Incyte Biosciences is ranked 9th in the multidisciplinary “Best Pharmaceutical Companies Germany” 2022 ranking in the category “Large individual, medium-sized and international companies”. Infectopharm, Gedeon Richter, ALK-Abelló and Exeltis placed first this year. Incyte, a still relatively small but research-intensive biopharmaceutical company, has made it into the top 10 most innovative companies three times in recent years.
Incyte: pure research and innovation
In 2002, Incyte Inc. was founded in Wilmington, Delaware by a team of scientists, chemists and biologists researching immunology. The company’s mission was and still is to develop drugs for serious or life-threatening, sometimes rare, diseases for which no therapy is yet available. The focus is on the fields of oncology, inflammation and autoimmunity. Incyte has an extreme focus on science, with a large proportion of employees working in research and development of new compounds, particularly biologics and small and large chemical molecules. The company claims unique expertise in biomedicine and biochemistry, which has enabled it to create a diversified pipeline of clinical candidates as well as a portfolio of marketed drugs through proprietary development.
Incyte now employs around 1,500 people and has offices in the USA, Canada, Europe and Japan. The European headquarters, Incyte Biosciences International, is based in Morges, Switzerland. In Germany, Incyte Biosciences Germany GmbH is based in Munich. Sales in 2021 were $2.322 billion, an increase of 12% over the previous year. Investment in research and development is reported in the annual report at USD 1.458 billion, or 63% of sales – an exceptionally high percentage that characterises a company that is 100% committed to research and science.
Currently, Incyte offers the protein kinase inhibitor ponatinib (Iclusig®) in Germany, approved for certain forms of leukaemia (CML and Ph+ ALL).
With the kinase inhibitor pemigatinib (Pemazyre®), the first targeted therapeutic for certain subtypes of bile duct cancer came onto the market in May 2021. Cancer experts ranked Incyte’s “orphan drug” as the most innovative product in this indication in 2021. The monoclonal antibody tafasitamab (MINJUVI ®) is used to treat patients with B-cell lymphoma.
In the USA, Incyte markets its mainstay ruxolitinib (Jakafi®); in Germany, it is marketed by Novartis under the name Jakavi® for use in myelofibrosis and polycythaemia vera. Approval for ruxolitinib ointment for vitiligo (white spot disease) has been granted in the USA and is being sought in Europe.
Awards for Incyte for Innovation
Incyte first received the 2021 Most Innovative Product award for innovation and sustainability for Pemazyre®, the first targeted therapeutic for certain forms of bile duct cancer.
- Pemazyre® (2021)
