HACKENSACK, N.J., Aug. 21, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Champions
Oncology, Inc. (NASDAQ: CSBR), a company engaged in the development
and sale of advanced technology solutions and products to
personalize the development and use of oncology drugs, today
announced a strategic collaboration with AstraZeneca to develop
novel cohorts of PDX models. These models will be used in
AstraZeneca's oncology R&D programs in breast and lung cancer,
in addition to being added to Champions' existing TumorGraft bank
for translational oncology research for academic and industry
customers. Champions' global network of collaborating sites
will be leveraged to support this multi-year initiative.
These novel models will expand Champions' bank of
estrogen-receptor-positive (ER+) metastatic breast cancer and
epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutant non-small cell lung
cancer PDX models. Both cohorts will focus on the metastatic,
previously treated setting and will enable a better understanding
of mechanisms of resistance, providing a critical platform to
optimize drug development in these settings. Full clinical and
molecular annotation will be available to enable model selection
for testing innovative therapies, investigating new and existing
pathways, and identification of biomarkers.
Steve Fawell, VP and Head of
Oncology Science at AstraZeneca, said, "This collaboration with
Champions is allowing us to develop and characterize tumor models
representing the drug refractory and drug resistant state, a
surprisingly underserved space in cancer biology and drug
development with most current cell line and PDX models being
derived from diagnostic untreated patient samples. They will be
pivotal to understanding drug resistance mechanisms and the
development of next generation drugs."
Klaas Bakker, M.D., Head of EGFR
Therapies, Global Medical Affairs, AstraZeneca, "This collaboration
will support our continued efforts to better understand EGFR-mutant
disease and help us develop further therapeutic approaches for
patients."
Angela M. Davies, MD, Chief
Medical Officer, Champions added, "We are excited to be partnering
with AstraZeneca to support their translational oncology needs.
This collaboration represents another dimension in our capabilities
to deliver a specific cohort of PDX models to clients to support
drug development portfolios in key areas. These unique models
reflect current standard of care and are not widely available.
These new models, in addition to our large existing TumorGraft
bank, continue to be a valuable and cost-effective tool for the
pharmaceutical industry in their pre-clinical and clinical drug
development research."
About Champions Oncology
Champions Oncology, Inc. is engaged in the development of
advanced technology solutions and services to personalize the
development and use of oncology drugs. The company's technology
platform is a novel approach to personalizing cancer care based
upon the implantation of primary human tumors in immune-deficient
mice to create TumorGrafts that preserve the biological
characteristics of the original human tumor to determine the
efficacy of a treatment regimen. The company uses this technology
in conjunction with related services to offer solutions for two
customer groups: Personalized Oncology Solutions, in which results
help guide the development of personalized treatment plans, and
Translational Oncology Solutions, in which pharmaceutical and
biotechnology companies seeking personalized approaches to drug
development can lower the cost and increase the speed of developing
new drugs. For more information, please
visit www.championsoncology.com.
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SOURCE Champions Oncology, Inc.