AstraZeneca Advances Oncology Transformation and Invites Partnerships to Realize a Chronic Disease Paradigm for Cancer

Dec 14, 2023 12:21 CST Updated 12:21

AstraZeneca

Biopharmaceutical Manufacturer

Cancer is one of the heaviest disease burdens in terms of treatment in China and even globally. According to the latest statistics from the World Health Organization's cancer research agency, in 2020, China had the highest number of new cancer cases and cancer-related deaths globally, reaching 4.57 million and 3 million, respectively.^[1]。

Turning cancer into a manageable chronic disease has become a common pursuit in the pharmaceutical industry. The "Healthy China 2030" Plan Outline explicitly proposes a strategic goal of increasing the overall 5-year cancer survival rate by 15% by 2030.^[2]。Numerous pharmaceutical companies worldwide are making relentless efforts to achieve this ambitious goal.

AstraZeneca: Committed to Driving Innovation in Cancer Treatment

In the field of oncology, AstraZeneca has been deeply committed for decades, with several of its developed drugs becoming classic regimens in clinical cancer treatment, continuously filling many gaps in unmet clinical needs.

The clinical expansion of third-generation EGFR-TKI Osimertinib, the new-generation HER2 ADC Trastuzumab Deruxtecan (co-developed by Daiichi Sankyo), the "dual immunotherapy" combination led by PD-L1 (Durvalumab) + CTLA4 (Tremelimumab), and the novel BTK inhibitor Acalabrutinib, aims to enhance efficacy, improve safety, and achieve better long-term survival outcomes from different approaches. These efforts further meet patients' clinical needs and collectively advance the vision of "making cancer a chronically manageable disease."

Future Direction: Combination Therapy Will Bring More Benefits to Patients

Tumors are a class of complex diseases, and a single treatment drug or regimen often struggles to achieve the optimal therapeutic goal. Combinations of different treatment drugs or strategies, both in clinical trials and real-world treatment practices, have brought exciting clinical benefits. With the emergence of various innovative technologies and therapeutic drugs, combination therapy is also considered one of the future developmental trends in tumor clinical treatment.

To further enhance the precision treatment level for various types of cancer in China and provide more treatment options for patients, AstraZeneca is advancing multiple clinical studies on Osimertinib, Trastuzumab Deruxtecan, Durvalumab ± Tremelimumab, and Acalabrutinib to explore whether combination therapies can improve efficacy and benefit more patients.

As the pipeline of new drugs from local companies in China continues to expand, AstraZeneca also looks forward to collaborating with local enterprises by supporting the conduct of combination therapy clinical research for "Osimertinib," "Trastuzumab Deruxtecan (conducted in collaboration with Daiichi Sankyo)," "Durvalumab ± Tremelimumab," and "Acalabrutinib," jointly contributing to the achievement of the 'Healthy China 2030' goals.

Key Achievements: In-depth cooperation has been reached with 5 local companies.

Self-start “Lung Cancer Targeted Combination Scientific Research Cooperation Special Project"Since then, AstraZeneca has achieved fruitful results: more than 10 local pharmaceutical companies have applied, and innovative collaborations with three local pharmaceutical enterprises—Shiyao Group, Chintai Pharmaceuticals, and LianBio—have been established. These include a registration study for combination therapy and two exploratory studies on new mechanism drugs to address resistance to osimertinib and further enhance its efficacy as a first-line treatment, thereby benefiting more patients with lung cancer."

In the field of hepato-biliary tumors, AstraZeneca has reached a cooperation agreement with Zhi Kang Hong Yi to explore a Phase I/II study of Durvalumab in combination with BC3402 for the first-line treatment of patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma, aiming to provide new solutions for liver cancer patients.

In the field of hematological oncology, AstraZeneca has reached a cooperation agreement with Ascentage Pharma to jointly conduct a Phase III clinical trial for the registration of acalabrutinib combined with APG-2575 in the treatment of previously untreated CLL/SLL.

How to Apply: 3 Requirements + 3 Steps

In order to further make various tumors chronic and controllable, AstraZeneca plans to continue providing its targeted lung cancer drugs to partners.Osimertinib、Targeted HER2 ADCTrastuzumab Deruxtecan, Immune checkpoint inhibitors (includingTremelimumab and Durvalumab）、Hematological Tumor Targeted DrugsAcalabrutinibTo support its clinical research.

Application Requirements

1. The enterprise has innovative molecules (small molecules or large molecules), innovative targets, or innovative technologies;

2. The mechanism of action of the product is clear.

Combination with Osimertinib for the Treatment of EGFRm NSCLC,
In combination with trastuzumab deruxtecan for the treatment of breast cancer, gastric cancer, lung cancer, colorectal cancer, bladder cancer, cervical cancer, endometrial cancer, ovarian cancer, etc.
Combination of Tremelimumab and Durvalumab for the Treatment of Hepatobiliary Tumors,
The scientific rationale for combining acalabrutinib in the treatment of lymphoma is reasonable;

3.Clear产权/专利.

Application Steps

1. Chinese pharmaceutical companies interested in collaboration submit their research plans and provide necessary supporting data;

2. After the AstraZeneca team assesses feasibility, both parties will sign a cooperation agreement.

3. The clinical study was conducted by Chinese pharmaceutical companies.

Contact Information

Lung Cancer: ChinaLCPartnership@AstraZeneca.com

Trastuzumab Deruxtecan Pan-Tumor: ChinaEnhertuPartnership@astrazeneca.com

Liver and Gallbladder Tumors: ChinaHBCPartnership@AstraZeneca.com

Hematological Tumors: ChinaHEMAPartnership@astrazeneca.com

(Note: Osimertinib has not been approved for use in combination with any drugs or for treatment regimens targeting rare EGFR mutations; Trastuzumab deruxtecan has not been approved for use in combination with any drugs or for pan-cancer treatment regimens, and application proposals require joint evaluation by the AstraZeneca and Daiichi Sankyo teams; except for use in combination with chemotherapy as a first-line treatment for unresectable biliary tract cancer, Durvalumab has not been approved in China for use in combination with any drugs or as a monotherapy for hepatobiliary tumor treatment regimens; Acalabrutinib has also not been approved for use in combination with any drugs or for lymphoma treatment regimens other than MCL and CLL. AstraZeneca does not recommend any unapproved drug uses. This article is published by the AstraZeneca Medical Department for reference by healthcare professionals/pharmaceutical industry professionals only and is not intended for promotional purposes.)

References:

[1]https://www.iarc.fr/faq/latest-global-cancer-data-2020-qa/

[2] The Central People's Government of the People's Republic of China. The CPC Central Committee and the State Council issue the "Healthy China 2030" Plan Outline.

https://www.gov.cn/zhengce/2016-10/25/content_5124174.htm, 2016-10-25.

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