AstraZeneca signs Singapore cancer research deal
pharmafile | August 15, 2008 | News story | Research and Development | AstraZeneca, Singapore, emerging markets
AstraZeneca has signed a deal to work with Singapore’s National Cancer Centre and National University Hospital to develop new cancer treatments.
The deal will help AstraZeneca boost its drug development capabilities in Asia, with research focusing on cancers particularly prevalent in the continent.
Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) is one such cancer, and accounts for approximately one million deaths per year worldwide. Currently more than 90% of those afflicted with the cancer die within five years due to its inoperability.
Dr Brent Vose, vice president of oncology at AstraZeneca said: “AstraZeneca is committed to the research and development of new, targeted anti-cancer therapies in Asia to improve the lives of cancer patients, beginning with those affected by HCC.
“There is a huge unmet need for treatment of liver cancer in Asia, and particularly East Asia, where there are three-quarters of the world’s HCC patients. We have a number of promising candidates in development and look forward to seeing the results of some key studies throughout the next year.”
The collaborative agreement includes a training programme for clinical research professionals with the Manchester Cancer Research Centre, with whom AstraZeneca has a formal research alliance, which will be supported by the Singapore Economic Development Board.
The Singapore-based partners will also be given access to AstraZeneca compounds that have already undergone initial clinical testing in the West.
Two AstraZeneca compounds have already been identified by the institutions for clinical screening in inoperable HCC and further compounds will be made available at a rate of one per year for the duration of the partnership, which is currently in place until 2012.
Pre-clinical activities are also part of the deal, and the institutions will be given access to up to six novel candidate drugs per year for appraisal.
Goh Boon Cher, senior consultant at the National University Hospital said: “This partnership with AstraZeneca is testament to the standard and quality of research in Singapore. We will work closely together to develop new anti-cancer therapies for Asian patients through access to some of AstraZeneca’s clinical and pre-clinical compounds and world-class training of our researchers at MCRC”.
For both clinical and pre-clinical activities, AstraZeneca will retain the right to assume further development and marketing of all drugs made available as part of the partnership deal.
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