Incyte is a global biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering, developing, and commercializing innovative medicines to address serious unmet medical needs, particularly in oncology and inflammation & autoimmunity, including dermatology.
Hervé, what inspired your decision to join Incyte in 2014? How has the company evolved under your leadership?
Incyte was already familiar to me due to a pre-existing relationship with Novartis, where I worked before joining. At the time, Incyte was a relatively small company with revenues of around $300 million and a workforce of 300-400 people. What excited me most about joining was the opportunity to grow it into a much larger organization. Today, Incyte generates about $4 billion in revenue and employs close to 3,000 people globally. It was thrilling to contribute to this transformation by focusing on R&D investments in niche areas often overlooked by larger companies, such as rare or poorly understood diseases.
This journey has been an adventure, with both successes and challenges. Incyte has expanded geographically and diversified its therapeutic focus beyond hematology and cancer into inflammation and autoimmunity, including dermatology. These new areas have opened doors for groundbreaking treatments, allowing us to make meaningful contributions to the medical field.
What has been the recipe for Incyte’s remarkable growth in the past decade?
Our primary focus has always been on innovative science. Not all science is innovative; the true challenge lies in exploring uncharted territories to uncover the unknown. At Incyte, we have consistently pioneered new treatments, such as the first FDA-approved products for myelofibrosis and polycythemia vera. We also addressed graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), a severe complication of bone marrow transplants, and dermatological conditions like vitiligo, where we were the first to develop an approved treatment.
These achievements stem from a willingness to tackle complex areas of medicine where others have failed. For instance, our work in vitiligo addressed the immune system’s role in attacking melanocytes, which causes skin discoloration. This pattern of venturing into unexplored medical landscapes has become a hallmark of our approach, pushing boundaries and providing hope for patients with limited treatment options.
What is Incyte currently focused on?
We have two main areas of focus – oncology and inflammation and autoimmunity (IAI). In oncology we are focusing on evolving the treatment options for myeloproliferative diseases where we had the first approved product and now aim to redefine care by selectively targeting disease-causing mutations. For example, we are developing therapies that eradicate mutated clones driving conditions like essential thrombocythemia, offering a potential cure rather than mere symptom management. These efforts, now in clinical trials, could transform treatment for patients with these conditions.
We have also introduced innovations like tafasitamab, an antibody targeting CD19, which significantly improves outcomes for patients with a certain type of lymphoma when combined with CD20 inhibition. Additionally, we are exploring novel modalities like PD-1 bispecific antibodies to advance cancer care.
Additionally, in dermatology, our portfolio includes the first topical JAK inhibitor, already used for vitiligo and eczema, and new therapies in development for conditions like hidradenitis suppurativa and prurigo nodularis.
Do you think we are entering a period of accelerated breakthroughs in therapeutic development?
Progress is undeniable, yet uneven. In cancer, despite significant advances, over eight million people die annually. While the solution to metastatic cancer will likely be medical rather than surgical, we are not there yet. Many patients still relapse or succumb to their disease, underscoring the need for faster innovation.
In immune system modulation, however, we are rapidly learning more about how to stimulate immune responses with fewer side effects. While progress in dermatology and immunology has been rapid and transformative, the continued challenges in oncology remind us that the acceleration is not uniform across fields.
What is artificial intelligence’s role in your work?
AI is now integral to our daily work, embedded across multiple phases of the drug discovery and development process. It helps in interpreting complex biological and clinical data, identifying study sites for rare diseases, and finding the right patient populations. AI also plays a critical role in educating physicians on how to use advanced therapies effectively, especially when these treatments are highly technical and require specialized knowledge.
The capabilities of AI extend throughout the continuum, from drug discovery to physician education. The tools evolve rapidly, with new advancements emerging weekly, allowing us to optimize processes and drive efficiency across the board.
To what extent do partnerships contribute to your success?
Partnerships allow us to leverage specialized expertise in areas like manufacturing and biology, enabling us to focus on our core strengths while benefiting from the expertise of others.
This approach ensures we stay agile in a fast-changing technological landscape. No single company, not even large pharmaceutical firms, can stay at the forefront of every technological advancement. Partnerships allow us to integrate the best innovations into our processes, enhancing the quality and speed of our work.
Looking ahead, what achievements do you hope to report in the coming year?
With significant advancements being made across our portfolio, 2025 will be a transformational year not only for Incyte, but also for the patients we serve, with multiple significant milestones, including four potential launches, four pivotal trial readouts, seven proof of concept data readouts and at least three Phase 3 study initiations.
