AstraZeneca's MedImmune licenses therapies from Inovio Pharma

AstraZeneca announced that MedImmune, its global biologics research and development arm, has entered into a license agreement and collaboration with Inovio Pharmaceuticals, a biotechnology company developing DNA-based immunotherapies for cancer and infectious diseases. Under the agreement, MedImmune will acquire exclusive rights to Inovio�s INO-3112 immunotherapy, which targets cancers caused by human papillomavirus (HPV) types 16 and 18. INO-3112, which is in phase I/II clinical trials for cervical and head and neck cancers, works by generating killer T-cell responses that are able to destroy HPV 16- and 18-driven tumours. These HPV types are responsible for more than 70 per cent of cervical pre-cancers and cancers.