AZ and University of Texas in Women's Cancer Collaboration

AstraZeneca (AZ) and The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center (Houston, TX) have 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 collaboration will focus "not just on clinical trials using investigational therapies to gain profound insights and information, but also epidemiological and outcomes studies." This way, AZ 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", says the press release.
 
The collaboration will draw on MD Anderson’s Moon Shots Program, which aims to accelerate the conversion of scientific discoveries into clinical advances and significantly reduce cancer deaths. 

Oncology is a core growth platform for AZ; the company is aiming to bring six new cancer medicines to patients by 2020. Its pipeline of oncology investigational drugs is focused on four main disease areas - breast, ovarian, lung and haematological cancers - targeted through four key platforms: immunotherapy, the genetic drivers of cancer and resistance, DNA damage repair and antibody drug conjugates (ADCs).