Research and Discovery Alliance for Pharmacology

An oncology-focused company called Cancer Research Technology Limited (CRT; London, UK) and the University of Manchester (Manchester, UK) have entered into an agreement with AstraZeneca (London, UK) to collaborate on clinical pharmacology biomarker research and discovery.

Through the collaboration, AstraZeneca and CRT will jointly fund a pair of three-year clinical pharmacology research fellowships with the goal of identifying and validating circulating biomarkers for use in conjunction with targeted cancer therapies.
The collaboration will focus on blood-based markers and will serve as a pilot for an anticipated rolling joint program from the two organizations. Blood samples can be taken much more frequently and easily than tissue biopsies, and the circulating biomarkers will be particularly valuable for the development of targeted cancer therapies.

Within the three-year fellowship programs, clinical research fellows will receive training in translational research and phase 1 clinical trials from academic, clinical, and industry perspectives. This collaboration serves as a pilot for an anticipated joint cancer research/ clinical pharmacology program.

With the emergence of targeted cancer therapies, the development of robust biomarkers that reflect the molecular pathology of tumors and predict or report drug responsiveness is becoming increasingly important for improving the success of patient treatment. Such biomarkers could potentially be used for effective determination of optimum biologic dose, establishment of proof-of-concept, selection of patients most likely to respond, and detection of subsequent resistance to treatment.

Cancer Research Technologies belongs to Cancer Research UK, which is a charity dedicated to research into the causes, prevention, and treatment of cancer. The charity supports the work of 3,000 scientists, doctors and nurses in over 80 academic centers across the United Kingdom.

AstraZeneca is a major international healthcare business engaged in the research, development, manufacture, and marketing of prescription pharmaceuticals and the supply of healthcare services.



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