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AstraZeneca Announces Innovative New Partnership With Singapore Institutions to Develop Anti-Cancer Compounds

Friday, August 15, 2008 General News
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SINGAPORE, Aug. 15 AstraZeneca (NYSE: AZN) todayannounced an innovative new partnership with the National Cancer CentreSingapore (NCCS) and the National University Hospital (NUH) to developanti-cancer compounds. The collaboration, which is spelt out in a Memorandumof Understanding (MOU) that was signed today, aims to further buildAstraZeneca's drug development capabilities in Asia and ultimately speed upaccess to new medicines of potential benefit to patients with inoperableHepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC). HCC is a cancer that is particularly prevalentin Asia and accounts for approximately one million deaths annuallyworldwide.(1) Studies have also shown that more than 90 per cent of thoseafflicted with the cancer die within five years due to its inoperability.(1)
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Dr. Brent Vose, Vice President of AstraZeneca's Oncology Therapeutic Areasaid: "AstraZeneca is committed to the research and development of new,targeted anti-cancer therapies in Asia to improve the lives of cancerpatients, beginning with those affected by HCC. There is a huge unmet need fortreatment of liver cancer in Asia, and particularly East Asia, where there arethree-quarters of the world's HCC patients.(2) We have a number of promisingcandidates in development and look forward to seeing the results of some keystudies throughout the next year."
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Under the MOU, AstraZeneca and the Singapore institutions will be enteringinto a collaborative agreement that spans both clinical and pre-clinicaldevelopment activities. The partnership also includes a Training Programmeplacement with the Manchester Cancer Research Centre, with whom AstraZenecahas a formal research alliance. Supported in part by the Singapore EconomicDevelopment Board, the training programme seeks to train a pool of clinicalresearch professionals for both private-sector and public-sector researchlabs.

"Singapore is one of Asia's fastest growing bio-clusters and offersexcellent IP protection, a population base representative of Asia, world-classscientific and clinical infrastructure as well as access to global talent,"said Mr. Yeoh Keat Chuan, Executive Director, Biomedical Sciences, SingaporeEconomic Development Board. "AstraZeneca joins an expanding base of leadingpharmaceutical and biotechnology companies that have chosen to develop newdrugs and therapies in Singapore. It is a strong testament of Singapore'scapabilities in translational and clinical research, particularly inapplications for diseases prevalent in Asia."

National Healthcare Group (NHG) Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Lim Suet Wunsays, "165 out of 1,069 ongoing research studies in NHG focus on Oncology. Thecollaboration with AstraZeneca will provide an excellent platform for ourresearchers and research support team to access renowned expertise andfacilities at the Manchester Cancer Research Centre, all with the aim todevelop impactful outcomes for cancer patients."

Caroline Shaw, Chief Executive of the Christie Hospital, a foundingpartner of Manchester Cancer Research Centre together with The University ofManchester and Cancer Research UK said "The Christie Hospital is worldrenowned for its radiation related research and investigative clinical trials.We are proud that the quality of our training in these disciplines isrecognised and has been assimilated as a foundational activity in thisexciting partnership with Asia"

Under the terms of the clinical development collaboration, two ofSingapore's leading research institutions -- the NCCS and NUH -- will be givenaccess to AstraZeneca compounds which have already undergone initial clinicaltesting in the West.

Two AstraZeneca compounds(3), have already been identified for clinicalscreening in inoperable HCC by the institutions during 2008 and 2009. Furthercompounds will be made available at a rate of one per year, for the durationof the partnership, which is in place until 2012.
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