AZ, M. D. Anderson Collaborate on Cancer Drugs

AstraZeneca and The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center have entered into scientific collaboration agreements that will allow for integrated preclinical and clinical research on new treatments for cancer, focusing initially on aerodigestive diseases (e.g., lung cancer, head and neck cancers or colorectal cancers).

Under the terms of the collaboration, these renewable, three-year, master agreements allow for variety of initiatives across a range of AstraZeneca oncology products and research projects. Specific terms of the agreements were not disclosed.

“Establishing a framework for our ongoing relationship will save time and effort when negotiating individual research projects in the future,” said Les Hughes, global head of cancer research. “It is vital that we collaborate effectively with the best cancer research institutions if we are to meet our goals of finding effective treatments for patients with cancer.”

“Integrating ideas with industry earlier in the drug development process will enhance our ability to bring new treatments from the bench to the bedside more rapidly,” said Robert Bast, M.D., vice president for translational research at M. D. Anderson. “To make the most rapid progress in the era of targeted therapies, we need new ways to organize our research and to collaborate with pharma for the benefit of our patients.”