AstraZeneca’s MedImmune announces new Advaxis partnership

AstraZeneca's biologics research and development arm MedImmune is to partner with Advaxis on an immuno-oncology-based collaborative project.

The companies will conduct a phase I/II immunotherapy study to evaluate the safety and efficacy of a new combination of MedImmune's investigational anti-PD-L1 immune checkpoint inhibitor MEDI4736 and Advaxis' lead cancer immunotherapy vaccine ADXS-HPV.

This combination will be trialled as a treatment for patients with advanced, recurrent or refractory human papillomavirus-associated cervical or head and neck cancer, with the early part of the study also helping to determine a recommended dose regimen.

Advaxis will fund and organise the study, the results of which will be used to determine whether further clinical development of this combination is warranted.

Dr Bahija Jallal, executive vice-president for MedImmune, said: "Our collaboration with Advaxis is further evidence of MedImmune's commitment to explore novel combination approaches as we progress our immuno-oncology portfolio."

AstraZeneca is currently developing plans for a new global research and development centre and corporate headquarters in Cambridge, which will become the UK home for biologics research and protein engineering carried out by MedImmune.