AZ, Cancer Research UK to collaborate on cancer trials

Cancer Research UK's drug development office has signed an agreement with AstraZeneca to take combinations of experimental cancer drugs into early phase clinical trials. The move will increase patient access to trials of potential new treatments that combine molecularly targeted experimental drugs developed and owned by AstraZeneca. The trials will also test these combinations alongside conventional chemotherapy radiotherapy and other novel agents.

The trials will be managed and run through the Cancer Research UK/UK Health Departments Experimental Cancer Medicine Center Network at hospitals across the U.K. The drugmaker will provide access to its drugs as well as additional financial support. The charity will also hold workshops with the ECMC Network and AZ to identify promising combinations of experimental treatments to trial.

The charity also hopes to find other industry partners in the fight against cancer. "Our plan is to take the model we've established with AstraZeneca forward by developing cross company agreements and providing access to a larger number of potential combinations to help us beat cancer," said Kate Miller, head of the combinations alliance at Cancer Research UK's DDO.

- read the Cancer Research UK's release