OncoSignal

Decision brief · what the records say, not our assessment

A Phase 1/2 Randomized, Blinded, Placebo Controlled Study of Ipilimumab in Combination With Epacadostat or Placebo in Subjects With Unresectable or Metastatic Melanoma

NCT01604889 · Incyte Corporation · PHASE1/PHASE2 · terminated · Open Targets disease: melanoma · Why it stopped

Six questions a reader deciding whether to spend more time on this asks, each answered with flags: yes, no, or not published (hatched), each with its rule and source record. Flags are never added up into a score or a verdict, because published success rates disagree by a factor of two and more.

1. Is the biology right?

  • IDO1 (via Epacadostat): Evidence types in melanoma: literature, clinical; literature listed separately from human genetics. Datasources: clinical_precedence, europepmc. · Open Targets: IDO1 in melanoma
  • CTLA4 (via ipilimumab): Evidence types in melanoma: literature, clinical; literature listed separately from human genetics. Datasources: clinical_precedence, europepmc. · Open Targets: CTLA4 in melanoma
  • Not loaded on this app yet: Normal-tissue expression in vital organs. Source: Human Protein Atlas (ticket 36).
  • Not loaded on this app yet: Pan-essential in cell lines. Source: DepMap (ticket 36).
  • Not loaded on this app yet: Approved drug on this target. Source: Drugs@FDA (ticket 30).

2. Can the result be trusted?

  • Randomised: yes · Randomised allocation
    Rule: Registry allocation field. Source: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01604889, 2026-11-11
  • Small denominator: no · 50 enrolled; each patient moves a rate by 100 ÷ 50 = 2.0 points
    Rule: Enrolment under 30; the arithmetic is shown, not a benchmark. Source: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01604889, 2026-11-11
  • Primary endpoint is overall survival: yes · Phase 1: Number of patients with adverse events as a measure of Safety and Tolerability.; Phase 2: Overall survival.
    Rule: A registered primary outcome measure names overall survival. Source: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01604889, 2026-11-11
  • Results overdue: yes · Primary completion 2016-12-27, 118 months ago; no results posted
    Rule: Primary completion (actual) more than 12 months ago and no results posted to the registry. Source: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01604889, 2026-11-11
    Published context: 40.9% of applicable trials report results within a year (Results-reporting studies summarised in spec §11, all therapy areas). All areas, not oncology only.
  • Not loaded on this app yet: Treated and evaluable counts, assessor, confirmed response, follow-up and data cutoff. Source: Readout extraction (ticket 32).
  • Not loaded on this app yet: Primary endpoint changed between registry versions. Source: Registry versions in the store (ticket 32).

3. What must it beat?

  • Not loaded on this app yet: Control-arm result and approved therapies for the same segment, with label links. Source: Drugs@FDA, FDA labels and readouts (tickets 30, 32).

4. Too crowded, or too late?

  • Stopped on this target: 36 terminated, withdrawn or suspended trials of drugs against IDO1; 2 give no reason. Reasons are quoted as the registry gives them on the target page. · IDO1: what already stopped
  • Not loaded on this app yet: Programs on the target by phase and months behind the leader. Source: Programs and Drugs@FDA (ticket 33).

5. Can it be approved, and stay approved?

  • Single-country: yes · All 7 sites in United States
    Rule: All listed sites are in one country; the share of US sites is shown. Source: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01604889, 2026-11-11
  • EU paediatric investigation plan: yes · EMEA-000117-PIP02-10-M07 (Ipilimumab, Treatment of melanoma): PM: decision on the application for modification of an agreed PIP, 12 Jan 2017; compliance positive 24 Feb 2017; EMEA-000117-PIP01-07-M07 (Ipilimumab, Treatment of all conditions included in the category of malignant neoplasms (except melanoma, nervous system, haematopoietic and lymphoid tissue)): PM: decision on the application for modification of an agreed PIP, 8 May 2015; compliance positive 11 Dec 2015
    Rule: An EMA PIP decision (agreement, modification or waiver) lists the drug as its active substance, exact name. Source: EMA data download (dated snapshot), 2026-11-11
  • EU orphan designation: no · No EU orphan designation names Epacadostat, ipilimumab
    Rule: An EU orphan designation lists the drug as its active substance (exact name) or belongs to a medicine that does; withdrawn and expired designations are listed with their status. Source: EMA data download (dated snapshot), 2026-11-11
  • Authorised in the EU: yes · Yervoy: authorised since 13 Jul 2011
    Rule: An EMA medicine record lists the drug as its active substance or INN, exact name; national-only authorisations are not in this file. Source: EMA EPAR Yervoy, 2026-11-11
  • FDA orphan designation: not published · FDA's orphan designation database turns away automated requests, so this app does not read it; search it by hand at the link
    Rule: Would be: an FDA orphan designation names the drug. Source: FDA orphan designations search
  • FDA pediatric oncology approval: yes · Ipilimumab [Yervoy], 8 Apr 2025: In combination with nivolumab, for the treatment of adult and pediatric patients 12 years and older with unresectable or metastatic microsatellite instability high (MSI-H) or mismatch repair deficient (dMMR) colorectal cancer (CRC); Ipilimumab [Yervoy], 15 Feb 2023: As a single agent or in combination with nivolumab, for the treatment of unresectable or metastatic melanoma in adult and pediatric patients 12 years and older
    Rule: FDA's Pediatric Oncology Drug Approvals table names the drug. Source: FDA Pediatric Oncology Drug Approvals (content current as of 2026-03-03), 2026-11-11
  • Registered studies open to children: yes · 55 interventional studies of Epacadostat, ipilimumab include patients under 18; 20 are recruiting, not yet recruiting or active
    Rule: The registry's age group includes Child (birth to 17 years), which also counts studies that set no minimum age. Source: ClinicalTrials.gov search, 2026-11-11
  • Caveat: Site counts are not patients per country, and trials registered only outside ClinicalTrials.gov are not covered. Where the sites are is a fact about the record, not a judgement of its quality.
  • Rare pediatric disease voucher: FDA, content current as of 29 Apr 2026: “As of February 3, 2026, enactment of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026, the rare pediatric disease PRV program will sunset after September 30, 2029. FDA may not award any PRVs under this program after September 30, 2029.” Voucher sale prices are not shown here; they appear only as company-reported news. · FDA: Rare Pediatric Disease Designation and Priority Review Voucher Programs
  • Not loaded on this app yet: Precedent approvals for target, modality and endpoint; accelerated-approval status. Source: Drugs@FDA and FDA accelerated-approval tables (ticket 30).

6. Can the sponsor finish?

  • Not loaded on this app yet: Filed cash, quarterly spend and the runway arithmetic. Source: SEC XBRL company facts (ticket 37).
  • Not loaded on this app yet: Sponsor's completed vs stopped oncology trials and results-reporting record. Source: Registry, by company (ticket 37).

What public data cannot tell you

Public records cannot show: sales forecasts; a probability of success for this asset; full deal terms and net prices; FDA designations and action dates before approval (shown only as company-reported); clinical holds unless the company disclosed them; manufacturing; patents on unapproved drugs; whether preclinical findings have been replicated.

Sources: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01604889 (2026-11-11); Open Targets Platform (2026-11-11); FDA Pediatric Molecular Target List (Listed as February 2026 on the FDA Pediatric Oncology page; the file served is 9.7.22_the_relevant_molecular_target_list.xlsx, whose Summary of Changes sheet is headed 'SEPTEMBER 2022 UPDATE' (footnote date 2022-09-01)) (2026-11-11). JSON: /api/brief/trial/NCT01604889. Not medical advice.