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Shares of AstraZeneca PLC surged 4.3% amidst high trading volume following the announcement of a new trial collaboration with Arcus Biosciences. The partnership aims to target clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC), a type of kidney cancer.
Details of the Collaboration
Arcus Biosciences and AstraZeneca will work together on a clinical trial to evaluate a combination of two investigational drugs: casdatifan (AB521) and volrustomig. Casdatifan, developed by Arcus, is a HIF-2a inhibitor, while volrustomig, from AstraZeneca, is a PD-1/CTLA-4 bispecific antibody.
The collaboration involves AstraZeneca sponsoring and managing the trial. The study will focus on assessing both the safety and early efficacy of the combination therapy in patients with advanced ccRCC.
Statements from Arcus Biosciences
Terry Rosen, CEO of Arcus Biosciences, shared optimism about the potential of casdatifan. “We believe casdatifan has best-in-class potential, based on the observed PK and PD profiles and the emerging clinical data from our ARC-20 study in patients with ccRCC,” he said. Rosen also noted that the collaboration would allow both companies to explore the potential benefits of combining casdatifan and volrustomig for ccRCC patients.
This partnership is a strategic step towards developing new treatments for renal cell carcinoma, aiming to improve outcomes for affected patients.