The Zacks Analyst Blog Highlights: Bristol-Myers Squibb, Merck, Roche, Pharmacyclics and AbbVie

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Jun 04, 2014, 09:30 ET

CHICAGO, June 4, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Zacks.com announces the list of stocks featured in the Analyst Blog. Every day the Zacks Equity Research analysts discuss the latest news and events impacting stocks and the financial markets. Stocks recently featured in the blog include the Bristol-Myers Squibb (NYSE:BMY-Free Report), Merck (NYSE:MRK-Free Report), Roche (OTC:RHHBY-Free Report), Pharmacyclics (Nasdaq:PCYC-Free Report) and AbbVie (NYSE:ABBV-Free Report).

Today, Zacks is promoting its ''Buy'' stock recommendations. Get #1Stock of the Day pick for free.

Here are highlights from Tuesday's Analyst Blog:

ASCO 2014 Puts These Biotechs in Focus

It has been a busy few days in the health care sector with several companies presenting data on their approved as well as experimental oncology drugs at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO). The meeting, held in Chicago from May 30 – Jun 3, provides companies with a platform to showcase their data to scientists, physicians, the investment community and others.

This year, a main area of focus was immuno-oncology which has been attracting a lot of interest. Immuno-oncology therapies have the potential to change the treatment paradigm for cancer -- they basically use the natural capability of the patient's own immune system to fight the cancer.

Major players in this field include Bristol-Myers Squibb (NYSE:BMY-Free Report), Merck (NYSE:MRK-Free Report) and Roche (OTC:RHHBY-Free Report) – all three companies came out with data on their immuno-oncology candidates at ASCO 2014. Merck seems to have a head start with pembrolizumab (MK-3475) currently under FDA review for advanced melanoma (a response is due by Oct 28).

Bristol-Myers presented encouraging early-stage data on a combination of its investigational PD-1 immune checkpoint inhibitor, nivolumab and Yervoy. The one-year and two-year overall survival (OS) rates in advanced melanoma patients were 94% and 88%, respectively. This data looks good -- according to the company, average survival rate in the late-stage of this aggressive cancer has historically been just 6 months with a one-year mortality rate of 75%. But toxicity remains an issue. This combination is already being evaluated in phase II and phase III studies.

Meanwhile, Roche has been making good progress with its immunotherapy anti-PDL1, MPDL3280A, which reduced tumors in 43% of patients suffering from a specific type of metastatic bladder cancer. Plus, the company got Breakthrough Therapy Designation from the FDA for MPDL3280A, which could cut short the development time.

Outside the immuno-oncology area, impressive data was presented by companies like Pharmacyclics (Nasdaq:PCYC-Free Report) and AbbVie (NYSE:ABBV-Free Report).

AbbVie's experimental leukemia drug, ABT-199/GDC-0199, continues to impress. An overall response rate of 84% was seen in relapsed/refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) patients treated with ABT-199/GDC-0199 plus Rituxan in a phase Ib study. AbbVie also presented preliminary results from an ongoing phase I study on ABT-414, which is being evaluated for glioblastoma multiforme, the most common and most aggressive type of malignant primary brain tumor.

Meanwhile, Pharmacyclics continues to generate strong data on Imbruvica.

Today, Zacks is promoting its ''Buy'' stock recommendations. Get #1Stock of the Day pick for free.

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