Novartis and University of Pennsylvania form cancer research alliance

Novartis has formed a new research alliance with the University of Pennsylvania to develop and commercialise new cancer therapies.

The agreement will see the organisations jointly research targeted chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) immunotherapies for oncology applications, a project that will involve the establishment of a new research and development facility on the Penn campus.

CAR immunotherapy sees immune cells or T-cells drawn from a patient's blood, before being re-coded to identify cells that express proteins present on a patient's cancerous tumour.

As part of this arrangement, Novartis will also gain exclusive rights to a novel CAR therapy called CART-19, which can be used to combat conditions such as chronic lymphocytic leukaemia and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.

Herve Hoppenot, president of Novartis Oncology, said: "By combining Penn's expertise on this pioneering technology with Novartis' strength in bringing innovative therapies to patients, we have the potential to transform the future of cancer treatment."

Earlier this month, the company received European approval for its drug Afinitor to be used against a common form of breast cancer.