AstraZeneca's biologics research and development arm MedImmune has entered into collaboration with US-based biopharmaceutical firm Juno Therapeutics to conduct combination clinical trials in immuno-oncology.
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The trials will be carried out with one of Juno’s investigational CD19-directed chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell candidates and MedImmune’s investigational programed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) immune checkpoint inhibitor, MEDI4736.
As part of the initial development plan, the two firms will explore the safety, tolerability and preliminary efficacy of the combination therapy as a potential treatment for patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL).
MedImmune senior vice-president and head of the Oncology Innovative Medicines unit Dr Ed Bradley said: "The combination of Juno’s CAR T cell candidate with MEDI4736 adds to our broad program of immuno-oncology combination trials, addressing multiple immune pathways and working with industry-leading partners to explore the significant potential of immunotherapies in transforming treatments for cancer."
The deal will see both the firms jointly co-fund the initial Phase Ib trial, which is expected to begin later in 2015.
The trial is designed to explore the combination of MEDI4736 with a next-generation, Juno-developed fully human CD19-directed CAR T cell candidate.
Juno Therapeutics executive vice-president Research & Development Mark Frohlich said: "We believe combination strategies such as this will help us better understand the full potential of our engineered T cell platform in both hematological and solid tumor settings."