AstraZeneca Plc has entered into a research collaboration and exclusive licensing deal with Transgene SA of France to co-develop five oncolytic virus drug candidates for the treatment of cancer. Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
Oncolytic virus therapies are genetically modified viruses that are injected into tumour cells to cause cell death and as a second step, stimulate the immune system. To date, one oncolytic virus product, Amgen Inc’s Imlygic for the treatment of melanoma, has been approved for marketing, but many more are in development.