AstraZeneca agrees new colorectal cancer collaboration

AstraZeneca is allying with diagnostics firm Agendia and the Netherlands Cancer Institute to conduct research into personalised treatments for colorectal cancer.

Under the agreement, Agendia – which is responsible for the MammaPrint breast cancer diagnostic test – will provide molecular data and bioinformatics support to help AstraZeneca to define subpopulations among disease sufferers.

This will pave the way for the development of targeted therapies which can address individual types of colorectal cancer, as well as companion testing products to assist in diagnosis.

It is hoped that the alliance will provide new treatment options for a disease that causes around 500,000 deaths a year across Europe and the US.

George Orphanides, head of the colorectal cancer disease area at AstraZeneca, said: "We are pleased to have partnered with two organisations that bring complementary and world-leading capabilities to our colorectal cancer programmes."

This week, it was also announced that AstraZeneca has allied with GlaxoSmithKline and the University of Manchester to launch a new research centre for inflammatory disease in the UK.