J&J, Pfizer, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center cancer news
The center partnered separately with the pharmas to develop personalized immunotherapies for cancer through MD Anderson's Moon Shots Program. Under the three-year deals, Johnson & Johnson's Boston Innovation Center and the pharma's Janssen Biotech Inc. subsidiary and Pfizer's Rinat biotech unit will work with MD Anderson to identify combination therapies and biomarkers for products in the pharmas' respective pipelines. MD Anderson said the pharmas each made a "substantial payment" to the center. MD Anderson and Pfizer declined to disclose details, and J&J could not be reached in time for publication.
MD Anderson launched its Moon Shots Program in 2012 to accelerate the conversion of scientific discoveries into clinical advances for cancer patients. The program is initially targeting eight cancers, with each "moon shot" to receive funding and other resources for projects prioritized for patient effect, which may include basic and translational research, biomarker-driven clinical trials, behavioral interventions and public policy initiatives (see BioCentury, Sept. 24, 2012). ...