Moffitt Cancer Center announced on Sept. 13 a collaboration with AstraZeneca that aims to accelerate the development of cell therapies, specifically chimeric antigen receptor T cell (CAR T) and T cell receptor (TCR T) therapies.
A press release on the announcement said, “Under this collaboration, AstraZeneca will have priority access to Moffitt's leading clinical environment and forge strong connections between physician-scientists to accelerate the investigation of novel cell therapies.”
Further, “Advances in cell therapy, including CAR Ts and TCR Ts, are reshaping cancer care by offering potential new treatments for cancers with limited treatment options. The field has grown exponentially since the first CAR T therapies were approved in 2017. Moffitt was pivotal in the clinical trials that led to several FDA approvals for cell therapies and continues to grow its capabilities in this field, with an extensive network of cancer centers across the United States.”
The collaboration will aim to address cell therapy development challenges and expand cell therapies to more patients. One key focus, according to the press release, will be on “advancing clinical studies to investigate cell therapies in solid tumors and further optimizing clinical operations to streamline and expedite the delivery of autologous cell therapies to patients.”