Scientists from Stanford University and Pharmacyclics Inc. have found that in animal studies, Imbruvica (ibrutinib) synergized with cancer immunotherapies aimed at the interaction between PD-1 and its ligand, PD-L1. Approved drugs Keytruda (pembrolizumab, Merck & Co Inc.) and Opdivo (nivolumab, Bristol-Myers Squibb Co.) target the PD-1/PD-L1 interaction, allowing T cells to react to tumor cells. Imbruvica is a kinase inhibitor that targets, in addition to its main target BTK, the kinase ITK.