Immuno-Oncology
Amplifying the body’s natural immune system defences to improve survivorship
AZ Leadership in Immuno-Oncology
Immuno-Oncology (IO) has been successful in the targeted treatment of cancer, but recent advances in our understanding of the immune system are informing the development of new therapies with the potential to make an even greater impact for patients.
Our immune system has natural surveillance mechanisms to assess or eliminate potential threats to our health.1,2 The system works well, but rogue cells sometimes slip past these surveillance mechanisms and become cancers.3 By providing the immune system with tools for recognising tumours, IO therapies can enable recognition and response to the presence of cancer that our innate immune surveillance mechanisms may have missed.1,4
AstraZeneca is an industry leader in investigating how IO therapeutics may potentially extend survival in patients with cancer. Our mission to deliver next-generation IO therapies, combinations and diagnostics is reflected across our broad and innovative pipeline.
Our IO Vision
Across our clinical trials, we are testing IO as monotherapy (by itself) and also in combinations with chemotherapy, small molecules, antibody drug conjugates and other immunotherapies across multiple tumour types, stages of disease and lines of treatment. Combined with innovative diagnostic tools, we aim to move IO treatment into earlier stages of disease. We have an unparalleled commitment to bringing IO treatment into early disease settings, with more than two-thirds of our Phase III trials in earlier stages of cancer.
It is our hope that the earlier we detect and treat cancer, the more likely it will be that patients will have a good quality of life for longer. By exploring new biomarkers in patients with cancer, we aim to enable more productive discussions for patients and their healthcare providers. Our vision is that IO innovations will continue to play a critical role in redefining cancer care.
Bringing the Benefit of IO to the Right Patients
Success in IO will hinge on the ability to identify which therapy or combination may be best for each patient. AstraZeneca is a leader in this area, delivering one of the first cross-industry data sets to enable the right treatment decisions to be made for patients.5,4,6 This is increasingly important when several treatment options are available for patient populations.7
Mark Cobbold Vice President, Discovery, Oncology R&D
References
1. Melero I, et al. Clinical development of immunostimulatory monoclonal antibodies and opportunities for combination. Clin Cancer Res. 2013;19(5):997-1008.
2. Finn O. Immuno-oncology: understanding the function and dysfunction of the immune system in cancer. Ann Oncol. 2012;23(Suppl_8):viii6-viii9.
3. Beatty, G. L. (2015). Immune escape mechanisms as a guide for cancer immunotherapy. Clinical cancer research : an official journal of the American Association for Cancer Research, 21(4), 687–692. https://doi.org/10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-14-1860
4. Eggermont A, et al. Advances in immuno-oncology. Ann Oncol. 2012;23(Suppl_8 Foreword):viii5.
5. Ratcliff M, et al. A comparative study of PDL1 diagnostic assays in squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN). Presented at ESMO 2016 Congress. October 2016.
6. Antonia S, et al. Safety and antitumor activity of durvalumab plus tremelimumab in non-small cell lung cancer: a multicentre, phase 1b study. Lancet Oncol. 2016;17:299-308.
7. Patel S and Kurzrock R. PD-L1 Expression as a Predictive Biomarker in Cancer Immunotherapy. Mol Cancer Ther. 2015;14:847-856.
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Veeva ID: Z4-32306
Date of Prep: April 2021