AstraZeneca, MD Anderson Enter Collaboration to Help Improve Patient Outcomes in Ovarian/ Gynecologic Cancers
30 January 2015 - 04:44AM
Business Wire
AstraZeneca (NYSE: AZN) and The University of Texas MD Anderson
Cancer Center today announced a multi-year, strategic research
collaboration to conduct multiple, parallel clinical and
clinically-related studies in ovarian and other gynecologic cancers
with the aim of improving patient outcomes.
The agreement represents a unique approach to research by
focusing not just on clinical trials using investigational
therapies to gain profound insights and information, but also
epidemiological and outcomes studies. Through this approach,
AstraZeneca and MD Anderson aim to re-think how industry and
academia can collaborate in deeper and broader ways to help
expedite the development of treatments for women with high unmet
medical needs.
The data collected from these studies is anticipated to inform
the development and utility of existing and future therapies. MD
Anderson scientists will have access to AstraZeneca therapeutic
agents and developmental compounds, and studies will be determined
by the collaboration at a later date.
“AstraZeneca is committed to helping redefine the cancer
treatment paradigm, beginning with our powerful clinical
development program for ovarian cancer,” said Greg Keenan, Chief
Medical Officer U.S., AstraZeneca. “Working to fully realize the
potential of novel targeted therapies and immunotherapies, as well
as novel combinations to drive improved outcomes, engages us in
true partnerships to better understand the science. The
collaboration with MD Anderson is ideal as it maximizes both our
ability to explore these combinations through AstraZeneca’s agents
while providing us with unique insights and data.”
The collaboration will draw on the expertise of MD Anderson’s
Moon Shots Program, which aims to accelerate the conversion of
scientific discoveries into clinical advances and significantly
reduce cancer deaths. The effort also leverages resources such as
MD Anderson’s Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Institute for
Personalized Cancer Therapy (IPCT) and novel agents from
AstraZeneca.
“Ovarian and other gynaecologic cancers remain areas of high
unmet need,” said Gordon Mills, M.D., Ph.D., chair of Systems
Biology, Division of Cancer Medicine at MD Anderson. Mills is
co-leader of MD Anderson’s Breast and Ovarian Cancer Moon Shot and
co-director of the IPCT.
“Collaborations that examine new agents and explore disease
epidemiology and outcomes have the potential to inform the
development of novel and combination treatments, and MD Anderson
has the ability and expertise required to provide data-rich, rapid
trials to inform this combination strategy,” said Mills.
Oncology is a core growth platform for AstraZeneca, and the
company is aiming to bring six new cancer medicines to patients by
2020. AstraZeneca’s broad pipeline of oncology investigational
drugs is focused on four main disease areas - breast, ovarian, lung
and haematological cancers. These are being targeted through four
key platforms - immunotherapy, the genetic drivers of cancer and
resistance, DNA damage repair and antibody drug conjugates
(ADCs).
NOTES TO EDITORS
About AstraZeneca
AstraZeneca is a global, innovation-driven biopharmaceutical
business that focuses on the discovery, development and
commercialization of prescription medicines, primarily for the
treatment of cardiovascular, metabolic, respiratory, inflammation,
autoimmune, oncology, infection and neuroscience diseases.
AstraZeneca operates in over 100 countries and its innovative
medicines are used by millions of patients worldwide. For more
information please visit www.astrazeneca-us.com.
About MD Anderson
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston
ranks as one of the world's most respected centers focused on
cancer patient care, research, education and prevention. MD
Anderson is one of only 41 comprehensive cancer centers designated
by the National Cancer Institute (NCI). For the past 25 years, MD
Anderson has ranked as one of the nation's top two cancer centers
in U.S. News & World Report's annual "Best Hospitals" survey.
MD Anderson receives a cancer center support grant from the NCI of
the National Institutes of Health (P30 CA016672).
AstraZenecaMichele Meixell, +1 302-885-2677Alisha Martin,
+1 302-885-2677orMD AndersonRon Gilmore, 713-745-1898
(Houston)Rlgilmore1@mdanderson.org
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