654,5.

'More than a third of patients with MCC present with regional or distant metastases, which are associated with high rates of mortality,' said Dr. Shailender Bhatia, University of Washington and Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center. 'The approval of Zynyz offers healthcare providers another first-line treatment option against MCC that can result in durable responses in patients with metastatic disease, and I look forward to having Zynyz in our treatment portfolio for these difficult-to-treat patients.'

The FDA approval was based on data from the POD1UM-201 trial, an open-label, multiregional, single-arm study that evaluated Zynyz in adults with metastatic or recurrent locally advanced MCC who had not received prior systemic therapy for their advanced disease. Among chemotherapy-naive patients (n=65), Zynyz monotherapy resulted in an objective response rate (ORR) of 52% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 40-65) as determined by independent central review (ICR) using RECIST v1.1. Complete response was seen in 12 patients (18%), and 22 patients (34%) showed partial response. Among the responding patients, the duration of response (DOR) ranged from 1.1 to 24.9+ months, and 76% (26/34) experienced a DOR of six months or longer, and 62% (21/34) experienced a DOR of 12 months or longer by landmark analysis.

Serious adverse reactions occurred in 22% of patients receiving Zynyz. The most frequent serious adverse reactions (2% of patients) were fatigue, arrhythmia and pneumonitis. Permanent discontinuation of Zynyz due to an adverse reaction occurred in 11% of patients. The most common (10%) adverse reactions that occurred in patients receiving Zynyz were fatigue, musculoskeletal pain, pruritus, diarrhea, rash, pyrexia and nausea.

'Zynyz offers patients and healthcare professionals an additional first-line anti-PD-1 option for patients with metastatic or recurrent locally advanced MCC, which can be a challenging and aggressive disease to treat,' said Herve Hoppenot, Chief Executive Officer, Incyte. 'Incyte is grateful to the investigators and patients around the world who participated in the POD1UM-201 trial. We continue to study the potential of Zynyz in additional tumor types and in combination with other Incyte pipeline compounds.'

Incyte is committed to supporting patients and removing barriers to access medicines. Eligible patients in the U.S. who are prescribed Zynyz have access to IncyteCARES (Connecting to Access, Reimbursement, Education and Support), a comprehensive program offering personalized patient support, including financial assistance and ongoing education and additional resources.

About POD1UM

The POD1UM (PD1 Clinical Program in Multiple Malignancies) clinical trial program for retifanlimab includes POD1UM-201 and several other Phase 1, 2 and 3 studies for patients with solid tumors, including registration-directed POD1UM trials evaluating retifanlimab as a monotherapy for patients with microsatellite instability-high endometrial cancer and squamous cell carcinoma of the anal canal (SCAC) and in combination with platinum-based chemotherapy for patients with non-small cell lung cancer and SCAC.

About POD1UM-201

POD1UM-201 (NCT03599713) is an open label, multiregional, single arm study evaluating retifanlimab in patients with metastatic or recurrent locally advanced Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) who had not received prior systemic therapy for their advanced disease.

Patients received Zynyz 500 mg intravenously every four weeks until disease progression, unacceptable toxicity, for up to 24 months. Tumor response assessments were performed every eight weeks for the first year of therapy and 12 weeks thereafter.

The primary endpoint was objective response rate (ORR) as determined by independent central radiographic review using RECIST v1.1. Secondary endpoints included duration of response (DOR), disease control rate (DCR), progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS); safety and pharmacokinetics.

About Zynyz (retifanlimab-dlwr)

Zynyz (retifanlimab-dlwr), is an intravenous PD-1 inhibitor indicated in the U.S. for the treatment of adult patients with metastatic or recurrent locally advanced Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC). This indication is approved under accelerated approval based on tumor response rate and duration of response. Continued approval for this indication may be contingent upon verification and description of clinical benefit in confirmatory trials.

Zynyz is marketed by Incyte in the U.S. In 2017, Incyte entered into an exclusive collaboration and license agreement with MacroGenics, Inc. for global rights to retifanlimab.

About Incyte

Incyte is a Wilmington, Delaware-based, global biopharmaceutical company focused on finding solutions for serious unmet medical needs through the discovery, development and commercialization of proprietary therapeutics.

Forward-Looking Statements

Except for the historical information set forth herein, the matters set forth in this press release, including statements regarding whether and when Zynyz might provide a successful treatment option for patients with MCC and Incyte's POD1UM clinical program generally, contain predictions, estimates and other forward-looking statements.

These forward-looking statements are based on Incyte's current expectations and subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially, including unanticipated developments in and risks related to: unanticipated delays; further research and development and the results of clinical trials possibly being unsuccessful or insufficient to meet applicable regulatory standards or warrant continued development; the ability to enroll sufficient numbers of subjects in clinical trials; the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and measures to address the pandemic on Incyte and its partners' clinical trials, supply chain, other third-party providers and development and discovery operations; determinations made by the U.S. FDA and other regulatory authorities outside of the United States; the efficacy or safety of Incyte and its partners' products; the acceptance of Incyte and its partners' products in the marketplace; market competition; sales, marketing, manufacturing and distribution requirements and other risks detailed from time to time in Incyte's reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its annual report for the year ended December 31, 2022. Incyte disclaims any intent or obligation to update these forward-looking statements.

Contact:

Jenifer Antonacci

Tel: +1 302 498 7036

Email: jantonacci@incyte.com

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