Interest in immunotherapies continues to build up – earlier this week, Loncar Cancer Immunotherapy ETF , the first ETF dedicated only to stocks involved in the research and development of immuno-oncology treatments, started trading on NASDAQ.

The Loncar Cancer Immunotherapy ETF comprises both large pharma and growth-oriented biotech companies working on immuno-oncology treatments.

Understanding Immuno-Oncology

The basic concept of cancer immunotherapy or immuno-oncology is to utilize certain parts of the immune system to fight the disease. This can be done by stimulating the immune system to attack cancer cells or by introducing immune system components into the body. While some immuno-oncology treatments have the potential to be effective as monotherapies, others may be more effective when combined with other treatments.

Different types of immunotherapies include monoclonal antibodies/mAbs (man-made versions of immune system proteins which can be designed to attack a very specific part of a cancer cell), immune checkpoint inhibitors (recognize and attack cancer cells), vaccines (help prevent or treat cancer) and others that boost the overall immune system.

Encouraging results generated by some companies demonstrating partial and complete responses in late-stage cancer patients has raised hopes for cancer patients and increased interest in the investor community.

5 Promising Immuno-Oncology Focused Stocks

Given the growing interest in immuno-oncology treatments, let’s take a look at some pharma and biotech companies that are looking to change the way we treat cancer.

First on the list is Amgen (AMGN – Analyst Report), one of the biggest and most well-known names in biotech. The company saw its immunotherapy, Blincyto, gain FDA approval in Dec 2014, making it the first approved drug that engages the body’s T-cells to destroy leukemia cells. Amgen also has immuno-oncology focused collaborations with companies like Roche and Merck (MRK – Analyst Report) for its experimental cancer treatment talimogene laherparepvec.