Incyte Stock Rises on QIAGEN Deal to Advance Blood Cancer Diagnostics

Shares of Incyte INCY gained 5.1% on Monday following the announcement of a global partnership with Netherlands-based QIAGEN N.V. QGEN. The collaboration aims to develop a novel diagnostic panel to support INCY’s pipeline of investigational treatments for myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs), a group of rare blood cancers representing about 40% of hematological malignancies.The deal includes INCA033989, Incyte’s investigational monoclonal antibody targeting mutant calreticulin (mutCALR), currently in early-stage development for myelofibrosis (MF) and essential thrombocythemia (ET).Per the agreement with Incyte, QIAGEN will develop a multimodal panel using next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology to accurately identify key gene alterations in MPNs with an initial focus on mutCALR, the second most common driver of MPNs.Further, the panel will be validated on the Illumina NextSeq 550Dx platform for use with whole blood samples. QIAGEN will also assist with regulatory submissions and market access efforts in the United States, the EU and certain Asia-Pacific regions.Year to date, shares of Incyte have gained 3.1% against the industry’s 0.9% decline.Image Source: Zacks Investment ResearchHow the Deal Benefits INCY and QGENThe strategic deal with QIAGEN benefits Incyte by advancing its precision medicine efforts in treating MPNs. Identifying genetic mutations like CALR is essential for guiding treatment decisions in these rare blood cancers. Through this partnership, Incyte will gain access to a globally available companion diagnostic that supports the use of its targeted therapy, INCA033989, for patients with mutCALR ET or MF.By enabling widespread CALR testing, the collaboration improves patient selection for Incyte’s therapies, increasing the likelihood of better outcomes. It also strengthens Incyte’s position in the personalized medicine space and helps accelerate regulatory and market access for its mutCALR-targeted treatment across major regions.Meanwhile, the partnership with Incyte enhances QIAGEN’s position in providing companion diagnostics services for the expanding range of biomarkers in onco-hematology, thus maximizing the utility of such services for both payors and patients.INCY Reports Upbeat Data From 2 Phase I ET StudiesIncyte recently announced the first clinical data from the dose-escalation portion of two phase I studies evaluating the safety, tolerability and efficacy of INCA033989 in patients with high-risk ET who are resistant/intolerant to prior cytoreductive therapy. The candidate’s efficacy was measured by hematologic response and reduction in mutCALR variant allele frequency (VAF).As of April 4, 2025, INCA033989 showed rapid and lasting platelet normalization in ET patients, especially at doses above 400 mg. At those doses, 86% of patients achieved a complete/partial hematologic response, with the majority (82%) achieving a complete response. Additionally, 89% of patients showed reduced mutCALR VAF, with 21% showing a >50% drop after just three treatment cycles.An exploratory single-cell DNA sequencing study confirmed that INCA033989 selectively targets mutCALR cells, sparing healthy ones and restoring normal blood cell production. Bone marrow results also supported this, showing fewer diseased cells and more healthy ones, indicating potential for disease modification. The candidate was overall well-tolerated across all dosage strengths, with no dose-limiting toxicities observed. Per reports, only one patient discontinued treatment and one dose reduction due to treatment-emergent adverse events was observed.Incyte is also gearing up to report additional data from the phase I study of INCA033989 in patients with MF. The company expects to advance the candidate into late-stage development for the MPNs indications in 2026, following discussions with regulatory authorities.Incyte Corporation Price and Consensus Incyte Corporation price-consensus-chart | Incyte Corporation QuoteINCY’s Zacks Rank and Stocks to ConsiderIncyte currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).Some better-ranked stocks in the biotech sector are Immunocore IMCR and Bayer BAYRY. While IMCR currently sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), BAYRY carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.In the past 60 days, loss per share estimates for Immunocore’s 2025 have improved from $1.50 to 86 cents. Loss per share estimates for 2026 have narrowed from $1.68 to $1.33 during the same period. IMCR stock has gained 17.6% year to date.Immunocore’s earnings beat estimates in three of the trailing four quarters and missed the mark once, delivering an average surprise of 76.18%.BAYRY’s 2025 earnings per share estimate has increased from $1.19 to $1.25 for 2025 over the past 60 days, while that for 2026 has gone up from $1.28 to $1.31 over the same timeframe. Year to date, shares of Bayer have surged 61.3%.BAYRY’s earnings beat estimates in one of the trailing four quarters, matched twice and missed on the remaining occasion, the average negative surprise being 13.91%.7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 DaysJust released: Experts distill 7 elite stocks from the current list of 220 Zacks Rank #1 Strong Buys. They deem these tickers "Most Likely for Early Price Pops."Since 1988, the full list has beaten the market more than 2X over with an average gain of +23.5% per year. So be sure to give these hand picked 7 your immediate attention. See them now >>Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Bayer Aktiengesellschaft (BAYRY): Free Stock Analysis Report QIAGEN N.V. (QGEN): Free Stock Analysis Report Incyte Corporation (INCY): Free Stock Analysis Report Immunocore Holdings PLC Sponsored ADR (IMCR): Free Stock Analysis ReportThis article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).Zacks Investment ResearchWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks