Bristol-Myers Squibb and MD Anderson enter new research collaboration in immuno-oncology
Focused on potential lung cancer treatments
Bristol-Myers Squibb and The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Centre are to work together to evaluate strategies for the potential use of Bristol-Myers Squibb’s immuno-oncology (I-O) agents Opdivo (nivolumab) and Yervoy (ipilimumab) to treat early- and advanced-stage lung cancer patients.
The collaboration will help support multiple Phase I and II clinical trials testing Opdivo as monotherapy, in combination with Yervoy, or in regimens with other agents, radiation or surgery in a range of clinical settings.
The research will also incorporate extensive translational work including exploration of novel biomarkers to better differentiate responders from non-responders in lung cancer as well as preclinical studies of next generation immunotherapeutic agents that may be used to expand the benefits to larger numbers of patients.
Opdivo is a PD-1 immune checkpoint inhibitor currently approved in 50 countries globally for the treatment of patients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with progression on or after platinum-based chemotherapy, and Yervoy is a CTLA-4 immune checkpoint inhibitor approved in 50 countries globally for patients with unresectable or metastatic melanoma.
The collaboration will leverage MD Anderson’s existing immunotherapy platform, which helps to link immunologic data with the genomic and proteomic platforms across a range of cancer types, and broaden the scientific understanding of I-O via preclinical and clinical studies in lung cancer.
'Strategic collaborations with academia have been central to helping Bristol-Myers Squibb develop and deliver new immuno-oncology treatment options to patients,' said Jean Viallet, Global Clinical Research Lead, Oncology, Bristol-Myers Squibb.
'This collaboration will leverage the considerable experience of MD Anderson to accelerate and expand our scientific and clinical understanding of how the immune system and other treatments might work together to fight cancer.'
