AstraZeneca signs genome deal
pharmafile | November 13, 2012 | News story | Research and Development, Sales and Marketing | AstraZeneca, Foundation, SMIP
AstraZeneca has signed a genomic profiling agreement with US molecular information company Foundation Medicine.
The collaboration will use its FoundationOne product to identify the alterations that occur in cancer-related tumour genes, which could in turn predict a patient’s reaction to targeted medicines.
Genomic profiling can identify a person’s likely responses in terms of resistance or response, offering the potential for improved patient outcomes and better value for medicines through more effective targeting.
Such a level of detail should enable the pharma industry to develop increasingly useful treatments and to structure clinical trials in a more productive way.
It is an area of great activity: for example, the UK’s Stratified Medicines Innovation Platform (SMIP) was set up two years ago to help pharma develop better drugs for smaller patient groups.
“Our scientific understanding of cancer and the pathways driving tumour growth enables us to focus on which people are most likely to respond to our medicines,” explained Susan Galbraith, head of the AstraZeneca Oncology Innovative Medicines Unit.
“This collaboration…will help us to identify tumour-specific defects and alterations that can be used for patient segmentation,” she added.
Foundation has been given right of first negotiation for the development of potential diagnostic products as part of the deal.
The company’s chief executive Michael Pellini suggested that Foundation’s genomic information could directly impact clinical treatment decisions.
Last month the Massachussetts-based firm, which has recently received $42.5 million in funding, signed a similar deal to carry out profiling and diagnostic discovery in a trial of one of Eisai’s drug candidates.
Adam Hill
Related Content
NICE recommends Benralizumab for Rare Form of Vasculitis
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has recommended AstraZeneca’s benralizumab (Fasenra) as …
NICE approves AstraZeneca’s dual immunotherapy for advanced liver cancer
AstraZeneca has received a positive recommendation from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence …
Purpose and people: the enduring power of brand and the evolution of employer identity
Two decades ago, terms like purpose and people were rarely at the forefront of branding …
