AstraZeneca renews accord with MD Anderson Cancer Center

Anglo-Swedish drug major AstraZeneca and the University of Texas' MD Anderson Cancer Center, USA, have renewed their collaboration to integrate preclinical and clinical research with a view to speeding up access to new medicines of potential benefit to cancer patients.

The collaboration facilitates interactions between physicians and scientists in both organizations to combine resources and expertise in disease intervention while providing flexibility to work in a variety of ways and accelerate the development of new treatments. Its focus on preclinical research and the transition to clinical trials was the first of its kind for both institutions.

Since its launch in 2005, the collaboration has utilized AstraZeneca's early development portfolio to generate over two dozen joint research projects. Both parties intend to build on these by extending the collaboration for a further five years and broadening its original focus from aerodigestive diseases (head and neck cancers and lung cancer) to include targets with potential in a variety of cancer settings.