AstraZeneca and MedImmune announce cancer alliance with Celgene

AstraZeneca and its biologics-focused subsidiary MedImmune have announced a new collaboration with Celgene in the field of immuno-oncology.

The partnership will focus on the development and commercialisation of a compound called MEDI4736 across a range of blood cancers, including non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, myelodysplastic syndromes and multiple myeloma.

This investigational immune checkpoint inhibitor will be assessed both as a monotherapy and in combination with other AstraZeneca and Celgene cancer medicines, with the collaboration potentially expanding to include other assets over time.

Celgene will make an upfront payment of $450 million (295.2 million pounds) to AstraZeneca and will take the lead on development across all clinical trials within the collaboration, as well as on the global commercialisation of approved treatments.

Dr Bahija Jallal, executive vice-president at MedImmune, said: "This agreement is a great example of how we are accelerating the development of medical innovation in our portfolio in collaboration with other experts, in order to bring life-enhancing new medicines to patients faster."

This comes after AstraZeneca and MedImmune announced another immuno-oncology collaboration with Innate Pharma in the last few days.