Written by:
Ezogelin Oflazoglu-Gruyters
Vice President, External R&D and Innovation, AstraZeneca
At AstraZeneca, we recognise the importance of collaborating with scientific experts and institutions around the world. We are committed to creating mutually beneficial partnerships that help us deliver our ambition of eliminating cancer as a cause of death, including improving early detection and diagnosis, developing innovative treatment options, and improving patient outcomes for all cancers.
The importance of collaboration in Oncology research & development
We have a rich history of innovation in Oncology. Driven by our bold ambition to eliminate cancer as a cause of death, we have made tremendous progress in translating science into innovative medicines to potentially bring cures within reach. This is driven by our Oncology R&D strategy of advancing a diverse pipeline to attack cancer from multiple angles and changing outcomes through earlier detection and treatment.
However, bold ambitions require bold innovation, and we cannot achieve this alone. Through collaborations, we can harness cutting-edge technologies, novel preclinical models, patient samples and clinical data that complement our in-house expertise and capabilities. These collaborations help us stay at the forefront of science to deliver the next wave of potentially transformational cancer treatments.
Our External R&D and Innovation team drives the creation and evolution of these collaborations, playing an integral role in delivering our Oncology R&D strategy by:
- Leading external engagements, including scientific panels with key external experts, to obtain feedback and insights to shape our development programmes and disease area strategies
- Identifying academic partners with capabilities, innovative technologies, and biosamples aligned to support our strategic areas of focus and establishing new collaborations and research agreements
- Fostering mutually beneficial relationships with laser-focus on accelerating early clinical development of potentially life-changing medicines to patients
Advancing our clinical strategy through oncology partnerships: Our Partners of Choice Network
Through our current partnerships with cancer centres and academic institutes, we have gained access to cutting-edge technologies and expertise that are driving new insights in our research. One of our most exciting initiatives that is fostering collaboration is the Partners of Choice (PoC) Network.1
Comprising nine international cancer centres, the Partners of Choice Network brings together leading institutes at the forefront of innovation. By sharing data, insights and technology with each other, we’re increasing scientific exchange between global sites and enhancing the translational research and clinical capabilities of all members.1
Importantly, this network provides access to patient samples, enabling translational research that is critical to developing our future oncology portfolio.
Dr. Violeta Serra, who worked in collaboration with AstraZeneca to further our clinical oncology research
For example, we have access to the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center’s MSK-IMPACT (Integrated Mutation Profiling of Actionable Cancer Targets) database through the network.2 This recently enabled us to analyse data from a 7,000-patient cohort to identify mechanisms of resistance to endocrine therapy in ER+ breast cancer.2
We also have an important partnership with the Vall d’Hebron Institute of Oncology (VHIO) in Spain that has been key to driving promising translational research. Dr. Violeta Serra from VHIO, in collaboration with Dr. Mark O’Connor, Chief Scientist, Discovery Oncology R&D, AstraZeneca, led the identification of a novel biomarker, RAD51, that can predict resistance to certain cancer treatments.3 This is being used across our clinical programmes to measure the functionality of the DNA Damage Response (DDR) in patients and predict how well they might respond to different DDR therapies.3
Engaging with external scientific experts to inform our oncology strategy
We have more than 700 active agreements with partners who are helping us identify and explore novel targets, therapeutic solutions and more.
A collaboration between Dr. Valerian E. Kagan, professor at the University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health, and Dr. Dmitry I. Gabrilovich, Executive Director, Chief Scientist, Cancer Immunology at AstraZeneca, led to a recent publication describing the immune suppressive role of the ferroptosis pathway in cancer.4 Their work has resulted in the discovery of novel therapeutic targets, including myeloid cells in the tumor microenvironment.4 These findings are now driving further developments in our immunotherapy pipeline.
The future of external research & development and innovation
We are harnessing the latest innovations to accelerate the delivery of potential life-changing therapies to patients. Looking to the future, we are focused on:
- Continuing to access external insights, data, samples and innovation through external engagements, strategic alliances and our PoC network
- Expanding our alliances and collaborations that allow us to harness advances in AI that are transforming R&D and providing new healthcare solutions
- Advancing our understanding of the role tumour clonal evolution and the tumour stroma plays in cancer to identify new ways to disrupt this
- Expanding our collaborations with an increased focus on China and Asia-Pacific (APAC) academic ecosystems to bring innovations arising from these regions to patients globally
As our work progresses, we know there will be challenges that we can’t overcome alone. Strategic collaborations are integral to our success and in our pursuit to redefine cancer care for patients. That’s why we’re always seeking new opportunities to expand our network and ignite bold innovation.
