BioCentury
ARTICLE | Product Development

José Baselga on how new modalities and biomarkers are shaping AZ’s oncology strategy

AZ’s oncology R&D head identifies priority technologies, targets and combination strategies

October 30, 2020 10:50 PM UTC

AstraZeneca’s oncology R&D chief José Baselga sees the pharma’s push into ADCs as prologue for its quiet move into cell therapies, as the company builds up a stable of new modalities and targets in its cancer pipeline. He also sees ways for biomarkers to open up new treatable phases of disease. 

Baselga joined AstraZeneca plc (LSE:AZN; NASDAQ:AZN) as EVP of research & development, oncology amid its restructuring in early 2019, which saw the pharma dissolve its MedImmune biologics unit and bring early- and late-stage development under the same roof for its two new divisions: Biopharmaceuticals and Oncology. Mene Pangalos heads the BioPharma unit as EVP of R&D, which is driving AZ’s COVID-19 response, including its hotly anticipated vaccine...