Bristol-Myers Squibb and UCLA announce immuno-oncology collaboration

Bristol-Myers Squibb is allying with the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) on a collaboration that will broaden its immuno-oncology expertise.

This work comes as part of Bristol-Myers Squibb's Immuno-Oncology Rare Population Malignancy research programme, a multi-institutional initiative with academic-based cancer centres in the US focused on the clinical investigation of immuno-oncology therapeutics.

Bristol-Myers Squibb and the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA will conduct a number of early-phase clinical studies, with the company also set to fund positions within the UCLA Division of Hematology/Oncology's fellowship programme.

The aim will be to develop potential treatment options for patients with high-risk cancers and poor prognoses defined as a rare population malignancy.

Dr Laura Bessen, head of US medical affairs at Bristol-Myers Squibb, said: "We look forward to working with UCLA in an effort to continue advancing the science in this innovative field of research and cancer treatment."

This comes after the firm announced the creation of a centre for molecular synthesis as part of a new collaboration with Princeton University earlier this month.